Dance Basel is a new dance festival in Basel during the Art Basel week. In collaboration with Theater Basel Public Foyer, this festival is free to the Basel public with a goal of showcasing the work of talented young choreographers in different stages of their development. Dance Basel is an inclusive festival is dedicated to establishing a high-quality platform, including minority choreographers, from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders and sexual orientations.
What are the challenges that you are facing?
I’ve been very fortunate to have had the chance to transition from a dance career to a photographer and videographer specializing in dance and theater. The challenges that I face revolve mostly around recognizing the changes in my life and self-perception from a creative artist to operating a “business” (something I never studied for.) Even though I’ve been at it a while, I still struggle with this.
What gives you the most joy about shooting a new dance film?
Sometimes, there comes a certain moment when shooting where the frame is anticipating and intrinsically linked with the dancer. It’s difficult for me to articulate. But the sensation is as if I am directly tethered to the performer through this frame, this camera.
What is your current inspiration?
I’m at a point where my work is shooting a broad range of dance styles and films. This is very exciting- as I need to be thoughtful about how to best capture various genres and think about pursuing even more.
Armando Braswell is a professional dancer and teacher from New York City. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from The Juilliard School in 2006, Armando danced with Ballett Theater Munich, Gauthier Dance Stuttgart and just recently completed his final season as a soloist with Ballett Theater Basel. Aside from his dancing career, Armando has established himself as a guest teacher in high demand, teaching amateurs and professionals worldwide, including at the Prix De Lausanne and the Juilliard School. Armando has also choreographed for many dance and opera stages, as well as television. In addition to his artistic activities, Armando is also active in the journalistic and social media fields. His popular arts blog, "Interview En L'air", has become widely known in the international dance scene and earned him a place at "Dance For You Magazine” as a permanent correspondent and his media company “Creative Promotional Media” has earned him opportunities to work with clients such as Fondation Beyeler, Basellandschaftliche Kantonal Bank and Theater Basel in Switzerland. In 2015, Armando began to build an arts community in Basel where dancers of all levels and all body types could train in a supportive and professional environment. This idea has since expanded and in 2017, he and his wife Lisa founded the “Braswell Arts Center” – a space for innovation and collaboration in all art forms located in Basel, Switzerland – and in 2019, they officially founded the “Braswell Arts Association,” a non-profit arts organization dedicated to support emerging and established artists. Through arts education and exchange, Armando hopes to encourage young choreographers and to promote mentorship and inclusion within the local and international arts community. www.armandobraswell.com
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