BIOGRAPHY
Hello! My name is Leann, or Lilly to my friends, I come from a small town in Tuscany, Italy. Even though my name is not Italian, I am 100% Italian. I started dancing when I was three and haven't stopped since then. Like every little girl i started with ballet and modern dance, but then, at 12, I discovered contemporary dance and from that moment on I fell in love with it. Throughout my years training, I have changed a lot as a person and especially as an artist, which is why I am very grateful to all my teachers who have always believed in me and pushed me to improve. It's never been an easy journey, rather full of obstacles, but I'm happy with the person and artist I am now. Remember: NEVER GIVE UP!
- Date of birth: 19 January 2003
- Height (in cm): 160
- Languages: Italian, English
CONTACT
- leannpuma@libero.it
- https://www.instagram.com/lilly_puma
DANCE EXPERIENCE
- Soldier in "Carmen-Suite" by Sergei Vanaev (2026)
- Ensemble in "Le Sacre du Printemps" by Sergei Vanaev (2026)
- Three women in the forest, Farmers, Trolls, Business people, Arab dancers, Madhouse in "Peer Gynt“ by Sergei Vanaev (2025)
DIPLOMA PROJECT / THESIS
- Project title: L'(E)AN(N)XIETY
- Description: It's a solo based on how our emotions influence us as individuals and in the way we move. I particularly focused on anxiety. With this solo I feel like I've gone through a complete journey, which began with the way you feel this emotion for the first time until the moment you understand how to deal with it.
- Choreographer / Copyright: Leann Puma
- Additional Persons / Contributors: Dancer: Leann Puma / Camera: Arina Yakimenko / Sound: Joanna Salmikannas / Costumes: Leann Puma
Q&A WITH LEANN PUMA
What does dance mean to you?
- Dance for me is my safe space in which I can express myself and show the person I am. An art with which you can express your thoughts and creativity without being judged.
What memory will you take with you from your time at ZHdK?
- Every moment spent with my classmates on stage and outside of the university, because they are experiences you have once in your life and they are the ones that make you grow and understand what your future will be.
Which work or choreographer particularly inspires you, and why?
- I particularly like Pina Bausch's "Le Sacre du Printemps" for the way she restaged this extraordinary piece in a unique and revolutionary way. I find very interesting and fascinating the contrast between the simple staging and the costumes, with the powerful choreography showing the evolution of an era.