Alex Ayvazova
Anseo

Alex Ayvazova
Anseo (Working Title)
10 to 14 March 2025

Every citizen of every town knows a family story – real or fictional – that’s been passed down through generations. Those stories make the soul of a place, but now that the art of storytelling has been replaced by media, how do we keep those stories alive?

Anseo is a project that explores the themes of identity and belonging through visual and performance storytelling. How does the place we’re coming from shape us and how do we shape the place in return. How do we keep the heritage and pass it on without losing ourselves in the process.

As a dance artist and an emerging illustrator, I am drawn by people and their life experiences. In my work I merge street and contemporary dance, bringing unique individual stories to life.

During my residency at Uillinn I will conduct a visual and movement research for my art project, Anseo (working title). The project explores the themes of identity, belonging and our relationships with the place we’re coming from. It also looks at storytelling as a mean of preserving and passing on our heritage, and if and how it can contribute to the development of cities.

The research will result in a production of a picture book, that will also become a main point of reference for a dance performance that will be developed later in the year.

Originally from Russia, Alex moved to Ireland ten years ago and is now continuing her professional dance career in Dublin. She has been dancing since the age of six, and over the years she has received professional training in Ballet, Russian Folk Dance, Street Dance and Contemporary Dance.

In her own practice she focuses on discovering, studying and exploring connections between Contemporary and Street Dance styles. Her performances usually present a combination of those styles and I am interested in developing my career in both directions, engaging both of my trainings and keeping investigating.

Over the years she has worked with acclaimed Irish and International choreographers, including Liz Roche, David Bolger, Lucyna Zwolinska and Mickael Riviere.

https://www.instagram.com/vernisasha/

WCAC acknowledges the financial support of The Arts Council and Cork County Council in making these residencies possible.