Blanca Li debates between management and the artistic, with a busy schedule and some controversies

Choreographer Blanca Li (Granada, 61) has resigned as president of La Villette, a 55-hectare artistic complex located northeast of Paris, which houses several performing and musical spaces and a wealth of cultural and social activities, as reported by the French Ministry of Culture. The announcement came just one year after Li took over. The reasons for her resignation, according to the official press release of July 11, are due to incompatibility. "Blanca Li wishes to fully dedicate herself to her artistic activities and to the national and international projection of her company," reads the brief statement, in which the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati , also thanked her for her work.

“My artistic career is currently going through a very interesting phase, and after a year at La Villette, I had to make a decision. My first term ended on July 7, and I've decided not to renew it for a second. For now, I remain as president in an interim capacity until a new president is appointed,” explains Li from the Spoleto Festival (Italy), where her company participated with the work Dido and Aeneas (2024). Asked about possible disagreements with some of her team, “apparently tired of her repeated absences,” as reported by the newspaper Le Monde , the choreographer responds straightforwardly. “I haven't had any problems with the teams. But this reminds me of when it was said that I was never at the Teatros del Canal. It's funny, because it happens a lot with artists: the way we're seen on social media or in our creative work, it's interpreted as if we're never there. It's a classic.”

Li is referring to his time as director of the Teatros del Canal in the Community of Madrid, between 2019 and 2023. A period marked by some of those voices demanding his presence, but also by others praising one of the most complete and, above all, diverse programming in the performing arts. Although not without controversy. The Community of Madrid removed playwright Paco Bezerra's play " Muero Porque No Muero" from its programming, with its author subsequently denouncing it in this newspaper.

The truth is that during her tenure, Li welcomed Spanish companies that had never had the opportunity to perform on Canal's stages and created renowned international lineups with cutting-edge shows and groups. A first-class international program is sorely missed in Canal's upcoming stage season, presented a few weeks ago. The most recent example of these productions that interest the choreographer-manager is the dance activity she set up at La Villette before her resignation, with names like the Peeping Tom company, or dancer Sharon Eyal, choreographer Marlene Monteiro, and artist Miet Warlop. "The work of a president or a director is not measured in office hours. There is a huge amount of work that is unseen and unquantifiable. What is truly important is the project and the results achieved. You can spend all day sitting in an office and accomplish absolutely nothing."

Li has a multifaceted career focused on dance. As a vital and scenic propulsion system, dance creation has led her to participate in initiatives that transcend the stage. The most diverse universality of dance informs her discourse, examples of which can be found in film, as director and lead actor in the film Le Défi (2002), a hip-hop dance musical comedy. She has also worked in fashion, with various campaigns for prestigious brands. In music, she choreographed video clips for Daft Punk , Paul McCartney , Beyoncé, and Coldplay; and in the world of celebrity , with the Grimaldi family's Rose Ball this year.

In a more specific performing arts context, she has directed theaters and dance venues such as the Berlin Ballet of the Komische Oper (2001-2002), the Centro Andaluz de Danza (2006-2010), and the Madrid en Danza International Festival, currently and since 2019. At the last edition of this festival, held in May and June of this year, her absence from the premieres was also mentioned. “Oh… the voices. If I listened to all the voices, I wouldn't do anything. There are people who talk and people who do; I'm in the latter group,” she states when asked about it. “The growth in audiences compared to this edition clearly shows the sustained growth of Madrid en Danza, which celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was a huge success, with 87% occupancy: the best figure in recent years. Which shows that the public is increasingly interested in dance and that the festival is growing. And that, in the end, is what's truly important, isn't it?”

Will you continue to lead Madrid en Danza in 2026? “The Minister of Culture of the Community of Madrid [Mariano de Paco Serrano] is considering a possible change in management. He will confirm his decision to me shortly. In any case, it has been a great pleasure and an honor to direct this wonderful festival.”

Her tenure as president of La Villette includes initiatives such as the Molière Fest, the Summer Film Festival, and the upcoming opening of the Casa de las Culturas Urbanas, a space dedicated to dance, music, and hip-hop imagery. She pioneered this movement in the 1990s, bringing it to the stage. At the helm of her company, Blanca Li embarks on an international tour with recent works such as Dido and Aeneas and L' Ombre (The Shadow), a multidisciplinary show that combines dance, live and electronic music, video, and technology, with immersive lighting and sound.