Blog

The 14th biennial Dance In Vancouver is coming up November 20-24! It’s the leading opportunity for presenters from around the world to experience our contemporary dance scene. This edition’s guest international curator is Anthea Lewis, founder of Blulilli Projects UK, in association with Dance Umbrella (UK) – London’s International Dance Festival, and FABRIC International. We sat down with Anthea to learn more about her career in dance, and how she approached curating DIV.

Tell us about your career in dance

I danced as a child and it was always a space where I felt most able to express myself, once I realised it could be more than a hobby, I was all in. I went on the study at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance before doing a year at the Limon School in New York.

I was always interested in choreography and devised processes so enjoyed working with choreographers where this was part of their method. I worked in a freelance capacity the range and variety suited me well. I worked quite a bit with Belgian choreographer Hans Van den Broeck on different projects and loved the collective building of a world with the full team.

I became curious about all the moving parts involved in creating a production so went on to do an MA in Creative Producing for live performance. I was still passionate about making work but had carried a lot of injuries throughout my dance career and became more selective about the work I could take on; eventually only performing my choreography to accommodate the capacity of my body.

Much of my rehabilitative journey involved Pilates which I continue to teach today. I progressed as a producer working with different organisations and artists, then started creating my own events and platforms which leaned more into the curatorial aspects.

I’m continually trying to find the balance between the different types of work I engage with even though it can be a struggle at times to wear multiple hats. I always consider myself a dancer, some how that’s my root and exploring my voice through movement, through connection to my body is an ongoing exploration.

How did you come to connect with The Dance Centre and get involved with DIV?

Freddie Opoku Addaie, Artistic Director & Co-CEO of Dance Umbrella International Festival London(DU)) encouraged me to attend B-Motion festival in Bassano del Grappa as a good place to make connections and explore a wider field of dance. He introduced me to Mirna Zagar, Executive Director of The Dance Centre (TDC) and continued to facilitate the conversation with TDC about freelance artist led curatorial roles. After ongoing dialogues and a visit to Vancouver, I was invited to be the international guest curator for Dance In Vancouver with mentorship from Freddie and the support of DU.

How do you compare the Vancouver dance scene to that of the UK? 

There’s a strong sense of community in the contemporary dance scene that I have discovered in Vancouver so far and a sense of value for each person’s contribution to the ecosystem that they all co-exist in.

London being a busier city with more concentration of people makes it a more competitive environment but in current climate there is a lot of questioning in both cities about the value of the arts and its contribution to society. The landscape informs the artists and their work so it’s interesting to see the nuances that differ between the cities and the impact of the funding structures.

What are the main trends you are seeing in dance right now?

I’m seeing young collectives being formed and sharing platforms and resources which is great to know they are finding ways to keep going and empower themselves. Ongoing explorations with structured improvisations and score building. The influence of street dance in contemporary practices has become significant enough for it to be introduced within dance training institutions in the UK.

What were the driving themes and principles in your curation of DIV?

Part of my focus was to highlight what exists in the in between, essentially placing emphasis on all parts of a journey as well as the departure and arrival point. Exploring the minutia and allowing more time and space to be with this.

What do you hope artists, audiences and visiting presenters will gain from DIV?

As an experience I hope it allows room for us all to slow down and be in the present moment with each other. For the exchanges that will take place to be absorbed through all of our senses. I hope its an opportunity to discover interactions that may be brief or in depth with an openness to expanding our sense of possibility.

You can find out more about my work here: www.blulillibyanthealewis.com

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Dance In Vancouver 2024
November 20-24
Details

Photos: FakeKnot by David Cooper, Anthea Lewis by Miguel Altunaga 

Explore dance performances currently presented by The Dance Centre. Each season, you’ll find new dance shows. See what’s on today.