The Art of Teaching Dance: Insights from Annabella Lenzu

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest, Anabella LenzuIn this episode of  "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey interviews Anabella Lenzu, a teacher, choreographer, and author, who shares her journey from Argentina to New York City and her experiences in the dance world and insights on dance education. They discuss the importance of education in dance, the emotional connection to movement, and the role of mentorship. Anabella emphasizes the need for self-discovery, the influence of cultural backgrounds , and the courage required to pursue artistry. The conversation the significance of emotional expression in performance. Anabella Lenzu, originally from Argentina, is a dancer, choreographer, scholar & educator with 35 years of experience working in Argentina, Chile, Italy, and the USA. Lenzu directs her own company, Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama, which since 2006 has presented 400 performances, created 15 choreographic works and performed at 100 venues, presenting thought provoking and historically conscious dance-theater in NYC.As a choreographer, she has been commissioned all over the world for opera, TV programs, theatre productions, and by many dance companies. She has produced and directed several award-winning short dance films and screened her work in over 200 festivals both nationally and internationally.Anabella’s work has been seen at La Mama, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Movement Research at Judson Church, Draftworks at DanceSpace project/ St. Mark Church, 92nd Street Y, The Consulate of Argentina in NYC, among many others. She holds a MFA in Fine Arts (concentration in Choreography) from Wilson College, PA. Classically trained at the renowned Teatro Colòn in Buenos Aires, Lenzu studied the modern dance techniques of Humphrey/Limòn and Graham in New York. Her studies of Tango and the folkdances of Argentina, Spain, and Italy, further inform her work. Lenzu founded her own dance school L’Atelier Centro Creativo de Danza in 1994 in Argentina, and as an educator for more than 30 years, she has been teaching in more than 50 institutions, including universities, professional dance studios, companies, festivals, and symposiums in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Egypt, Australia, Panamá, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, London, and Italy.In 2023, Anabella received the National Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Independent Sector by NDEO (National Dance Education Organization) and in 2022, the Innovative Dance Educator Award by NYSDEA (New York State Dance Education Association), acknowledging her work as a dance educator who develops innovative pedagogy in the dance field, groundbreaking teachings that have a significant impact on dance, as well as an established record of exemplary leadership on the state and national level in USA.Lenzu has written for various dance and arts magazines and published her first book in 2013, entitled Unveiling Motion and Emotion. The book contains writings in Spanish and English on the importance of dance, community, choreography, and dance pedagogy. Her second book, Teaching Dance through Meaningful Gestures (2025), explores how technique is a philosophy and a theory, and how the body is an instrument for expression. In October 2024, Anabella was appointed president of the American Dance Guild, dedicated to supporting artists and bringing the dance community together since 1956. Currently, Lenzu conducts classes at NYU Gallatin, the School of Visual Arts, and Peridance Center. From 2020 to the present, she created and directed the Online Choreographic Mentorship Program.For more information on Anabellahttps://www.anabellalenzu.com/“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey "Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠Please leave us a Review.Please help support the podcast:⁠https://gofund.me/e561b42ac⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @DanceTalkwithJoanne Carey