Name:
Anabella Lenzu
What do you do?
Choreographer, dancer, teacher, writer, and artistic director of Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama (ALDD)
What inspires you?
My work reflects my experience as a Latina/European artist living in New York, and comes from a deep examination of my motivations as a woman, mother, and immigrant.
What are you proud of?
I have had cultural, economic, and social difficulties in my career as a teacher and choreographer, but I have always risen above them by thinking and reflecting on my role as one of service to dance, to art, to my community, and to my people.
My impulse to learn, my need to see the world, and my desire to gain insight into this life and the next have led me to travel, teach, and share my experiences and my culture with others. I feel privileged and blessed to have been able to make a living as a choreographer, dancer, and teacher in Argentina, Chile, Italy, the United States, and the world.
Do you have any advice for your fellow artists?
As dancers with years of training, we know how we appear externally, how the audience sees and perceives us. We have built our internal framework, the skeleton of our artistic selves, and just as we built the house, we must furnish the interiors.
I reached my physical and mental limits many times. I suffered from bulimia and panic attacks, but I overcame them through my family’s patience and guidance, and by listening to myself, confronting myself in the mirror, closing my eyes and cultivating an internal self-image.
This is my dance training, and I apply it to all areas of my life. Through constant, persistent work, we form an umbilical cord – a connection – between the darkness and the light.
How does The Field help you?
I met Steve Gross (one of the founders of The Field) in 1999, when I did not speak English. I took ALL the workshops they offered in Grant Writing, Development, Marketing, Pitching, etc. I participated in Fieldwork at least 10 times and learned how to give honest and precise feedback to my peers (in English).
The Field gave me the foundation to understand how a private/nonprofit dance company functions, preparing me to create ALDD.
Additional Viewing:
Sangre y Arena (Blood and Sand) by Anabelle Lenzu To join The Field community and become eligible for a "Meet Our Artists" feature, sign up for a membership and join our mailing list for program updates!
