Lecture on Contemporary Dance in Spain
VŠMU
Cena: Free
Laura Kumin on Contemporary Dance in Spain
Spain´s rich contemporary dance scene reflects the country's cultural diversity and political
history. During this presentation we will look at the origins of contemporary dance in Spain
and the trailblazers whose choreographic voices gave Spain a specific and vibrant identity on
international stages starting in the 1990s. We will track the development of several
generations of Spanish contemporary dancemakers and their dialogue with other disciplines
and with international artists. We will also look at the structures that support
contemporary dancemakers in Spain and that can be of interest to international artists who
are looking for residencies and other opportunities for collaboration, either through calls for
applications or direct dialogue. Some of these structures belong to national, regional or
municipal institutions, and others are artist-led and located in smaller towns or rural areas.
About Laura Kumin
Laura Kumin trained as a dancer and teacher in the U.S. and Spain. She was the dance
advisor for the Madrid Regional Cultural Council from 1989 – 1995, responsible for dance
activities for Madrid Cultural Capital of Europe 1992 and for dance programming, including
the creation of five production projects, at the Teatro Pradillo from 1997 – 2011. She co-
founded the Certamen Coreográfico de Madrid with Margaret Jova in 1987 and since 2001
has been the sole director, working with a small and committed team.
Laura is a creative catalyst, mentor, teacher, presenter, and dance journalist, as well as a
founding and still active member of the European dance network Aerowaves. She has led
participation of organization Paso a 2 in four projects within Creative Europe scheme,
including Performing Gender projects in 2013 – 15, 2017 – 19 and Performing Gender:
Dancing in Your Shoes, 2020 –2023.
She co-directs La Colé, a project for young women dancemakers and movers, and Esto No Es
Un Selfie, an arts program in secondary schools that uses dance and the creative process as
tools for reflection about identity. She also works as a teacher in both projects.
She has a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a Master’s degree in Arts
Management from the ICCMU, Complutense University in Madrid.