about
AboutUs
Choreographers Luz & Mannion don't play to the usual flamenco stereotype, but instead investigate the potential of this powerful and dynamic art form, paying homage to its traditional forms whilst stretching its boundaries, embracing open minded approaches and generating diverse, fresh and unique voices for contemporary flamenco. We understand flamenco as a nuanced, energetic and poetic language and a multifaceted tool for self expression and affirmation that embraces the individual as well as the collective.
Luz & Mannion Dance Company was born out of a need to build an environment that nurtures creativity and values freedom of expression, producing dance work that is thoughtful, truthful and relevant. We are moved by the desire to tell stories and our approach to creation is investigative, inquisitive and whole-hearted. An important source of inspiration for our work comes from an ongoing conversation between British and Spanish cultures and we embrace cross disciplinary collaboration, opening dialogue between genres and innovating to create new forms.
We are passionate about sharing the joy we experience in flamenco with people of all backgrounds and ages all over the country and are constantly exploring new approaches to how we watch, listen to and dance flamenco.
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Company
Bio
Luz & Mannion Dance (formerly Dotdotdot Dance) was co-founded in 2014 by Magdalena Mannion, Noemí Luz, and Yinka Esi Graves and has been co-directed by Magdalena and Noemí since 2017. The company toured the UK with their award-winning production No Frills, also presenting the work at Flamencos y Mestizos Festival, Madrid. They later curated a Wild Card Evening for the Lilian Baylis Studio in 2016 and performed original work at Sadler's Wells and The Lowry in Sampled Festival 2017 and at the Sadler’s Wells Takeover of the National Theatre River Stage in 2018. This led to the creation of In Body, a multi-disciplinary triple bill that has toured with Dancenet Sweden and around the UK. In 2021 they performed in Dancing Nation, Sadler's Wells' digital dance festival for BBC iPlayer as well as presenting work on Buzón de Baile, RTVE/Radio3 the Spanish TV platform. They premiered their new show Blue Ghost in the UK in Spring 2023. Luz & Mannion Dance is currently running a new project called Re Red, investigating the role of fairy tales in the collective experience of women. They also curate Mixtape evenings of short dance works.
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Co-Artistic Directors
Magdalena Mannion and Noemí Luz are Co-Artistic Directors of Luz & Mannion Dance and have been collaborating since 2014. As well as directing the company they also choreograph, produce, perform and teach. Magdalena and Noemí have a shared vision of flamenco as a poetic language capable of moving people in an infinite number of ways. They are committed to a sincere and profound investigation into the art form both choreographically and pedogogically.
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Luz & Mannion launched their Education & Creative Development Programme (ECDP) in 2020. The programme presents different ways to engage with flamenco and dance, and includes mentoring for young dancer/creators, online resources and live sessions for members and sensory experiences for SEN schools.
NoemíLuz
www.noemiluzflamenco.com
Noemí Luz is a dance artist who's work spans traditional, contemporary and experimental flamenco as well as dance theatre and performance. Daughter to a ballet conductor and granddaughter to a ballet dancer, Noemí was drawn to dance at an early age. She trained classically at Elmhurst Ballet School and Central School of Ballet (UK) and was apprentice to her mentor Yolanda Heredia for 6 years, specialising in traditional flamenco and bata de cola in Seville, Spain. She also has an HNC Diploma in Fine Arts from Kensington and Chelsea College.
Noemí has performed at many traditional flamenco venues in Spain including Tablao Arenal, La Casa de la Guitarra, Peña la Perla de Cadiz, Peña Niño del Alfalfa and Café Zyriab as well as appearing on CanalSur TV, RTVE and the BBC.
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Noemí collaborates closely with sound designer José Tomé, and together they have created choreographic works including The Ugly Truth, Into Being (Sadler's Wells Takeover of the National Theatre River Stage 2018), RAW and Life, Melvin, is a fish together with dramaturge Iris Victoria Dekker (premiered at Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville in 2021). She has performed at theatres and festivals such as Coetani Festival for Experimental Flamenco (Athens), CAAC Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (Seville), Buxton International Arts Festival (UK), Dartington Arts (UK), PAUL Studios Collective, The Wall Series Vol.1 (Berlin), Flamenco Fredag (Stockholm) and Contemporary Dance Series Corto y Bailo (Seville). Noemí choreographed for the installation and dance film La Tercera Mirada in 2020, a project by visual artist Emma Alcalá addressing domestic violence.
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Noemí has taught extensive workshops in choreography and composition at institutions such as the Conservatorio de Danza Profesional (Seville), Trinity College of Music, The Drama Centre and The Royal College of Music (London) as well as giving private coaching to individual students.
MagdalenaMannion
www.magdalenamannion.com
Magdalena holds a degree in Pedagogy of Dance, specializing in professional flamenco dance training from Conservatorio Superior de Danza María de Ávila, Madrid, where she studied with Rafaela Carrasco and Isabel Bayon. She trained for 5 years at Amor de Dios, Madrid, where she studied intensively with Belen Fernández. Prior to this, she trained for one year on the International Student Program at Merce Cunningham Studio, New York and holds an HE Diploma in Contemporary Dance from Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds.
Since 2013 she has performed as soloist in some of Spain’s top traditional flamenco venues such as Corral de la Morería, Café de Chinitas, Casa Patas and Peña Torres Macarena, among others, featuring in special programming and in the festival Suma Flamenca on several occasions.
Magdalena has toured internationally with different flamenco dance companies such as Compañía Rafaela Carrasco, Miguel Ángel Espino and Marcos Morales, among others. In 2019, she collaborated with Kathak dancer Lokeshwari Dasgupta on a research project Bodies in Conversation, presenting a lecture/demonstration at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Beijing. She also presented the project "Alhelí, La Fea," in Dotdotdot Dance Mixtape. In 2020, she began developing “…But the clouds,” based on the Samuel Beckett television play of the same name, at Centro Coreográfico de la La Gomera. “The Shadow, The Attic and The Bell,” (working title) investigates character development through literature and traditional flamenco repertory.
Magdalena has been guest teacher at Casa Flamenco, Beijing and Alma de Flamenco, Osaka and Flamenco Academy London. She currently teaches at Pineapple Studios and runs a contemporary flamenco performance project called El Bien Parao in London.