Short Bio LUISA SPAGNA

“In my Body-Earth of Salento (Puglia, Italy) is born an olive tree whose roots graft onto India.Two lands, Salento (Italy) and Orissa (India), so far from each other, merge into my body in a unique way. Both of them are familiar to me, both of them belong to myself and the life blood of their unusual graft ebb and flow in my Dancing Body-Earth”. L. Spagna

Luisa Spagna is dancer, teacher. She is an independent researcher on the feminine in dance, symbolism and visual arts. Initiated into ballet in early age, later she attends professional dance class in Vaganova style.  Since 1995 she has been living between Italy and India, where initially she dedicates herself to Indian classical dance Odissi and the traditional dance form Seraikella Chhau, supported by the I.C.C.R. (Indian Council for Cultural Relation) with a scholarship.

Her performances are mostly based on themes of feminine, some of them inspired by Shakti cult from Orissa (India): The trilogy Shakti– Matrika- Shekara, Lune, Sagar, La danza dei gesti delle cinque Dakini, Dancing Yogini, Sussistanako: la Donna Ragno, Bhubaneswari, Yogini Circles, Matrika/Rnchanting Circles, Dancing on the breath’s of Yogini, In the land of Mahamaya.

Together with Paolo Pacciolla, musician and ethnomusicologist, she founds in Lecce(Italy),  the cultural association Sutra Arti Performative (2003) producing performances, lec-demos, workshops and seminars. She takes part to workshops, seminars, international meetings on feminine and matriarchal studies with some of the most renowied international scholars. On 2016 she is one of the facilitators of the 1st Biennal Awakening the Shakti Woman in Bangalore – India. She has been awarded with the “International Women Excellence Award (IWEA) 2014” at the India International Centre of New Delhi.
Publications:
64 (+2) round oracle cards and a booklet “Yogini of Hirapur Oracle” (Sutra Arti Performative, 2015), inspired by the temple of the 64 Yogini of Hirapur in Orissa.
“La danza segreta delle Yogini. Il tempio di Hirapur” (Venexia, Roma 2014).
“La gioia e il potere. Musica e danza in India” (Besa Editrice, Nardò 2008) written together with Paolo Pacciolla.

Video documentary
Luisa Spagna Lalita Labangalata Odissi Dance
Matrika
Il tamburo dei Re

Live recording from The Ketevan World Sacred Music Festival 2016 at Old Goa (India)