Blog

August 2022: Luciana Freire D’Anunciação

Who is Luciana Freire D’Anunciação in a sentence?

“A porous container of sugar and mystery”.

Tell us a bit about your work and practice.

In my work I like to consider the creative reciprocity that exists on the encounter. As I see and let be seen, as I hear and let be heard, as I touch and let be touched, I allow myself to enhance my connection with collaborators, working materials, the working studio, locations, landscapes, urban contexts – and let their affects resonate on the work. By doing so, I am politically acknowledging the wholeness of the body in art making and community building. My practice is then, body oriented, manifesting in and between dance and visual arts (performance, video, installation, photography, sound).

I’m also interested in social dance, the dance that exist after work, for pleasure and catharsis, in parties, and carnaval. I’m mostly interested how the world of the African diaspora is dancing currently, in the clubs and streets, including in Brazil, where I am from.

How long have you been dancing?

I started taking contemporary technique class when I was in my late teens, a little bit after I started my training in theatre. I never kept a consistent practice/training until my mid-20s. I was exposed to contemporary art/performing arts very young, and I loved it. I knew I didn’t want to do a traditional training, so I have been hand-picking the classes, courses, and mentors along the way. In parallel to the “professional” dance practice, there has always been social/cultural dance practices growing up in Brazil.

How does dance fit into your life currently? 

During this summer, I am mostly interested in not taking myself too seriously when dancing. Most of it is happening when I take my weekly afrobeats and dancehall classes or in spontaneous practices. It is also taking space in my life as plans for the future, seeds for new works. Beyond that I’m a photographer and videographer for the dance/theatre community.

How would you describe dance’s impact on your life?

I like to think that something in my experience in dance contains the answer for a question I can’t still articulate about being in this world right now.

What three core values drive your engagement with dance? 

Connection (to self and others), self-expression and joy.

Do you have a particular practice that you carry out each day or have you implemented new practices as a way of adapting to the current climate?

Not really. My schedule usually is very dynamic, the rituals I create they seems to change very quickly.

What would you say are the most significant benefits for you in being a Dance Centre member?

Access to studios to research and develop work and connect with community.

How have you been spending your time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what are you most looking forward to doing moving forward?

Each phase of the pandemic I have done different things, but the most significant one was giving more attention to my writing. I have always done creative writing, but mostly as in journals and part of creative processes. However, in the last year I’ve been working on an artist book with a collection of poems based on my dance and performance practice. I’m looking forward to launching the book and discover how it will feel like to share my work that way.

This year, we are celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Scotiabank Dance Centre. What impact do you feel the building has had on the dance community, our city, and/or your own practice?

It is a place that culminates many of the things related to dance: research/rehearsals, classes, shows and community making.

Luciana’s Member Profile
Facebook
Instagram: @lucianafdanunciacao
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Photos by Gus Sainz and Ash Tanasiychuk