10 Questions with Dasha Lyubimova

Dasha Lyubimova is a Choreographer, Filmmaker, and Art Director, based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Graduated from the Linguistic College and Turan University with an interpreter degree, she started working in marketing and advertising before leaving big companies and office work in 2015 to be a full-time choreographer and dance teacher.
In 2018 Dasha was the choreographer of a local musical movie, and after that, she decided to try herself as a filmmaker, so the following year, she created Dancing Paintings, a project consisting of 5 videos inspired by famous paintings, in which dancers «tell» short stories as the characters of the paintings. The project was selected by festivals in Kazakhstan, Greece, and Spain.
In 2020 Dasha created the UNSEEN, a project showing the attitude of society toward all women who have experienced violence. UNSEEN got ten international awards and selections at film festivals and was shown in Brazil, Portugal, Russia, Cyprus, Moldova, the USA, and France. 
The next project was ALA AIR (2021), demonstrating citizens' and government's attitudes about ecology in Almaty. The project was selected for the DigitalArt4Climate festival and was shown at Global Climate Change Conference COP26 and in several NFT museums. Dasha is also the art director of the YA Project, created by her friend Marat Yagfarov who works in the action painting genre. Her last project was created in the stop motion technic and was selected by South China Art Museum for the Chinese International Moving Image Exhibition 2022.

filmfreeway.com/DashaLyubimova | @d.lyubimova

ARTIST STATEMENT

The main feature of Dasha’s project is the «dance language». Although there are no words, Dasha creates projects that will be clear without any words to everybody. It’s like Charlie Chaplin’s movies but with dance.

This genre of art is called videodance or screendance. It is not just choreography but storytelling. Dasha also touches on social themes trying to make people know, feel and live the problems.

«Do only art», - Dasha said.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. What are your history and your artistic background? 

My name is Dasha Lyubimova. I'm from Almaty, Kazakhstan, and I'm a choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker. I came into art life suddenly, my parents didn't think that being a dancer or choreographer was a serious profession, so I didn't have a special artistic or choreography education. I have just always been surrounded by creative people. It was a big life's dream and mission - to create, be in the artistic community and inspire others. 

You first approached dance at the age of 11, and you haven't stopped since then. Why did you choose dance? And what does it represent for you? 

At the age of 4 or 5, I saw ballet on TV. It was the first time I saw something that encouraged me so much! When I was asked, "who do you want to become when you grow up?" I always answered that I would be a ballerina. I tried to repeat the movements of the ballerinas at home while no one saw. It was love at first sight - me and ballet. But I never went to ballet classes. In the 90s, there were no ballet classes like now. I was sent to piano music classes, which I hated. But I am grateful for this experience. When I played a piece, I imagined myself dancing on stage, coming up with different images and roles for myself. And when I was 11, I literally demanded to be taken to dance classes. And my mom and grandma found a ballroom dancing section. I've been doing them for eight years. After a break, I decided to try myself in street dance, and I chose hip hop. For me, dance is something very special, it's like painting a picture with colorful paints, but you are doing it with your body and music.

As both a dancer and choreographer yourself, what is your favorite part of the creation process? 

To find a way to tell the story by movements. I'm working with different dancers, not only hip hop dancers. And as a director, we have a dialog with the dancers, and I explain what emotion I want to see and ask them to try movements and keep the emotion. When I'm working by myself, I have the same dialogue on my own. It's the time when the magic happens.

Dance is a universal language that doesn't need words to express itself and can therefore be understood by anyone. As storytelling is a crucial part of your work, how do you express concepts and ideas in your creations? 

When you know some type of art very close, you just see and know what you need to tell one or another story. I am familiar with all types of dancing, also as a spectator, and even if I don't dance any style myself, I know who to call to achieve the necessary effect on the video or the performance. I see emotions through dance styles. For example, something tough can be danced by a krump style dancer, something cheerful is a locking style dancer, and so on.

Over the years, you have worked on several different subjects. Where do you find inspiration for your works? 

In people, in music, in some stories of my friends. But sometimes with very unpleasant themes, which make me hurt. 

Your practice includes dancing and choreography, but also video art and screendance. How did you evolve this way of working? And is there anything else you would like to experiment with? 

This way of working evolved suddenly, when I came up with my first project - Dancing Paintings. I didn't know that such a genre existed. It was like, "Okay, I'm a dancer. My friends are dancers, so we will dance and tell some short stories on the video". It was an experiment and fun. After participating in several festivals, I found out that there is such a genre - screendance or videodance. 

What is the most important lesson you have learnt from your artistic career so far? 

Do what you want and don't listen to anyone. Surround yourself with the same "abnormal" people who will support you. Always focus on what you have, not what you don't have. 

With your projects, you have won several international awards and prizes. Do you also disseminate your work digitally? And if so, what are your preferred channels? 

Yes, to be honest, my works "live" only in digital format. I publicize them on Instagram and Filmfreeway.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about? 

Now I'm working on another social project. It will be about what happens with the world right now. Because my hometown in January was also not the best place to be, there was political unrest in the city, and it made me think a lot. But as an art creator, it will be in an abstract way. Also, I dream of working with the singer Stromae, creating something for his music video. I believe I will do it. I dream big.

And finally, where can our readers find your work? 

On my Filmfreeway page and on my Instagram @d.lyubimova.