Terpsichore: Voices in Dance

• Episode 36: Choreographer Léa Tirabasso on why questions are more important than answers

  Léa Tirabasso is a choreographer and performer whose work is rooted in physicality, instinct, and a deep curiosity about what it means to be human. She was born in eastern France, and before training at London Contemporary Dance School, studied Modern Literature and History of Art in Lyon. It was here that she first became interested in the Fluxus movement and the idea of dissolving boundaries between art and life — something that continues to resonate through her work today. As a performer, Léa danced with companies and choreographers across the UK, Luxembourg, Germany, and Chile — including Clod Ensemble, José Vidal, Seke Chimuntengwende, and Johannes Wieland. She was also a member of the TanzEnsemble at the Staatstheater Kassel between 2011 and 2013. Since 2012, Léa has been creating her own choreographic work, which often explores humour, dysfunction, brutality, exhaustion, and the body as a site of instinct. Her practice is deeply research-driven. For example, for her work ‘The Ephemeral Life of an Octopus’, she collaborated with oncologists, gynaecologists, and geneticists, exploring the mystery of cells and the relationship between mind and body. She’s also worked closely with a philosophy lecturer from University College London, contributed to open conversations at the Wellcome Collection, and regularly speaks with medical students about her creative process. Léa’s latest piece, ‘In the Bushes’, celebrates the incomprehensible and magnificent contradictions of life whilst mocking the idea of human exceptionalism. Quirky, exuberant and witty, it questions our humanity with ferocious joy. Premiered in Marseille last year, it’s about to be performed as part of the Luxembourg selection at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 13th - 25th August. Ahead of this run, I couldn’t wait to talk to Léa about how her early studies in literature and art continue to shape her work, how philosophy and science have become collaborators in her creative process, and why playfulness, absurdity, and instinct matter now more than ever.

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• Episode 35: Visual artist Megan Rooney on the dance between paint and movement

  Based in London, visual artist Megan Rooney grew up between South Africa, Brazil, and Canada. She completed her BA at the University of Toronto before earning an MA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, London, in 2011. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and language, the body has long played a central role in her practice. Megan describes her painting process as deeply physical—using her own body to engage with the canvas in shifting ways. Whether swaying gently or rushing forward, her bodily stance and mood directly shape the gestures that unfold in her work. Performance is often an integral part of Megan’s exhibitions. She regularly collaborates with choreographer Temitope Ajose, with whom she shares a long-standing creative partnership. For her recent solo exhibition ‘Yellow Yellow Blue’ at Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in London, Ajose and dancer Leah Marjovec performed a duet titled ‘Spin Down Sky II’, accompanied by live saxophone from multidisciplinary artist tyroneisaacstuart. This performance—first developed through earlier works at Kettle’s Yard in 2024—continued the poetic narrative of the night butterfly and the bolas spider, symbolic characters that have become recurring figures in Rooney’s evolving universe.  Listen to our full conversation with Megan and, if you’re based in London, make sure to head over to Thaddaeus Ropac to see the final performance of ‘Spin Down Sky II’ at 7pm on 27th July.

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• Episode 34: Ballet Zurich director Cathy Marston choreographs new perspectives on old narratives

  Formerly the director of Bern Ballet from 2007 to 2013, Cathy Marston is currently the Director of Ballet Zürich in Switzerland, as well as an internationally renowned choreographer of contemporary ballet. Originally trained at the Royal Ballet School, she’s known for her inventive approach to storytelling—translating seminal works from the English literary canon onto stage and into movement to offer new perspectives on familiar narratives. For example, her Mrs Robinson (2023) was an adaptation of Charles Webb’s The Graduate for San Francisco Ballet, and Snowblind (2018), created for the same company, was inspired by Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. Other literary adaptations include D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Similarly, her biographically inspired ballets bring historical women to the fore: while The Cellist, created for The Royal Ballet in 2020, tells the story of celebrated cellist Jacqueline du Pré; Victoria made for Northern Ballet in 2019, explores the life and legacy of renowned British monarch Queen Victoria. Originally choreographed on Northern Ballet in 2016, Cathy’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre has been regularly restaged since its creation. It’s currently on tour around the UK, with upcoming dates at Sadler’s Wells (13th-17th May 2025) and Norwich Theatre Royal (20th-24th May 2025). In light of the revival, Terpsichore spoke to Cathy about her choreographic voice, collaborative methods, and the stories that continue to inspire her to reimagine narrative through movement.  

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• Episode 33: South African choreographer Robyn Orlin on the importance of not forgetting history

  Robyn Orlin was born in 1955 in Johannesburg. Known in South Africa as "the permanent irritation," through her work she reveals the difficult and complex reality of her country. Originally trained at London Contemporary Dance School before later completing an MA at the Chicago School of Fine Arts on a Fulbright scholarship, she combines various artistic expressions  including text, video, and the plastic arts to explore a theatricality that is reflected in her choreographic vocabulary. Robyn's work includes 'Daddy, I've seen this piece six times before and I still don't know why they're hurting each other' (1999), which won the Laurence Olivier Award for the Most Outstanding Achievement of the Year. Her 2012 work 'Beauty remained for just a moment then returned gently to her starting position...' (2012) was the opening performance of the South African season in France in 2013.  From the 21-22nd March, Robyn’s work 'WE WEAR OUR WHEELS WITH PRIDE' will be performed at London’s Southbank Centre as part of Dance Reflections festival by Van Cleef & Arpels. A homage to the rickshaw drivers of South Africa’s past, it is a celebration of dance and song imbibed with a joyous thirst for life. Performed by Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM), a Johannesburg-based company nourished by Zulu traditions and a flagship for contemporary dance in South Africa, 'WE WEAR OUR WHEELS WITH PRIDE' was inspired by Robyn’s experience as a child in the 1970s when, at the height of apartheid, she would watch the ornate decorations of Zulu men’s vehicles and headdresses with awe, as well as their sprightly dance like steps. Coincidentally, this was also the period when MIDM was founded. Ahead of the performance, I was privileged to speak to Robyn about the role of art in times of political struggle, why she loves working with her fellow South Africans, and the main message she wants people to take away from her latest production—not to forget history. 

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• Episode 32: South Korean dance icon Eun Me Ahn on movement, colour, curiosity, and fantasy

  Eun Me began training in Traditional Korean Dance at just 12 years old before attending Ewha Womans University in Seoul. She later continued her studies in New York, graduating from Tisch School of the Arts in 1994. During her time in the U.S., she refined her craft as a choreographer, exploring how to translate Korean dance philosophies onto the bodies of American dancers. After 10 years in the States, Eun Me returned to Korea to become the Artistic Director of Daegu City Dance Company, where she created bold works featuring surreal costumes, daring stunts (including duets with live chickens and jumping from a crane to destroy a piano with an axe), and even choreographed the 2002 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony. Now, Eun Me leads her own company. One of her latest works, 'Dragons', features a pan-Asian cast born in the Year of the Dragon (2000). Though conceived before the pandemic, it underwent significant changes due to the unprecedented situation. For example, it came to feature hologram projections of dancers who couldn't travel. 'Dragons' is currently touring the UK for a second time, with stops at Theatre Royal Newcastle, Eden Court Theatre, Alhambra Theatre, and Birmingham Hippodrome. Before the tour kicked off, I had the privilege of chatting with Eun Me about 'Dragons', her creative process, and what she thinks of being dubbed “The Pina Bausch of Asia.”

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