Marika Blossfeldt was born in Estonia, raised in Germany, and has been living and working in New York since 1980. She now divides her time between Estonia and New York. She is fluent in Estonian and aspires to a more permanent presence in her native land, continuing her work as a creative ambassador of Estonian culture and international cultural exchange.
Marika Blossfeldt has a background in the visual and performing arts. She studied painting at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin with Professor Raimund Girke. After moving to New York in 1980 to pursue studies in contemporary dance, she performed as a featured soloist with renowned downtown choreographers and created original multi-media dance works.
Recent projects include THE WOLF'S BRIDE, a multi-media collaboration with the Australian ensemble Kiri-uu and Estonian choreographer/dancer Rene Nommik, performed at DANCE ACROSS BORDERS in Göteborg; VI IDUS AUGUSTI, an outdoor spectacle created in collaboration with Polish composer Mieczyslaw Litwinski and commissioned by Lihula Culture House (funded in part by Kultuurkapital, Estonia); THE WAY OF THE ARCHER, commissioned by Aura Dance Company, Kaunas (Lithuania); STONE CLOCK, commissioned by the Estonian National Ballet (funded in part by ArtsLink, a program of CEC International Partners, USA); MOON PULSE, a dance/music video filmed in natural outdoor settings throughout Estonia in collaboration with composer Lisa Karrer (New York) (funded in part by ArtsLink and Experimental Television Center Ltd., USA); and BIRD WOMAN SPIRIT, a solo for Marika Blossfeldt inspired by the Estonian ballad "The Man Killer" (presented in New York at Dixon Place and Dia Center for the Arts, as well as in Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden and Denmark).
As the Associate Director of GOH Productions, a non-profit arts organization in New York, she has been administrator, curator, producer, and manager for ten international performances, festivals and seminars. In 1996, she curated and managed A FESTIVAL OF ESTONIAN CULTURE at La MaMa E.T.C. in New York City (funded in part by The Trust for Mutual Understanding). The event brought 30 artists from Estonia, providing American audiences with the opportunity to experience the richness of Estonian culture, from the traditional to the avant-garde. In the same year, she organized THE ESTONIA CHOREOGRAPHY EXCHANGE, a residency at the National Opera in Tallinn by American choreographers Jane Comfort and Susan Osberg, who choreographed works for the Estonian National Ballet (funded in part by Dance Theater Workshop's Suitcase Fund). The following year she brought choreographers Bill Young (USA) and Andy Wong (Hong Kong) to work with the Estonian National Ballet Company (funded by ArtsLink). Marika Blossfeldt was instrumental in bringing choreographer Tamar Rogoff and composer Lisa Karrer from America to Estonia; since their initial visit both of these artists have continued to collaborate on artistic ventures in the Baltics, with works including the IVYE PROJECT (Tamar Rogoff) and SANCTUARY (Lisa Karrer).
In 1995, Marika Blossfeldt purchased Polli Talu in Estonia, with the vision of creating an international arts center on its grounds. She is the founder and artistic director of Polli Talu Arts Center. She designed, organized and supervised the restoration process, which began in the summer of 1996 and continues to the present. 1999 marked the first season of artistic and educational activities at Polli Talu Arts Center.
MarikaÕs long time interest in Yoga led to a certification as Kundalini Yoga instructor with 3HO in NYC in 1995. Marika teaches private and group classes in New York as well as weekend seminars and week-long yoga and wellness retreats at Polli Talu Arts Center.
She graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, New York in 2005 and is accredited as Holistic Health Counselor by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She is the director of Delicious Nutrition, a private practice dedicated to raising awareness of the profound impact food has on all aspects of our lives. Marika enjoys guiding her clients to a place of confidence, knowledge and intuition about their food choices.
