La Faktoria Choreographic Center
A Platform for Dance Innovation

La Faktoria Choreographic Center offers an international training and research program in contemporary dance under the artistic direction of Marta Coronado and Laida Aldaz in the city of Pamplona, north of Spain.

La Faktoria offers year-long programs designed to foster the next generation of dance professionals through a unique blend of technical mastery and creative exploration. Its programs attract students from across the globe, creating an inspiring environment where innovation in movement and choreography thrives.

It not only provides professional instruction from internationally renowned teachers and dance makers, but also offers crucial space for artistic research and creative development. Through residencies, workshops, and laboratories, artists are encouraged to experiment, question, and broaden their creative horizons.

What makes La Faktoria truly special for teachers is the opportunity to work in-depth with students. With classes lasting five hours a day, there is time to develop a meaningful and profound exchange with the students. The program, while thoughtfully curated with vision and care, gives teachers a great deal of freedom to tailor their approach. This flexibility allows us to dive deeply into the creative and technical processes, fostering a collaborative environment where both students and teachers can explore new ideas and push artistic boundaries.

La Faktoria Choreographic Center and Laura Aris

La Faktoria Choreographic Center has had a strong artistic and pedagogical connection with Laura Aris since the start of our project. We first invited her as the guest choreographer to open our International Program in January 2019, and since then, she has played a key role in all six programs we have organized.

Laura’s unique approach to physicality and her ability to inspire others to trust their creative intuition have made her a vital part of our community. We greatly value her contributions and continue to invite her as a guest artist.

Our admiration for Laura goes back to our time together in Brussels. She is not only an incredible performer and creator but also a close friend. We look forward to her continued collaboration, as her artistic voice and experience have much to offer the next generation of dance makers.

La Faktoria is more than a training center; it’s a creative ecosystem where Dance artists are nurtured and empowered to push boundaries. It provides a platform for students and creators to explore new choreographic languages, supported by a vibrant community of professionals.
I’m proud to be part of La Faktoria’s ongoing journey.

My connection with La Faktoria is deeply personal. I have known Marta Coronado since 1999 when I moved to Brussels. She was at ROSAS, and I was at Ultima Vez—two leading companies in the international contemporary dance scene. Despite our busy touring schedules, we always found time to see each other’s work, and over time, our professional connection turned into a lasting friendship. I’ve been involved with La Faktoria since its early days and have had the honor of being a guest teacher from its very first generation of students.

Through the years, I also became close friends with Laida Aldaz, an influential figure in Belgium’s independent art scene. Alongside co-directing La Faktoria, Laida is deeply involved in dance film through her festival and creates site-specific works and museum-based performances under her project In Perspective. Her versatility and commitment to expanding the boundaries of dance have been truly inspiring.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my involvement with La Faktoria has been witnessing its students evolve into accomplished creators and dancers. Many have gone on to join prestigious dance companies or establish themselves as independent choreographers. Some have even become assistants in workshops led by Marta and myself, continuing the cycle of mentorship and creative exchange. I have also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with one of La Faktoria’s former students, Clarissa Costagliola, in Noche Barroca—a dance piece by Marta Coronado that brings together performers of different generations through improvisation.

More info about La Faktoria Choreographic Center

TICTAC ART CENTER
A Brussels Hub of Artistic Collaboration

Tictac Art Centre is the artistic home of David Zambrano and Mat Voorter

TICTIC aims to support the development of dance improvisation, spontaneous performance, and visual arts.

As a guest teacher and performer, I am proud to support the mission of Tictac Art Centre, an alternative and independent art space in Brussels, Belgium. Founded in 2018 by David Zambrano and Mat Voorter, Tictac has quickly gained a global reputation as a vibrant home for a diverse range of artistic disciplines, from dance and performance to visual arts and beyond.

Tictac is not just a venue; it’s a living, breathing space where creativity thrives. Under the guidance of Mat and David, the center (and its super generous and passionate team) has become a cornerstone for improvisation and spontaneous artistic expression. Artists from around the world are drawn to Tictac’s open and welcoming environment, where innovative ideas are nurtured and shared through workshops, classes, performances, and residencies.

This center has become a beacon for the global art community, a place where artists can gather, inspire one another, and push the boundaries of their craft. I am honored to be part of Tictac’s journey and to contribute to its ongoing evolution as a space of artistic freedom and collaboration.

More at TICTAC Art Center

Arnaud Beelen & Irene Occhiato

Check out below some of the stills taken by the super talented and fabulous being ©Arnaud Beelen and @Irene Occhiato during my interventions at Tictac. 
Both are members of the independent Brussels-based Brut Movement collective. 

They are the authors of "34, Rue Emile Carpentier", a photographic project documenting the life of Tictac Art Centre over 2 years. The book includes images of over 160 artists/performers/dancers from 40 different countries.

Their work is a must-see!

TRY - International Training & Research Program For Young Dancers

Laura Aris has been a guest teacher at TRY in the city of Lucca (Italy) since their first generation in 2021.

TRY is a year annual training and research program in contemporary dance and movement practices. It targets young international dancers aged 18 – 22 who have finished their high school studies and wish to dedicate themselves to a professional career as dancers, choreographers, or performers.

TRY wants to help young people to better understand their capacity to become independent and creative artists.

TRY offers an intensive program of daily classes, movement, and research labs, and workshops with internationally renowned choreographers, teachers, and independent artists coming from the fields of Improvisation, Composition, Conceptual dance, Puzzle work, Flying Low technique, IntAct Method and former dancers and dancers from companies such as: Rosas/Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus, Akram Khan Company,  Damien Jalet company, Jan Fabre company, Peeping Tom and the directors of La Faktoria Choreographic Center.

TRY was born in Lucca (Italy), a city of historical importance, a destination for international tourism, and a crossroads for artists who find here a fertile context to combine the beauty of the territory and different cultural stimuli. In this context, TRY is an opportunity to feed the contemporary culture of the arts of movement in an international and updated perspective, capable of interacting with the local community.

TRY’s Artistic Director is Marta Coronado, an internationally renowned teacher, former dancer of  Rosas (Brussels), choreographer, and Co-Director of La Faktoria Choreographic Center (Spain). The Project Manager is Elisabetta Fiorini, a teacher at Lucca’s Liceo Artistico Musicale and Director of Fuoricentro Danza.

ImPulsTanz Festival: A Longstanding Collaboration

ImPulsTanz, Vienna International Dance Festival, is one of the most prestigious contemporary dance festivals worldwide, held annually from mid-July to mid-August. Since 2000, I have had the honor of performing at ImPulsTanz with Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus, a collaboration that marked the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the festival. From 2006 onwards, I have had the privilege of teaching besides performing at the festival, and since 2009, I have developed my own workshops through their trust and support.

ImPulsTanz has been a cornerstone of my professional journey, providing a platform where I have shared my knowledge and passion for dance with a diverse and international audience. In 2015, Rio Rutzinger, Artistic Director of ImPulsTanz ImPulsTanz workshops+research, wrote:

"Laura Aris is one of our most committed and valuable guest artists at ImPulsTanz. Her dedication and vast knowledge in various fields—both as a performer and teacher—are highly appreciated by audiences, teachers, and students from around the world. Laura’s genuine concern for her students and her passion for contemporary dance makes her an exceptional pedagogue and artist. Her presence at ImPulsTanz is of inestimable value and inspiration, and we look forward to continuing and deepening this enriching collaboration."

Her artistry is outstanding, contagious and never fails to overwhelm. Her passion, drive and humour when transmitting her art is bliss. Laura has this double gift of providing clear lines without overwhelming as well as infecting everyone in the room with her dedication without taking away the individual space of the student."

This endorsement reflects the depth of our collaboration and the significant impact of my work within the ImPulsTanz community. I am grateful for the ongoing support and the opportunity to contribute to this vibrant festival.

More about Impulstanz

NUBLA

Singer, composer, and musical producer

©Noemi Bascuñada  

Nubla is the artistic name of Luciana Carlevaro, a Barcelona-born singer, songwriter, and music producer. Friends since adolescence and artistic allies since 2009, we have shared numerous creative collaborations.

Nubla’s solo career includes three studio albums— Voayeur (2005), Una Maleta y un Perro (2007), and Saipán (2011)—released in Spain and internationally. Her unique sound has been featured in media, sound installations, documentaries, and films, where she blends music, gestures, and visuals as instruments that create their own stories.

In the last decade, Nubla has expanded her creative range into the performing arts, composing for dance and theatre. Her live performances incorporate theatrical elements—movement, images, and text—creating narratives that go beyond music. Driven by constant curiosity, she explores how music influences our lives at a cellular level.

“I have watched Laura grow as a dance artist from the very beginning, as we have shared a long-standing friendship and artistic affinities for many years. From her earliest performances in the 90s to the most recent time I saw her on stage, I’ve always been captivated by her creativity, her deep sense of connection, and her extraordinary technical skill—each aspect perfectly aligned with her unique, expressive, and original style.
Laura is genuinely one-of-a-kind. Every step, every gesture, even every so-called 'mistake' radiates her originality.
Beyond my admiration for her work, I’ve enjoyed collaborating with her in various capacities over the years. We share a creative wavelength with similar perspectives on what it means to create art. This makes our connection effortless, whether working on a new creation, rehearsing, teaching, or simply chatting over coffee. Our shared commitment to our craft is a constant thread in our relationship, and we approach it with the same passion and dedication."

Nubla

NUBLA has composed original music for the performances:
Impostura by EMBER (Laura Aris/Jorge Jáuregi) - NUBLA & Ander Agudo
Microacciones by EMBER (Laura Aris/Jorge Jáuregi) - NUBLA & Ander Agudo
Y del Resto No sé Nada by Laura Aris & Germán Jáuregui
Nubla was performing live for the performance of Impostura.

Laura Aris and Luciana Carlevaro cocreated and led the workshop Voice, Movement, Space & Air at Impulstanz in 2017.

Learn more about her projects at www.nubla.es

ROGER MARÍN DÍAZ

Musician, composer, producer and sound technician

Roger Marín has been collaborating with Laura Aris since 2010. They have been friends since they were teenagers, and together, they explore and experiment with sound, music, and a playful 'I have no idea what we are doing' quality time. 

He has composed original music for the performances: LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE , A-PART and COLA DE GALLO by EMBER (Laura Aris/Jorge Jáuregui) in collaboration with LA MACANA (Caterina Varela/Alexis Fernández)

As well as the arrangement for Surprised by Joy (Costa Rica 2009) and Winter Child (Institut del Teatre, 2017), commissioned works by Laura Aris.

AMBER DE SEAGER

Costume designer

It’s hard to pin Amber down on a single medium.
During her studies in Costume Design, she started looking for ways to combine the theatre world with the art world. This resulted in installations where the costume and, by extension, the human identity play a prominent role. Amber shows varying aspects of society from her own critical view, often emphasising her social criticism humorously. In her work, she translates her interest in sociology and – most importantly – in deviance from imposed social norms. It is precisely because of this interest in the deviant that she doesn’t feel the need to classify her work as belonging to one specific category. Amber prefers hovering in between.

My background as a costume designer connects my work as a common thread.
I still work on commission, giving preference to assignments where I have the artistic freedom to make elaborate, sculptural costumes.
I collaborate with other artists to make theatrical work, looking for an interdisciplinary form by mixing theatre with live music and film.
I create minor disruptions in the city as a means to counteract the privatization of our public space, and gently invite others to do so as well.
I like to do it all.
But mostly, I walk.

Amber and Laura collaborated on the solo stage performance, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

More about amberdesaeger

More about Amber's work at amberdesaeger.wordpress.com

Es difícil fijar a Amber en un solo medio.
Durante sus estudios de diseño de vestuario, empezó a buscar formas de combinar el mundo del teatro con el del arte. Esto dio lugar a instalaciones en las que el vestuario y, por extensión, la identidad humana adquieren un papel destacado.

Amber muestra diversos aspectos de la sociedad desde su propia visión crítica, a menudo enfatizando su crítica social en clave de humor. En su obra traduce su interés por la sociología y, sobre todo, por la desviación de las normas sociales impuestas. Precisamente por este interés en lo desviado, no siente la necesidad de clasificar su obra como perteneciente a una categoría específica. Ella prefiere situarse en un punto intermedio.

Amber ha colaborado con Laura Aris en su solo escénico Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Esperemos que sea sólo el comienzo de su relación artística.

Más sobre Amber en amberdesaeger.wordpress.com

DAR (Dance Academy Russia) and Laura Aris: A Collaborative Partnership

Since 2014, DAR and I have fostered a strong and evolving collaboration.
While I have never designed their programs, I have contributed to expanding their network and engaging in ongoing conversations about improving collaborations and supporting the growth of the dance community in St. Petersburg. In 2017, DAR co-produced the video dance Cualquier Mañana, filmed entirely in the city, further strengthening our partnership. Unfortunately, with the onset of the war, we had to cancel both my planned workshop and the scheduled performance of my solo piece, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. Despite these challenges, our commitment to artistic exchange and collaboration remains strong.

About DAR

Dance Academy Russia (DAR), based in St. Petersburg, is a prominent educational center offering high-quality dance education and creation opportunities both in Russia and internationally, including through online courses. DAR organizes the international project DASS, fostering connections with communities, institutions, companies, and festivals in the fields of dance and theater arts abroad. DAR also hosts Festival DAR in Russia, facilitating exchanges in pedagogy, performance, and stage experience between Russian dancers and international teachers and choreographers.

Learn more about them at danceacademyrussia.com