Born in Cecina, Italy, to Nigerian mother and father, Nnamdi Nwagwu doesn’t keep in mind a time when dance wasn’t a part of his life. Dance was all the time current in his household house, and after a brief, unsuccessful stint with basketball, he started formal coaching at 6.
At 13, he obtained a scholarship to check at Professione Danza Parma in Parma, Italy, and commenced rigorous ballet coaching. Over the subsequent few years, Nwagwu competed in quite a few solos. However at 16, he found a love for choreography—making a solo for himself that went on to win first place within the Modern Dance class on the 2020 YAGP semifinals.
Profitable at YAGP launched Nwagwu’s skilled profession, resulting in gala appearances around the globe and a richer exploration of his choreographic voice. It was throughout this era that Nwagwu started to grasp the political nature of his presence onstage. “Even simply being in areas as a Black artist, I’m political. Being onstage and dealing in an organization is political for me.”
At 18, he auditioned for Codarts College for the Arts in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the place he was accepted. That very same yr, he left college for a month to choreograph for Stuttgart Ballet.
Now 22 and graduated, Nwagwu has emerged as a part of a brand new technology of choreographic voices in Europe. As he continues to ascertain himself, he’s defining his inventive priorities whereas navigating life as a freelancer.
On Being an Afro-Italian Artist
“After I was 14, I went to check at The Ailey Faculty in New York Metropolis. That was the second I noticed some dancers appeared like me and had roots like mine.
“They usually weren’t the stereotype of ‘Black dancers.’ Typically individuals discover out I’m a dancer and assume I solely do hip hop or break dancing. However at The Ailey Faculty, I believed: Oh, there are individuals like me on the ballet barre. And that stereotype didn’t exist anymore. That’s once I realized I may be an expert dancer.
“I used to be an enormous fan of Misty Copeland, Michaela DePrince, and Carlos Acosta, however they have been American or exterior of my Italian dance world. That’s why I now really feel a accountability to symbolize what Black artists can do in Italy and Europe.
“That’s why I all the time say I’m Afro-Italian. Sure, I’m Nigerian—my blood is 100% Nigerian. However I’m additionally Italian. I used to be born and grew up in Italy, and I communicate and assume in Italian.
“So I’m a queer, Black, Afro-Italian artist, and I should be in areas the place there aren’t individuals who appear like me—as a result of I can open doorways for others to return after me, in the best way doorways have been opened for me.”
Recommendation on Freelancing
“I’ve realized networking solely works for those who’re in a position to be true to your self. Go see exhibits. Discuss with administrators, choreographers, and programmers.
“Freelancing is about group. I’ve by no means heard of a freelancer doing issues by themselves. To me, ‘freelance’ means there’s a ‘lance’ you might be ‘freely’ shifting by. Your lance is your group, and it provides you the liberty to take jobs as they arrive.
“However for those who’re free and never placing within the effort to be a part of a lance group—for those who’re simply lancing, or swimming round—then the entire system doesn’t work.
“For me, freelancing isn’t just concerning the bodily work; it’s additionally about knowledge evaluation. Who’s following you on Instagram? Which director is appreciating your work?
“…Networking additionally means saying, ‘Okay, I’m going to do a aspect job as a result of I can’t discover a venture proper now.’ I’m going to place that cash apart, take a giant journey, and go to a choreographer and say, ‘Hey, I wish to work with you. I don’t know the way, however I’ll be there—even when I’m within the nook, as a result of I wish to study from you.’ ”
On Choreography and Future Targets
“I believe everybody has a mission in life, and I really feel mine is to assist individuals know their power. That’s what I really like about teaching: I can use my very own style and standpoint to assist dancers change into not higher however to see a special mild inside themselves. I like making individuals shine.
“…My trustworthy dream is to be a flexible choreographer with a particular voice. Take somebody like Marco Goecke—you’ll be able to watch a bit by him and, with out realizing the choreographer, instantly see that it’s Marco. I wish to have my very own recognizable motion language, one that may mix ballet corporations and modern corporations.
“…I additionally love creating characters and storytelling. Even when the world created isn’t specific, there’s an brisk throughline. For me, it’s actually concerning the power. I believe as a dancer, as a performer, my power has all the time been my power—my presence—and that’s what I actually wish to translate into my choreography.
“I wish to say that in choreography, the mind is aware of the place it’s going when it comes to steps and reminiscence, however for the physique, it ought to all the time be a brand new expertise. That’s what I would like dancers to consider after we work and transfer collectively.
“As a result of on the finish of the day, steps are steps. However by experiences, we will connect with humanity and produce empathy and honesty onstage.”
