Iolanda Portogallo was recently appointed as our Associate Artist. Born and raised in Aversa, Italy, Iolanda graduated from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2019. Until 2022, she worked and toured with Mobius Dance and Extended Play, alongside other projects around the UK.

Over the years, Iolanda has dedicated time to researching her own practice and movement language, expanding her vision of dance and music. She shares this through improvisation and freestyle sessions at institutions and studios such as NSCD and Middle Floor. Over the past few months, she has collaborated closely with our company dancers and Artistic team to choreograph one-half of this year’s digital programme, we recently spoke to her in the studio about her creative inspirations and dance journey.

Can you tell us about how you got started in dance? 

I always used to dance, or at least enjoyed to move from when I was little anytime music was on the radio or on MTV. I took my first dance class in ballet in a little school back home at the age of four, and from there I just kept going.

What strategies do you use to stay inspired and maintain your creativity throughout the development and rehearsal process? 

To keep my inspiration flowing, I listen to music a lot and consume artwork online or anime, and after a long day in the studio, I tend to spend time with other creative and inspiring minds.

Are there any inspirations or themes that our viewers can look out for when they watch the digital programme?

A lot of my inspiration came from literally my everyday life and especially what I consume day by day, especially different art forms or music, or whatever music I’m listening to in the period where I am is going to show into the arts I’m involved in, Animation and Anime’s, I feel like they’re both big inspirations for me. My culture is from Napoli, so everything that has to do with playing cards and traditional folklore. And a lot of inspiration also into what the dancers could give me at that moment in time when we were in the studio, exploring the mood or the atmosphere, or the idea. Then whatever they will bring out, they will inspire me, then I’ll be like, Okay, yeah let’s bring that to life.

What advice would you give to any young aspiring dancers out there? 

To young dancers out there, I would recommend doing all the training you need and want but mainly spend a lot of your time discovering your expression, alone or with people, guided by your flow, in your room, or outside. Visualisation is always a good trick.

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