<\/p>\n
By the banks of the Spree river, which cuts the city in two, is Holzmarket 25, where I had the pleasure of sitting down with Berlin-based dancer, L\u00edvia Delgado. She is part of The Studio e.V. that shares the grounds with one of Berlin\u2019s iconic techno clubs. While partygoers next door immerse themselves in electronic music, L\u00edvia prepares for her next performance. Despite navigating the contrast between these worlds, and the extraordinary nature of her art, she humbly describes herself as an \u201cordinary dancer\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n L\u00edvia has danced all her life. First a ballet dancer of a prestigious conservatory, where she was put under the pressure of rigid preparations during her whole childhood and teenage years. As she grew, her dance grew with her. <\/span>She makes it clear that the journey isn\u2019t smooth sailing and dancers face inumerous challenges in the dance field.<\/span><\/p>\n I had the chance to see L\u00edvia performing before, both in Berlin and in Dresden. Her stage presence and mastery of body movement are captivating. This time, I had the opportunity to glimpse her backstage process. We followed her through Holzmarkt into the studio for a morning of rehearsal. After she warmed-up and went through her routine with the strap, she smiled and invited me to give it a try, which, of course, I couldn’t quite manage. After all, her skills and talent are the result of a lifetime of dedication. However, she reassured me, that my focus should be on taking the time to connect with my body and explore its possibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n L\u00edvia\u2019s passion for the performing arts is clear and she excitedly shares what not to miss. “<\/span>The last good one I watched was<\/span><\/i> Cl<\/span><\/i>\u00e9<\/span><\/i>bio Oliveira’s “After the sun” and the next one I’m super excited to see is “Kontakthof” by Pina in Wuppertal in December. A masterpiece!”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n When we go to the rooftop for a coffee and I see the TV Tower in the distance, I wonder what role Berlin plays in the dance field, how does the techno city influence dancers and performers?\u00a0 \u00a0“<\/span>Berlin is very unique, not that poor anymore but still sexy\u2026”<\/span><\/i> L\u00edvia describes the city as a melting pot, a mix of people and colors, and still with lots of affordable and good studios for rehearsal and individual training. “<\/span>There are performances going on all the time and good dancers all around. Berlin is alive, and there’s nothing better than a living place for an artist.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Thanks to her dance, L\u00edvia travelled the world and learned from different cultures and people, it\u2019s the human experience that inspires her. She believes in the human ability to influence one another and in the power of connection to resolve conflicts. “<\/span>While I may seem lighthearted, I recognize the weight of our shared struggles.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Currently L\u00edvia focuses on researching for two different projects, \u201cBaderna\u201d and \u201cLake Machine\u201d with Mari Paula supported by Goethe Institute. While these are cooking, you can see her dance to \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d at Staatsoper Berlin and \u201cLa Traviata\u201d at Semperoper Dresden from November – January.<\/span><\/p>\n As I step out of the studio and wave goodbye to L\u00edvia, I feel the pleasant soreness in my body from the day\u2019s workout. I leave feeling inspired to reconnect with my body, let it move freely and discover how movement can reveal new facets of myself. I pass by the line of people waiting for their turn to get into the club as Livia\u2019s words and lesson sink deep within me.\u00a0 It\u2019s been eye-opening to witness her dedication and artistry up close, which I refuse to see as anything but extraordinary. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n *L\u00edvia<\/span> wears Leo in Peach Quartz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 “Perhaps I didn’t become the dancer I dreamed of being, but I did grow into the person I aspired to be.” By the banks of the Spree river, which cuts the city in two, is Holzmarket 25, where I had the pleasure of sitting down with Berlin-based dancer, L\u00edvia Delgado. She is part […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":10615,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107,3,97],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10578"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10578"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10644,"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10578\/revisions\/10644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yun-berlin.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}“An extraordinary dancer has no time for doubts and faces different demands. I, however, enjoy being an ordinary dancer. I enjoy the journey, maintaining my discipline and trying not to compare myself. I can’t say that I don’t want recognition, but when we learn that the path is what matters, its beautiful. The reward is being connected to our bodies and through it to our souls, collaborating with other artists, and growing personally and artistically.”<\/span><\/h6>\n
“Dance shapes who I am, and these challenges shape how I relate to others.”<\/h6>\n
What are some of these challenges that you face and people might not expect when they think of dance?<\/b><\/h4>\n
“Dance isn\u2019t just about being on stage; it involves invisible work, self-care, and a relentless pursuit of improvement. We train ourselves, clarify goals, research ideas, and face constant instability\u2014auditions, rejections, and financial uncertainty. It sounds tough, and it is. There\u2019s the pressure to always stay in peak physical condition, to innovate, and stand out\u2014this can be emotionally and physically draining. Injuries are common, and recovery is part of the job. “<\/h6>\n
“I dance my emotions. Dance is not only my profession but my balm, where I find comfort and strength.”<\/h6>\n
How do you feel the dance world is changing?<\/b><\/h4>\n
“I see a blend of theater, voice, and visual arts. I believe everything should be interconnected when done with purpose. Recently, I’ve noticed that many performing artists aim to shock\u2014often just for shock’s sake\u2014which isn’t enough for me. I’ve been focusing on stage presence, exploring how a body that moves a lot can feel absent while a still body can communicate profoundly. The truth on stage comes from within and carries a context that deserves to be shared.”<\/h6>\n
“I see myself working more on artistic projects related to current issues and crises. I like people, conflicts and the way we see them, the willingness to solve them. I believe there is nothing better than looking at these problems up close and bringing questions and relief through art. At the moment, I’m doing a lot of research into Davi Kopenawa and, more recently, I’ve been looking into Antropy, the basis of my research in connection with migratory issues. Karen Barad is also very much in tune with the message I want to convey.”<\/h6>\n