We sat down for a chat with Lea Tirabasso, ahead of the UK premiere of her intense, funny and stylish In the bushes. In the bushes is at The Place Theatre on Friday 7 & Saturday 8 March at 7.30pm
With the UK premiere of In the Bushes just around the corner, can you tell us what drew you to explore the theme of human exceptionalism through dance?
I first came across the concept of human exceptionalism about two years ago while reading ‘The Accidental Species’ by Henry Gee. I’ve always been fascinated by our human condition—what defines us as human, what sets us apart (or perhaps doesn’t) from the rest of the animal kingdom. In that sense, the theme of my work remains consistent; each piece is an exploration of this idea from a different angle. Love, pleasure, illness, consciousness… and human exceptionalism. I find it ironic, grotesque and scary that we might see ourselves as the ‘pinnacle of evolution’ (H. Gee). It seemed like the perfect starting point to laugh at ourselves.
You started your creative journey with a strong foundation in art, literature, and dance— how have these disciplines influenced your unique choreographic voice?
These disciplines have shaped my practice and the way I reflect on it, helping me make sense of what I create. I see creation and the understanding of what has been created as two distinct temporalities. Learning to analyse, deconstruct and dissect a work of art or a book has given me the tools to do the same with my own work. In terms of choreographic voice, they have likely reinforced my belief that everything is interconnected and should (or inevitably does) influence what surrounds it. Not coming from a purely dance background has, over time, become both a strength and a source of creative freedom.
Your works often intertwine dance, philosophy, and even medicine—what sparked your interest in connecting these seemingly different fields?
Probably my curiosity! I’m driven by a desire to connect, understand, and imagine bridges between different disciplines. Making art is the perfect excuse to explore various fields and listen to experts speak about their specialties. Philosophy has always interested me, while medicine, for many reasons, imposed itself on my life—so I had to make something out of it. For example, my research on cancer cells led me to discover a mesmerising world, one that, in many ways, mirrors our societies on a microscopic scale.
For emerging choreographers and artists, what advice would you offer about embracing unconventional ideas or collaborating with experts outside the arts?
Integrity is your most powerful tool.
Your creativity drives your art form forward.
Collaboration fuels your growth.
Stay curious.
Embracing unconventional ideas can be challenging—they may be met with resistance, criticism, or negative reviews. But that does not matter. What truly matters is that you believe in what you create.
Being an artist is tough, so you might as well enjoy every bit of it!
Having premiered In the Bushes in Marseille and preparing for Edinburgh Festival Fringe later this year, how does audience reception in different places shape your work?
Audience reception helps me see the work from a new perspective, but I wouldn’t say it defines or shapes it.
We laughed a lot while creating the piece and expected the audience to do the same. In some moments, they were loud; in others, much quieter. It’s always interesting to observe how an audience behaves—how, for an hour, they become a social group, sharing an experience and subtly influencing one another.
Of course, their reactions have a huge impact on the performers. When we feel the audience is with us, the performance becomes stronger, more grounded.
That being said, I believe this is true for any live performance and any artist working in this space.
You work closely with your dancers during the creative process—how do those collaborative dynamics influence the final production?
They influence the work immensely! We improvised a lot during the process and kept a lot of elements from those improvisations. By nature, improvisation comes from the dancers—guided by a word, a sentence or an image I provided—but ultimately, their contributions shaped most of the piece. From there, it became about transforming those offerings, deepening them, structuring them in relation to other actions or situations. Sometimes, an improvisation sparks a completely new idea, evolving into something that looks or feels entirely different.
Conversation is also a big part of the process. I’m very aware that if something doesn’t work for the dancer, it likely won’t work for the audience either. That’s why it’s essential to create something they not only feel comfortable with but also genuinely believe in.