Andrea Tortosa Vidal

In a special effort to raise awareness about the Braswell Arts Center Virtual Benefit Gala, we are proud to present this years featured artists.

Who are you

I am Andrea Tortosa Vidal. A dancer, dance teacher and a choreographer.  Born in Alicante, Spain. I started dancing in a little dance school when I was 8 years old. With only 12 years old I moved 500km away from my family to go to the prestigious ballet school María de Ávila in Zaragoza. I Won several ballet competitions in my country, one of them gave me the opportunity to become an apprentice of NDT 2 in Holland, where I moved to at 17 years old. I got my first contract in Ballet Basel under the direction of Richard Wherlock in 2008. In 2011 I moved to north Italy to join the company Aterballetto, with whom I toured the world with for four seasons. I returned to Basel and for the past ten years I have been soloist dancer. I had the privilege to work with a large list of renown choreographers such a Jiri Kylian, Johan Inger, Hofesh Shechter, Alexander Ekman, Mauro Bigonzetti and many others.

What inspires me

To be able to move and provoke people through my dancing. The exchange with the audience. The sharing with my partners and colleagues on a daily basis and on stage. The challenge of working and creating new pieces.

The work I am presenting 

A short structured improvisation with Bruno on the piano. I am living a very special moment being 16 weeks and a half pregnant. My body has already changed completely, also my state of mind…maybe also my way of dancing? We will see that! I am in that moment of discovery.

Hardest part of your job

The fact that you can never stop proving yourself. We live auditioning on a daily basis.

Most influential person

In my life it was my grandmother, she passed on to me the joy of dancing and the generosity towards others. I think a good artist has to be extremely generous. In my career there were three people. Mauro Bigonzetti, for being the first one that gave me an actual main role, he then took me into his company in Italy and taught me how to bring the fire out of me. Richard Wherlock, for taking me back to Basel and giving me the platform and trust for my dancing development. And Johan Inger, who was the one that helped me learn how to go out of my comfort zone and helped me discover many things about myself as a dancer.

Something you like do other than dance

Cooking and eating good food. Spending time with people that are important to me, people that make me wanna be a better person and that actually make me feel I am a good person. Traveling to other countries and experiencing its cultures. Surfing. Laughing and making people laugh. Listening. Observing. Helping and being there for others that need my help…

Your wildest dream for the dance world

I wish the dance world would become a more fair and human world, kinder, putting quality before quantity.

Something you would change in the real world

Politicians.  Social media, as much as it is helping it is very damaging and dangerous. Consumerism. Social inequality. Education, teaching more loving values than fears and threats.