Wild Once: An Interview with Sophia Franzella, Creator of the Wild Once Project

“You were wild once, don’t let them tame you.”

The quote above was said by Isadora Duncan, known as “The Mother of Modern Dance,” who pioneered a new form of dance that was not as rigid as ballet, believing that dance could be an expression of the human spirit. At the time, the most commonly practiced style of dance was ballet, known for its structure and austerity. Duncan went against de rigueur and started to experiment with free movement, using her entire body to portray an emotion or story. Her efforts were met with wide acclaim and modern dance began to take hold.

Isadora Duncan’s quote inspired Sophia Franzella, fueling her desire to create art and her belief that you shouldn’t wait for permission to make art. Art should be accessible to anyone willing to give it a shot. From that belief, Sophia created her project—a twelve video series utilizing dance to explore the themes of the human spirit and what it means to be human. Each video showcases a different performer and location and is choreographed by Sophia. The videos are about two minutes in length, making them accessible to anyone wanting to get a bit of art and culture in their day.