Fanny Vandesande (º1984) 

Has been bitten by dance since her younger years. From an early age she started training and took her first steps at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. 

After two years she continued her studies at MUDA institute of dance based in Ghent. During her studies she participated at a European exchange project from 'les ballets C de la B', played in SMAK. She wanted to specialize further in contemporary dance and continued her studies in SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance) in 2004. During her studies, she participated as a dancer in the performance directed by Ori Flomin.

Later after her studies, she traveled to Java, Bali and Lombok from 2006 to 2008 to further enrich herself as a person and broaden her view of contemporary dance. There she collaborated with local dancers and choreographers including Vita Valeska & Boby Ari Setiawan.

After she returned to Belgium at the end of 2008, Fanny collaborated as a freelance performer with choreographer Katja Pire (BE), Performance artist Nick Cave (Middelheim Museum, Antwerp), in 2012 with the "Nude Studies" WHO FINAL by United Cowboys (NL) directed by Maarten Van der Put and Pauline Roelants, "Jenufa" a co-production by De Munt and Teatro communale di Bologna directed by Alvis Hermanis and choreographed by Alla Sigalova (2014) , ... and was one of the Eves in Milo Rau's "Lamb of God",a production of NTGent (2018).

In her trajectory as a performer, she came across Gent Bougement in 2014, a platform for contemporary dance in Ghent where she collaborated with semi-professional as well as professional dancers. Her curiosity to further professionalize not only as a performer but also as a maker became evident. Fanny makes the first moves as a choreographer and collaborated with dancer-maker Vania D'Angelo, they created a site-specific visual choreography ANT AND.... with which they toured at several festivals (WATOU, theater festival Boulevard, Namur en mai, KAAP, GUM ...).

Her debut as a choreographer led to other artistic collaborations including the dance performance "SCOPOFIL" Two bodies moving as one, a duet in which she shared the stage with dancer Robin Van den Bussche. Fanny and Robin set out to create an intimate whether voyeuristic performance. This was done by exposing their bodies, fusing them together and connecting emotionally as if almost telepathically. With this creation they went into residency with presentation moments at GARAGE 29, United-C, Gent Bougement, Campo, Copacobana,....

In 2018, Fanny collaborated again with Vania D'Angelo, this time as a dance coach. They started working with a group of young people from a high school, a participatory location project "Le Sacre du Printemps" directed by Alain Platel, this for Day of Dance, a co-production with Mus-e, Campo/Onbetaalbaar,... Afther that In 2019, she collaborated as a dance coach with "Victoria Deluxe" and took on the choreography with a group of young people "YOUnited9000."

Through new encounters in the performing arts, Fanny came into contact with the inclusive dance company Platform-K in 2020. A new rapprochement with movement and dance as a connecting language for and with people with disabilities.

In recent years her interest in inclusion and participation has continued to grow and to this day she works closely with Platform-K, this as artistic collaborator, dance coach, choreographer and performer.

From her collaborations with Platform-k, she was introduced as a choreographer to theater maker Sahar Rahimi of the German Collective Monster Truck in 2021 and created "Das Narrenschif," produced by Monster Truck, Platform-K & NTGent. After she collaborated as a dance coach and performer with choreographer Lisi Estaras for "A BIGGER THING," a participatory collaboration with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (VONK), premiering in September 2022. She has also worked closely with Quan Bui Ngoc, Juki Rosiers, Zoë Demoustier and Hannah Beekmans during residencies as dance and artistic coach-facilitator.

As part of her research on inclusion and participation in dance, she met the artistic team LEON.DANCE in 2020, led by Seppe Baeyens. In this partnership, she conducts workshops at La Maison de Cultures in Molenbeek, Pianofabriek, Park Poetik, etc. and participates as a performer-catalyst in LEON on TOUR.

In meanwhile Fanny met Anna Dujardin dancer at Platform-K in 2022. Within that context they started a research, this from a mutual need to open up the topic of sexual freedom among people with disabilities and the lack of it, starting from Dujardin's perspective as a woman with special needs and her artistic vision, which she expresses in her poetry, dance and illustrations.

Soon after In their partnership, Fanny directed a solo "TWOTFAM" for and with Anna Dujardin as performer, which premiered in April 2023 a co-production of KAAP and VIERNULVIER. TWOTFAM is a representation of how Fanny like to work, a great example of a bottom-up creation where nothing is imposed, but where a mutual trust is very important to expose a vulnerable story for an audience.

In this context Fanny has been invited to share her artistic practice and meet with other artists from Ireland (Cindy Cummings), Madagascar (Lovatiana Rakotobe) , Kenia (Danceintospace),... this trough workshops, lecture, conference, performance at Body Moves Festival in Johannesburg (SA) and Unmute Artsability festival - Artscape in Cape Town (2023), with the support of Flanders arts institute. They als played TWOTFAM and shared a workshop at Grenzenlos kultur festival Mainz in 2023.

Furthermore, Fanny and Anna committed to developing an accessible or relaxed performance. They started working with the new concept of "collaborative AD," where describers,dancers, choreographers and users work together. This was done in close collaboration with Nina Reviers and Victoria Hopchet of the OPEN expertise center for accessible media and culture at the University of Antwerp.

Fanny's future research will focus on developing participative and inclusive choreographic tools for public spaces. 

I have initiated new research focused on how bodily interactions create a universe that amplifies the expressive capabilities of the art object created by Leen Van Tichelen, weaving together imaginary landscapes that emerge from this dynamic interplay. While I concentrate on the physical movement, spoken word poet Jonas Bruyneel and composer and violinist Esther Coorevits contribute through their respective art forms, allowing us to interact with and respond to one another. The project will culminate in a cross-disciplinary partnership, exploring the potential to play in site-specific locations."

In January 2024, Fanny received an invitation to join the vibrant project You, Me, and Democracy, spearheaded by Kelly Storom in partnership with the Sibikwa Arts Centre in Johannesburg. Engaging with a group of young artists, she took part in a series of online discussions that sparked reflections on democracy and the art of placemaking in public spaces. This collaborative journey continues to unfold, as Fanny embarks on the creation of a new artistic endeavor inspired by these rich exchanges.

By taking her work out of traditional venues, Fanny seeks to encourage community engagement and transform everyday places into dynamic stages, with the hope of fostering a sense of shared experience and community involvement.