With a BA (Hons) degree in Dance - Bretton Hall, University of Leeds - Annarita Mazzilli went on to gain a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Dance Performance from the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, Dundee College. In 2006 she became a member of Transitions Dance Company (the performance group of the Laban Centre) and in April 2007 she completed her MA in Dance Performance at the Laban Centre, City of London University.

During her training Annarita worked with Janet Smith, Thomas Small, David Hughes and Jane Mason. She has performed widely at a variety of events and venues, including ‘Body-words’ (2009) and ‘Dialogues’ (2007) International Festivals in St. Petersburg, Resolutions (2007-current), Choreodrome (2005), Dansopolis Community Dance Festival (2004). A former member of the MK Dance Theatre Company (Austria), Annarita is now an associate artist of Dance Physics and La Strada Fashion Circus. She is involved in different performance projects in London and is currently working as a choreographer and movement director for the Lumenis Theatre Company. Her latest works Casa and ‘I thought I loved you but it was just how you looked in the light’ were performed at a variety of venues, most notably the O2 Arena in 2011 as part of La Strada Fashion Circus event. She is also teaching dance to professionals and non-professionals in UK.

Organisations she is currently working for include: Accademia Apulia UK, Central School of Ballet, Birbeck University and she is the Lead Tutor –Performing Arts for Tower Hamlets Council- Lifelong Long Learning sector (London).

When did you start developing a passion for dance?

I started ballet when I was 10 years old and it quickly developed into a passion. I have always been happiest communicating through movement, drawing and painting. As a child my parents said I would become a dancer as I could not stay still and enjoyed entertaining everyone with my dancing! I studied arts at the Istituto Statale D’Arte of Bari and took Ballet, Modern/Jazz and Contemporary dance classes every afternoon. When I was 16 I attended a summer school at The Royal Academy of Dance in London where we were taken to see a performance of Giselle at the Royal Opera House. It made a very strong impression on me and knew I had to do what I could to get to London to train to become a professional dancer.

Tell us a little bit about your work CASA (Home)

Casa is a theatrical dance piece with elements of structured improvisation. The work explores the themes of cultural identity and personal alienation. It looks at the problems with cultural identification and integration while living in a global changing culture. It looks at how human interrelation, sense of community and solitude are all part of the everyday struggle to fit in. The piece is a collage of still images and stylized sketches inspired from typical everyday life situations, such as that of a crowd of people in a public place. As the piece unfolds, characters wearing big heavy coats come to life and interact with each other. The universal themes of a sense of belonging and what makes a place home are explored although each character is on their own personal journey.

When and where did you stage Casa?

Casa was staged at the Camden People’s Theatre as part of the 2010 Camden Fringe Festival and subsequently at The Blue Elephant Theatre, Kennington in May 2011. Casa has proven to be a piece that works equally successfully in outside spaces as well an in a theatre. Sections from the piece have been performed at The Space in London’s Docklands (2009), Victoria Train Station (2010), Bexleyheath Shopping Centre (2010 BigDance Festival), and at St Pancras International (2011 event organised by Scenepool). The piece is due to be performed at the Kings Head Theatre, Islington later this year.

How did the audience respond to Casa?

The response was very positive. Many people experienced strong reactions to the characters, finding they could identify with the sense of isolation and struggle expressed metaphorically through the use of coats. London Dance alluded to this in their review: “Five of the six dancers wear heavy woollen coats, which Mazzilli cleverly uses to suggest and symbolise various aspects of self and situation.” Picking up on the obvious visual image of dancers in thick winter coats alluding to the morning commute, people experienced a sense of almost looking into a mirror, watching themselves going about their everyday lives.

Tell us about the choreographic process. How do you turn your ideas into movement?

I usually start with an image. I then explore this image through games and creative improvisations in the dance studio until I have a substantial amount of interesting material to shape into a piece. Any aspects of narrative usually develop and become apparent during this process. My work utilises structured improvisation not only in the making process but also on stage, which enhances the collaboration between me and my dancers. I really value performers’ own creativity and personality and every time a piece is performed or moves to a different venue I like to give them the freedom to explore and respond to what surrounds them within the boundaries of the choreographic structure. Because of this during the choreographic process, quite a lot of time in the studio is spent to hopefully develop mutual feelings of trust and understanding between me and the group I am working with.

How about the process of interpretation?

Usually due to the flexible nature of my artistic process, the work can be easily performed also as a site specific piece. I particularly enjoy choreograph and structure my work in sections (scenes) that even if performed in a different order and in different venues retain the integrity of its choreographic intent and yet opens up to different interpretations.

Is there a recurring theme in your work?

I have always been interested in human interaction and relationships and have regularly explored themes related to cultural identity and integration within a society and the challenges that face people who find themselves having to make a new life in a new culture. This is closely related to my personal experience of moving to England 12 years ago where I felt firsthand the pressure of getting one’s ‘voice’ heard in the super-societies of today’s multicultural cities. Human interrelations, sense of community, friendship, family and solitude are all important themes in my work.

Who is your favourite choreographer?

German choreographer Pina Bausch has been a very big influence on me. She was responsible for the development of the Tanztheater style which brings non-dance elements into the performance. She worked a lot with the spoken word and multimedia, and often used performers trained in non-dance oriented disciplines such as music and drama, thus furthering the possibilities of what could be achieved and challenging many of our assumptions about what constitutes dance. One notable aspect of her work was also the use of inanimate objects as a way of conveying meaning and offering subtext. A well-known example of this is in her version of The Rite of Spring in which dancers perform barefoot on a stage covered in soil. I interpreted this as an attempt to create a stronger connection between the outside world and the abstract world of dance. How do you get this ‘connection’ in your work? For Casa I have utilised costumes to bridge this gap. In fact in my most recent work I Thought I Loved You but it was Just How You Looked in the Light, a men’s shirt represents the breakdown of a relationship.

What are the challenges faced by a choreographer these days?

Obviously the main problem choreographers face is finding adequate funding for their projects. Financial backers might be reluctant to invest in small scale, new dance projects where the promise of a return of their investment can be little or nothing, so usually those of us wishing to put our own work on often have to dig into our own pockets. Like the London Fringe, dance on a shoestring budget is the norm and people often put in many hours unpaid work to make something happen. Contemporary dance is also more popular than ever today so it is more competitive. We have a very diverse and vibrant dance scene but this of course creates its own challenges. There is a bigger audience out there but also there are many more companies creating new work.

What is your next dream?

To have one of my choreographies performed at Sadlers’ Wells theatre or Trafalgar Square, to travel and find further inspiration for my work.

What is your message to young people travelling around the world in search of themselves?

Explore, share, listen, learn, be proud of your dreams and your origin but respect and value the people you meet and cultures you encounter. You never stop learning and every experience in your life will shape the person you are.