Amalia Garcia

Senior Lecturer in Dance (Choreography & Performance)

Amalia Garcia

Amalia Garcia, BA, MA, FHEA

Amalia is a performance artist, movement facilitator and academic, interested in the embodied processes that shape movement-based dance-theatre and creative health practices. She is also a qualified IFS - Internal Family Systems practitioner, and her work integrates enquiries from both artistic and therapeutic fields through practice-based research.

Originally from Galicia in Spain, Amalia worked as a freelance performer, dancer and community practitioner with Retina, Willi Dorner Cie and ersatz dance. She became a full-time Lecturer in Dance and Performance at the University of Bedfordshire in 2009, following a Teacher Fellowship in Dance at De Montfort University. She is now Senior Lecturer in Dance and Performance, leading the MA Creative Health course.

Amalia’s creative projects often bring communities and the arts into conversation. In 2018, she collaborated with Mind and the University’s Psychology department to create Mind ME (The Human Book Store Project) - a live performance sharing personal journeys of recovery. In 2019, she was commissioned by Hear and Now to direct an intergenerational performance with Tibbs Dementia Foundation’s Music 4 Memory, Fusion Youth Singing, musicians from the Philharmonia Orchestra and Tim Steiner, exploring the impact of creative participation on wellbeing.

Most recently, Amalia has begun a new collaboration with Rhiannon Faith Company as a performer in Mary Mary - a new work rooted in care, creativity and social change. Rhiannon Faith Company makes radically tender dance theatre, working nationally on big stages and locally with communities on the margins, always with social change and care at its heart. This collaboration sits at the intersection of Amalia’s interests in embodied performance, collective presence and creative health.

She also partnered with The Wellbeing Centre in Bedford – The Recovery College, delivering Moving in My Recovery workshops that blended movement, listening and embodied enquiry - opening space for participants to deepen self-listening and resource internal ease.

Alongside her artistic and academic work, Amalia assists on Internal Family Systems Institute trainings in the UK, where she brings movement and embodied presence into therapeutic learning spaces. Her practice weaves performance, facilitation and research, creating spaces where creativity, care and presence meet.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Dance with Theatre - De Montfort University
MA European Dance Theatre Practice, - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Internal Family Systems therapy – qualified practitioner - The Centre for Self Leadership

Teaching Expertise

Choreography and movement direction
Dance Technique
Improvisation; contact improvisation and improvisation in performance
Physical Theatre
Dance Theatre

Research Interests

Improvisation
Performance and Technology
Somatics

External Roles

Rhiannon Faith Company Board Director 2022 – present

Publications

Professional Practice

Garcia, A. (2022) Dialogs 2022 – International scan of the educational offer in the movement arts sector – international speaker representing Performing Arts at the University of Bedfordshire. (Speaker)
Garcia, A. with Carr, J. & Sharp, B. (2017) The Possibilities of Different Geographies: A Performative Installation. Collaborative practice-led research project with The Dorothy Sharp Project. Performed as part of A study on durationality, identity and performance conference at the University of Roehampton (Performer)
Garcia, A (2016) Festival Deltebre Dansa, Tarragona, Spain, July. (Dancer/Performer)
Garcia, A (2014) Dance Summer Intensive, Ciclo International de Danca Contemporanea (International Festival of Contemporary Dance) Torres Vedras – Lisbon, Portugal. August. (Dancer/Performer)
Garcia, A (2014) Festival Deltebre Dansa, Tarragona, Spain, July. (Dancer/Performer)
Garcia, A (2013) Festival Deltebre Dansa, Tarragona, Spain, July. (Dancer/Performer)
Garcia, A (2012) Festival International de Cultures Emergentes 12 août, Le Centre Summer workshops: Movement and Performance of the 21 Century, Pontlevoy, Loire Valley, France August. (Dancer/Performer/ Workshop facilitator)
Garcia, A. with Luthrie, A. (2007) Mad Sad & Bad. Dancer/Performer in feature film.
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. & Maj, Z. (2006) A Part/In Parts. International collaborative practice-led research project with New Media Artist Ziemovitz Maj and Ersatz Dance. Focus: the use of interactive tracking systems in site-specific performance. Outputs: Performance Installation, edited video documentary of installation. Research Funded by Arts Council England. (Performer)
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. & Davies, R. (2005-2006) 2:Moving. Choreographic practice-led research project. Focus: the integration of digital animation, video and live performance. Collaborative research with Rachel Davies, University of Kingston and professional dance company Ersatz Dance. Outputs: Dance performance events, national touring and edited video documentary of the piece. Funded by Arts Council of England Grants for the Arts Award. (Performer)
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. (2002-2004) 24 Acts of Arson. Choreographic practice-led research project. Focus: the interaction between digital animation and live performers. Collaboration with professional dance company Ersatz Dance. Outcomes: Live dance performance event, national touring, edited video documentary, refereed conference paper. Research funded by AHRC, Dance East (National Dance Agency), Arts Council of England. (Performer)
Garcia, A. with Van Huffel, P. (2002) Gradient. Performed dance-theatre work for Retina Dance Company. Premiered at Robin Howard Theatre, The Place, London, UK. (Performer)
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. (2001) Save the Last Dance. Performed dance-theatre work for Ersatz Dance, duration 70-minutes. Commissioned Video Artist, Richard Coldman; Writer, Phil Stanier and Composer Dominic Murcott. Funded by Arts Council of England RALP award, Eastern Touring Agency and Bedford Borough Council. Re-opening Spring Loaded season at Robin Howard Theatre, The Place, London, UK. (Performer)
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H.& Dorner, W. (2001) A Moment of Collision. Collaborative choreographic practice-led research project. Arts Sans Frontieres international choreographers exchange project. Focus: composition methods and discursive practices in choreography. Outputs: Dance performance events, national touring. Research funded by the Arts Council of England. (Performer)

Practice-led Research

Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. (2009-2010) Here and There. Choreographic practice-led research outcome from the e-Dance project. Live networked performance, quartet performed by Marina Collard, Amalia Garcia, River Carmalt and James Hewison. (Research Assistant)
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. (2008) Dislocate/Relocate: Composite Bodies. Choreographic practice-led research outcome from the e-Dance project. Live networked performance, quartet performed by Catherine Bennett, Amalia Garcia, River Carmalt and James Hewison, 10-minutes in length. Research funded by AHRC, EPSRC, JISC. (Research Assistant)
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. (2008) Situate/Resituate. Choreographic practice-led research outcome from the e-Dance project. Live networked performance, duet performed by Amalia Garcia and River Carmalt, 12-minutes in length. Research funded by AHRC, EPSRC, JISC. (Research Assistant)
Garcia, a. with Bailey, H. (2007) Morphologies. Choreographic practice-led research outcome from the Stereobodies project. Live dance work integrating a live string quartet, projected stereoscopic digital animation and interactive motion-tracking software. Research funded by CARD. (Research Assistant)
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. & Turner, M. (2006) Stereobodies. Choreographic practice-led research project. Focus: the use of stereoscopic video the Access Grid. Outputs: Performance events and conference presentations Research funded by JISC VRE CSAGE project, University of Manchester. (Research Assistant)

Refereed Conference Papers

Garcia, A with Ashley, T and Lok, A (2013) “Invited and Included? Contact Improvisation in the University” CFD, Contact Festival Dartington, Falmouth University, UK, April
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H., Turner, M. (2006) “Stereobodies: Improvisation and Choreography within the Access Grid” Performativity/Space/Place: Locating Grid Technologies Symposium AHRC e-Science Workshop Scheme, University of Bristol, UK, October.
Brannen, R., Garcia, A., Hay, M., Smith, S., Thompson, P. (2006) “Learning from the experience of new staff in Higher Education” The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference. Enhancing the Student Learning Experience. East Midlands Conference Centre, Notingham.
Garcia, A. with Bailey, H. (2003) “24 Acts of Arson: Writing 'in' or '(ab)out' dance theatre practice” PARIP (Practice as Research in Performance) International Conference, Bristol University, Bristol, UK.

Community/ Collaborative Projects
(University of Bedfordshire)

Rhiannon Faith Company Advisory Board member 2022 – present
The Hear and Now project – Suits and Balloons 2019 - Hear and Now is an intergenerational creative work as a way of bringing together and supporting adults with dementia and their carers, and young people from our residencies of Bedford and Leicester. Together with Philharmonia musicians, they share their memories and stories in creative workshops to collaborate on a unique musical and movement performance work called Suits and Balloons celebrating human connection through a collective online experience. https://youtu.be/XittI8UKNCM
The Human Book Store 2018 - Weekly performance workshops for participants unemployed 19 years + The project aims to support with confidence and self-esteem and to promote emotional and physical well-being. https://youtu.be/DvNtQn8zvyg