A performer and choreographer Liz Lea trained at London Contemporary Dance School and Akademi in London and Darpana Academy in India. She specialises in the field of contemporary and classical Indian dance and martial arts and recognised as one of the most exciting choreographers in the cross-cultural field.
In 2010 Liz is Artistic Director of Canberra Dance Theatre and Associate Director of QL2, Centre for Youth Dance. She is currently working on a new piece in collaboration with QL2 and Maya Dance Theatre from Singapore on a work titled ‘Standing in Line in Order of Height’. The work premieres in Canberra on the 10th June and in Singapore at Esplanade Theatre on the 17th June.
In August Liz premieres ‘120 Birds’ a new company work at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival, based around touring tales of 1920’s dance companies. The work is based around arrival film and sound materials sourced at the National Film and Sound Archive, where Liz had a Fellowship, supported by Critical Path. The film footage is largely unseen and has directed an entirely Australian based and inspired work.
In 2009 Liz was an Associate Director at QL2, Centre for Youth Dance in Canberra. From May – July she had performances in India, Spain, Australia, England and Wales and ran Residencies in Edinburgh at Dancebase and in Cork, Ireland at Firkin Crane.
In 2008 Liz performed at British Dance Edition and ran residencies in Liverpool, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Johannesburg. She visited India twice, following the footsteps of the 1923 Anna Pavlova Company tour and the Denishawn 1927 tour. Performances included Dialogue, an intercultural residency in Florence, Italy, Liverpool’s Streets Ahead and the Handover Ceremony in the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games as one of the Royal Opera House dancers. In Australia Liz taught a Masterclass and gave a Performance Presentation at the 2008 World Dance Alliance Summit, Brisbane, Australia.
In 2007 Liz premiered a new work, eros eris which was commissioned by The Royal Opera House, London and participated in Dancelines, a course for choreographers. She also ran projects in Seoul and Mackay/ Sydney, Australia.
In 2006 she toured Australia, the UK, Europe and the US with her solo show The Blue Tour. Between June-July 2006 she worked on Accented Body, Brisbane for the Brisbane Festival, 15-17th July.
In 2005 Liz undertook a three month UK and European solo tour and toured the UK with Sankalpam Dance Company. In 2004 she created works for the Mavin Khoo and Intoto Dance Companies, UK and WSDA, Australia and the inaugural Place Prize competition, London. In 2003 she received a Fellowship from the Choreographic Centre, Australia and won two awards for her solo Inland at the 6th Solo-Tanz Competition, Germany.
Based between the UK and Australia and she has also performed and taught throughout Europe and in Korea, Russia, India, Brazil, Nigeria, Canada, and the USA.
Aside from her own work she has been working as a Baroque dancer and actress for fifteen years, regularly works with the English National Opera and has acted as Rehearsal Director for the Bare Bones and Mavin Khoo Dance Companies.
http://www.ozarts.com.au/artists/liz_lea
http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-performanceinprofile-2010-liz_lea_dance.htm
http://www.freeart.es/?lang=en§ion=show&show=77
http://www.australiadancing.org/subjects/6141.html
http://www.canberradancetheatre.org/about.html
