Ugnė Dievaitė is a Lithuanian choreographer and dancer, residing in Madrid, Spain since 2011. She studied the techniques of contemporary dance and dance improvisation as well as dance/movement therapy in Lithuania and abroad, being part of the 2016 programme of DanceWEB (Impulstanz, Vienna, Austria), having also finished psychology studies at the Vytautas Magnus University (MA in Health psychology). She became known internationally after becoming the face of the worldwide dance fair in Tazmesse in 2014.
2012 saw Ugnė beginning her path as a creator; her main works being “Es como ver nubes” [“As if you’d be watching clouds”] (2012), “Uninvited Presence” (2013), “Flesh” (2014), “Female” (2015), “Anhelo” [“Longing”] (2016), and “Nakties Mirgėjimas” [“Flickering of the night”] (2019), several of which were awarded.
Basing her work on the research of body and movement, Ugnė develops her own original style of contemporary dance, focusing on physical dance that’s far away from the standards yet full of poeticism and abstraction. The play of movement and light helps create new images in the space to transport the spectator into a reality of intuition and feeling. Ugnė’s performances stand out for their search of body and movement language, aiming to find expressions of dance that could fuel the drama engine.
Co-production
ANHELO
Premiere: 2016
Coproduction with Koke Armero
FLESH
Premiere: 2014
Coproduction with Poliana Lima
Collaboration with dance companies, artists
- AURA Dance Theatre (Lithuania)
- Agnija Šeiko, Šeiko Dance Company (Lithuania)
- Vytis Jankauskas (Lithuania)
- Aira Naginevičiūtė (Lithuania)
- Sharon Fridman (Israel)
- Camille Hanson (USA)
- Babirusa Danza (Spain)
- Beatriz Palenzuela (Spain)
International tours
- Aerowaves Spring Forward, Mercat de les Flors
- Scotland, Edinburgh; Edinburgh Fringe, Dance Base
- The Netherlands, The Hague; Korzo Theater
- Germany, Bremen; Schwankhalle Bremen
- UK, London; Tripspace
- USA, New York; Lincoln Center
- USA, California; Stanford University
- France, Paris; 8th International Conference on Marine Mammals
- Spain, Sabadell; L´Estruch
- Spain, Cádiz, Festival Cádiz en Danza
- Spain, Valencia; Festival Dansa Valencia
- Spain, Valencia; Carme Teatre
- Spain, Valencia; 10 Sentidos
- Canary Islands, Gran Canarias; Masdanza
- Spain, Vila-Real; Auditorio Vila-Real
- Spain, Vila-Real; Festival Vila Real en Dansa
- Spain, Murcia: Festival Decorrido
- Spain, Madrid; Festival Madrid en Danza
- Spain, Madrid; Teatros del Canal
- Spain, Madrid; Certamen Coreográfico de Madrid
- Spain, Madrid; Óxido Fest
- Spain, Madrid; Festival Miradas al Cuerpo
- Spain, Madrid; Teatro La Usina
- Spain, Madrid; Certamen Coreográfico del distrito Tetuán
- Spain, Madrid; Certamen coreográfico del distrito de Tetuán
- Spain, Madrid; Festival DeUnaPieza
- Spain, Madrid; Festival Feedback
- Spain, Madrid; Centro Cultural Conde Duque
- Spain, Madrid; Centro Cultural Paco Rabal
- Spain, Madrid; Centro Cultural Francisco Fatou
- Spain, Madrid; Teatros Luchana
- Spain, Madrid; SecretSunDance, Descalcinha Danza
- Spain, Madrid; “Carmen Amaya” Conservatorio Profesional de Danza
- Canary Islands, Tenerife; Teatro Victoria
- Canary Islands, Tenerife; World Dolphinity Festival
Awards
“Anhelo” (2016)
- DanceWEB programme at the Impulstanz festival in Vienna, Austria (XXIX Madrid choreography competition)
“Female” (2015)
- 1st prize for the best choreography – Distrito de Tetuán choreography competition, 2017
- Photography award
- Residency award
“Flesh” (2014)
- 1st prize for the best piece at the Feedback festival, 2014
“Uninvited Presence” (2013)
- Jury award – Tetuán choreography competition, 2014
“Es como ver nubes” (2012)
- Audience award – Certamen coreográfico de Madrid XXVI, 2012
-
1st prize for the best piece – Festival Vila-Real en Dansa II, 2014
-
2nd prize for the best adaptation for unconventional spaces – Certamen DeUnaPieza V, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 2013
Other artistic activity
Ugnė balances her work as an artist and dancer with teaching, giving “Carnal creativity” classes in Spain, Lithuania, and other countries (The Netherlands, Germany, etc.). Using various styles of contemporary dance, dance improvisation, creativity techniques, and dance/movement therapy methods allows her to give a specific twist to the style, structure, and content of such classes.
During the classes, working with your body through movement and dance lets you experience the intuitive, spontaneous, playful energy to uncover your creative potential. The active physical and creative work is combined with tasks of concentration and reflective thinking. These classes link self-expression and movement, widen your outlook, develop the consciousness of your body, boost openness and spontaneity, this way letting creativity run free.
