Woman sitting on chair wearing pink top and white blouse

Woman leaning over a chair backwards with feet pointed in the air

DANCE ARTIST | CHOREOGRAPHER

LIEZL

DE WOUTERS D'OPLINTER

I help dance companies and theatre makers tell stories and make meaning by creating engaging and thought-provoking choreography.

Artistic Director of Dew Dance - a contemporary dance company in High Wycombe, UK

Get in touch: liezl@dewdance.co.uk

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About

Liezl de Wouters d'Oplinter is a South African-born choreographer and dancer specialising in Contemporary and Jazz dance. She trained at New York's Broadway Dance Center under Ashle Dawson and later at London's Springs Dance Company. Her choreography, including Angst (All in the Mind Festival, 2021), and a Level 4 Choreography Diploma from I-PATH, mentored by Rick Tjia, enhance her creative work.

Currently, Liezl is a company member with Infusion Physical Theatre (Cambridge), E33 Dance Company, and Alauda Dance (London). Notable choreographic works include Come Alive (Wandsworth Arts Fringe, 2023), a commissioned piece for Wycombe Museum’s Chair Festival (2024), and TRASH (Brighton Fringe, 2023). Her piece Against the Tide was a finalist in the International Online Dance Competition (2022).

In 2022, Liezl founded Dew Dance, a contemporary dance company in Buckinghamshire. Her work has been presented at the Signdance Collective's Next Generation Festival (2023) and the Bucks Open Weekend. Her dance film Grow was selected for the 2023 Fisheye Film Festival.

Liezl holds a Safe in Dance Preparation for Healthy Dance Certificate and has participated in artist development programmes with BOP Jazz Company (Dollie Henry) and Bill Wade (Inlet Dance Theatre, USA).

MY
CREATIVE PRACTICE

Dance has the power to transcend traditional stages and bring healing. I believe in the power of vulnerability, both in my dancers and my audience, exploring techniques where they can be fully present. I strive to create experiences that resonate universally, making dance accessible to diverse communities.

I use dance as a means of exploring complex themes that leave a lasting impact. Mental health, human connection and spirituality form the heart of my artistic vision, as I draw inspiration from my own life experiences. As an engineer turned dance artist, I bring a unique perspective to problem-solving and structuring in my choreography, allowing me to create compelling and emotionally charged dance works.

Being mentored by Rick Tjia (Cirque de Soleil) has instilled a practical approach to my process. I draw upon this influence to assess elements, particularly those used in marketing, PIXAR and music composition, that evoke emotions, captivate audiences, and create meaning.

I plan my studio time through researching and thematic extraction, laying the groundwork for collaboration with my team. I bring a diverse movement vocabulary, combining tap, street, jazz, and contemporary elements to enrich the expressive range of my pieces.

Collaborating with artists from different backgrounds enriches my creative process, fostering an inclusive environment. I encourage my dancers to engage in the choreographic process, giving them creative tasks and the freedom to express themselves. This authenticity breathes life into my choreography, ensuring a deep emotional connection with the performers.