Showing Genuine Interest as Dancers: Alexandra 'Spicey' Landé

For this month’s Story Bloom, we had a multi-faceted conversation with the wonderful Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Landé. A distinctive choreographer, dancer, and instructor, Spicey created and founded the renowned street dance event Bust A Move Festival in 2005. She went on to create numerous choreographic works through founding EBNFLŌH Dance Company in 2015, alluding to social themes in groundbreaking pieces such as In-Ward and Complexe R. Her unparalleled artistry and direct involvement in the community holds her as a central figure in the Quebec street dance scene. Touching on many topics such as her multidisciplinary artistry and experiences as a Black woman in the dance milieu, Spicey outlined an important message to our youth community: Why We Need to Show Genuine Interest as Dancers. Be inspired by her words below.

‘In Ward’ - EBNFLŌH Dance Company, Photo by David Wong

Throughout your career, you have pioneered a handful of choreographic works, using movement and multi-disciplinary outlets to tell a story. Speak about your creation process. What drives your work?

With my work, I’m always stating a certain message. I’m creating rules and interactions, and through that I’m also creating engagement and observations. I build elements around the audience that forces engagement, so you really have no choice but to be involved. That’s what I’m really looking for when I create—‘un moment dans la vie’, which means ‘a moment in life’. I’m really interested in how human beings interact; their behaviour, gender norms, and the differences in which we perceive things. A lot of my work has the elements of psychology and philosophy. I’m really big on looking at the extremes we put ourselves in and others in, what makes us tick, and trying to get out the little things that we don’t like to show. Especially through the solo sections of my pieces, I really focus on getting a visual of what happens on the inside of ourselves, and I do this through hip hop. There’s a special kind of familiarity with hip hop that brings the community together—the movement, the music, the way we talk, the way we sit together and meet. The language is subtle yet so impactful. I’m looking for those subtleties and in betweens; there's a little thing you might not catch, but it’s actually establishing the whole mood of the scene. Although hip hop is a codified dance form, the way dance is presented through my work is still very absurd. I like to kind of break the image and the expectations that we have of this already established environment and feeling. 

How do you define yourself as an artist? What values do you hold high to yourself and the dance community?

I think I’m a multi-disciplinary artist. I didn’t think that I was at first, because when I’m doing something I go full out—I’m very involved and engaged. While I’m completely invested in dance, the context of street dance and choreographic language, I have found that I’m also really interested in other forms of art. I’m currently working with the medium of film to produce and create dance films with a grant from the CAC, working on a podcast that I want to put out, and collaborating in the music composition process for my pieces with my composer Shash’U. These things feel very broad, but in reality, they all come together because it’s my artistic expression. It’s something I want to say, and now I’m realizing that I can say it in so many different ways. There’s no one way to do it, you just have to allow yourself to go there, and that’s what I’m doing now—I’m allowing myself to go there. In terms of values, some of my biggest values are being authentic, present, and always showing respect as dancers. During the good times and even the flaws, I strive to be as authentic and honest as I can. When I’m creating and exploring, I am living in the moment. This is the place where time does not exist for me. Respect as well—I have a high code for respect. I demand it and I want people to demand it of me. What I want for myself I want to give to others as much as I can. 

The Black Lives Matter movement has brought issues of injustice to the forefront of every platform, highlighting these topics as they pertain to the dance community. What can you share about the experiences that people of colour face in this industry?

I wouldn’t be able to voice every single one, just out of my own experiences there is so much that never ends. What I can share though is something that I’m fighting for and sensing a lot right now. A lot of times when something happens, whether in the world or dance industry, we choose not to give it our energy or pretend it isn’t happening—I can’t even pretend because I have to live with the feeling of it. If I constantly have to break things down and explain why I feel discriminated against, I would never get any work done. So, I have to decide what my purpose is in the contemporary dance landscape? Am I here to change things in a very upfront, political way? Or, am I here to just create and express myself? Just by expressing myself and bringing elements that are part of my expression, whether this is hip hop or my background from Haiti…I think that being here as I am is political enough. I went into a field that was non-existent ten years ago—hip hop dance on stage. When I first started, there was a lot of resistance and inaccessibility because I didn’t fit into what the milieu wanted dance to be like. But dance is for everyone! Defining who that ‘everyone’ actually is, is where it gets complicated. In reality, the funding that exists out there is for everyone—any professional dancer or company can apply for grants. I’m realizing that my purpose is to create and to inspire as much as I can—if I inspire a Black woman, a White woman, anybody. But, I’m also finding my voice in breaking down those unspoken, very awkward, unrecognizable barriers in front of me and many others. Because systemic racism is so implanted, it can be difficult to explain because a lot of the times the injustices I face as an artist don't feel purposely done. Often it’s just because the norms of the industry make sense for the majority, but not for the others. In order to break that notion, the system needs to allow for differences. It has to allow space for changes. It has to be able to let someone break those walls, one person at a time, and not make it feel like we’re going to war. It’s just opening conversations and crossing the invisible lines. 

The power the next generation holds is indescribable. What message can you share to our youth dance community in lieu of moving forward?

I think we need to move forward with love. I know it sounds very cheesy, but love means a lot of things: respect, acceptance, understanding, open-mindedness, genuineness. I’ve learned to openly talk about love from my brother and crewmate Sangw’n, an incredible artist and dancer. If we go with this mindset of love moving forward, I feel it will already solve a lot of things. We all feel love in our hearts. Start conversations, because curiosity goes a long way. However, curiosity is only the beginning of it—curiosity should lead to genuine interest. When you have a genuine interest, you won’t look once or twice, you’ll continue to be committed to learning. You won’t have one conversation, you’ll have many. Whether these be about expanding your artistic horizons, learning about your community, or moving forward in a positive way for Black people and people of colour. Genuine interest looks like many instances of dipping into these conversations and being open to learning. Continue to ask yourself and others questions like; “Why aren’t we being open? What are we doing that is keeping this from happening? What new things can I learn?”. Be conscious about what this new information does to you, what it teaches you, and how it nourishes your journey in dance. There are so many layers to the dance world, and there are so many ways that we can contribute. Let’s keep this conversation going, and come into change. 

For more from Spicey, check out her Instagram @alexspicey_lkg or EBNFLŌH’s website. We encourage Bloomies to explore the following website for more resources on the Canadian Black Lives Matter movement.