What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?

The most influential artistic experience of my life was seeing the original Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo at the Lyric when I six years old. It was the singular event that made me 'know' that I wanted to perform on stage as a dancer. I saw all of those men and women in beautiful costumes surrounded by stunning larger than life scenery and I knew that 'those were my people.' And I have been dancing and performing ever since.

Dancer/storyteller/actress Maria Broom received the Governor's Arts Award in 2004 and was named Artist of the Year by Young Audiences of Maryland in 2007. She played memorable roles in HBO's The Corner and The Wire, which was recently released in its entirety on DVD.