AVATÂRA AYUSO is a choreographer, Artistic Director of AVA DANCE COMPANY, a cultural leader and activist in the dance world. She is also the founder and director of the charity AWA DANCE (Advancing Women's Aspirations with Dance). She trained in ballet (Conservatorio Profesional de Mallorca and with Carmina Ocaña), in Argentinean Tango and in Linguistics (BA and MA, Universidad Complutense de Madrid) before moving to London to obtain a Certificate in Higher Education at London Contemporary Dance School. In 2005 she became part of the D.A.N.C.E. programme led by Jason Beechey, where she worked and performed internationally under the artistic direction of William Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, Frédéric Flamand and Angelin Preljocaj. She obtained a Postgraduate Degree in Dance from Palucca Hochschule Dresden. From 2010-2018 she has been Associate Artist of the European Centre for the Arts Hellerau Dresden (Germany) and she is Associate Company of Creative Academy Slough (UK) since 2014. She was nominated for the 2015 UK National Dance Awards and again in the 2019 UK National Dance Awards for Outstanding Female Modern Performance. She was Residence Artist 2019 at the Teatro del Lago in Chile. Avatâra is a dancer and long-standing creative collaborator of Shobana Jeyasingh Dance (UK) since 2007.
Over the years, Avatâra has received several awards and grants in Germany, the UK and Spain to develop her skills as a choreographer, researcher and cultural leader. Avatâra has studies in leadership with the Open University UK, with the DanceEast International Rural Retreats, with the prestigious Clore Cultural Leadership Programme UK and Clore Social Leadership Programme Women's and Girls Sector. She has been nominated for the 2020 One Dance UK People's Choice Award and in 2021 for the Dance in the Community One Dance UK Award. In 2021 Avatâra undertook a Clore fellowship placement with the United Nations Foundation Global affiliate Girl UP ALC (America Latina y el Caribe). In 2022 she was a volunteer with the UN Women UK for the 66th Commission on the Status of Women 2022.
Avatâra has created and produced both short and full length productions in the field of contemporary dance and ballet, and has been commissioned among others by the European Centre for the Arts Hellerau Dresden, Tanzhaus Düsseldorf, Los Teatros del Canal de Madrid, Beijing Dance Academy, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, The British Spanish Society, Palucca Schule Dresden, Colnaghi Gallery London, Birmingham International Dance Festival, Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, Middlesex University-ResCen Research center, National Taipei University of the Arts, the Bienalle of Venice of Architecture 2018 and Goethe Institute. Her latest works have been supported amongst others by Arts Council England, the British Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The Spanish Embassy in London, The Spanish Embassy in Bulgaria, Birmingham International Dance Festival, El Instituto Cervantes in Bulgaria, Canada House in London, the Commonwealth Birmingham 2022, the Spanish Embassy in Canada, and the Canadian Embassy in Berlin. She has also worked with the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra (Germany) and The Orchestra and Choir of Teatro del Lago (Chile). In her artistic and educational projects in the UK, she has collaborated with large organisations as Sadler's Wells Theatre, BBC Young Dancer, Royal Opera House, and Royal Academy of Dance.
Avatâra founded ɅVɅ DANCE COMPANY in 2008 developing relationships with artists from different cultures and artistic disciplines. Her artistic practice aims to overcome eurocentrism, by promoting cultural exchanges among artists. In her most recent projects, she has collaborated with artists from Burkina Faso, Japan, Senegal, Chile, Taiwan, Morocco and Nunavut (Canadian Arctic). These cultural dance experiences aim to engage in dialogue, exchange knowledge and pursue collaborations with creative minds from other cultures. Her dance researches on different contemporary dance sectors have been published in several magazines.
Alongside choreographing and running ɅVɅ DANCE COMPANY, Avatâra enjoys working in the medium of dance film direction (Dance Pumpkin Dance, Tokyo Tokyo, I Am Raja and the award wining The Protocol). She teaches professional and company class in ballet and contemporary dance. Avatâra has worked in several schools recognised internationally as a teacher and mentor: Palucca Schule Dresden (Germany), Creative Academy (UK), Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK), Royal Ballet School (UK), English National Ballet School, Vancouver Ballet Society (Canada), London Contemporary Dance School (UK), Warwick University (UK), Beijing Dance Academy (China), Royal Academy of Dance (UK) and Taipei University of the Arts (Taiwan), among others. She is fully committed to empowering women and girls in and out the dance sector (see her AWA DANCE Charity). She is an active member of Equity (Performers trade Union UK), One Dance UK and the UNESCO International Dance Council (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).
Over the years, Avatâra has received several awards and grants in Germany, the UK and Spain to develop her skills as a choreographer, researcher and cultural leader. Avatâra has studies in leadership with the Open University UK, with the DanceEast International Rural Retreats, with the prestigious Clore Cultural Leadership Programme UK and Clore Social Leadership Programme Women's and Girls Sector. She has been nominated for the 2020 One Dance UK People's Choice Award and in 2021 for the Dance in the Community One Dance UK Award. In 2021 Avatâra undertook a Clore fellowship placement with the United Nations Foundation Global affiliate Girl UP ALC (America Latina y el Caribe). In 2022 she was a volunteer with the UN Women UK for the 66th Commission on the Status of Women 2022.
Avatâra has created and produced both short and full length productions in the field of contemporary dance and ballet, and has been commissioned among others by the European Centre for the Arts Hellerau Dresden, Tanzhaus Düsseldorf, Los Teatros del Canal de Madrid, Beijing Dance Academy, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, The British Spanish Society, Palucca Schule Dresden, Colnaghi Gallery London, Birmingham International Dance Festival, Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, Middlesex University-ResCen Research center, National Taipei University of the Arts, the Bienalle of Venice of Architecture 2018 and Goethe Institute. Her latest works have been supported amongst others by Arts Council England, the British Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The Spanish Embassy in London, The Spanish Embassy in Bulgaria, Birmingham International Dance Festival, El Instituto Cervantes in Bulgaria, Canada House in London, the Commonwealth Birmingham 2022, the Spanish Embassy in Canada, and the Canadian Embassy in Berlin. She has also worked with the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra (Germany) and The Orchestra and Choir of Teatro del Lago (Chile). In her artistic and educational projects in the UK, she has collaborated with large organisations as Sadler's Wells Theatre, BBC Young Dancer, Royal Opera House, and Royal Academy of Dance.
Avatâra founded ɅVɅ DANCE COMPANY in 2008 developing relationships with artists from different cultures and artistic disciplines. Her artistic practice aims to overcome eurocentrism, by promoting cultural exchanges among artists. In her most recent projects, she has collaborated with artists from Burkina Faso, Japan, Senegal, Chile, Taiwan, Morocco and Nunavut (Canadian Arctic). These cultural dance experiences aim to engage in dialogue, exchange knowledge and pursue collaborations with creative minds from other cultures. Her dance researches on different contemporary dance sectors have been published in several magazines.
Alongside choreographing and running ɅVɅ DANCE COMPANY, Avatâra enjoys working in the medium of dance film direction (Dance Pumpkin Dance, Tokyo Tokyo, I Am Raja and the award wining The Protocol). She teaches professional and company class in ballet and contemporary dance. Avatâra has worked in several schools recognised internationally as a teacher and mentor: Palucca Schule Dresden (Germany), Creative Academy (UK), Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK), Royal Ballet School (UK), English National Ballet School, Vancouver Ballet Society (Canada), London Contemporary Dance School (UK), Warwick University (UK), Beijing Dance Academy (China), Royal Academy of Dance (UK) and Taipei University of the Arts (Taiwan), among others. She is fully committed to empowering women and girls in and out the dance sector (see her AWA DANCE Charity). She is an active member of Equity (Performers trade Union UK), One Dance UK and the UNESCO International Dance Council (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).
