Ariah Lester (Lester Arias Vizcuña, Venezuela, 1988) is a charismatic performer whose androgynous appearance and clear, versatile voice takes the audience from one reality to another. With the greatest ease, he combines singing, dance, film, narration, fashion, visual arts and music. His work is both soft and hard, masculine and feminine, private and universal, strange and familiar. Lester studied visual arts, theatre and modern dance at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas Cristobal Rojas in Caracas. In 2016, he graduated at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO) at the Academy of Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam. In 2017, he performed at TEDx Amsterdam. He is part of the duo Lester&Nikki together with musician Nicolas Blomberg. Works the two collaborated on include The Wild Things (2016) and House (2016). Next to his performance work, he also teaches at the SNDO. Migration and displacement are key words in the work of Ariah Lester (Lester Arias).
Awards
2016 The Moving Forward Festival's Young DanceMakers Audience Award
2017 The Sabam Jong Theater Writing Award at TAZ
2018 Operadagen Rotterdam Award 2018
Ariah Lester (Lester Arias Vizcuña, Venezuela, 1988) is a charismatic performer whose androgynous appearance and clear, versatile voice takes the audience from one reality to another. With the greatest ease, he combines singing, dance, film, narration, fashion, visual arts and music. His work is both soft and hard, masculine and feminine, private and universal, strange and familiar. Lester studied visual arts, theatre and modern dance at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas Cristobal Rojas in Caracas. In 2016, he graduated at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO) at the Academy of Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam. In 2017, he performed at TEDx Amsterdam. He is part of the duo Lester&Nikki together with musician Nicolas Blomberg. Works the two collaborated on include The Wild Things (2016) and House (2016). Next to his performance work, he also teaches at the SNDO. Migration and displacement are key words in the work of Ariah Lester.
Awards
2016 The Moving Forward Festival's Young DanceMakers Audience Award
2017 The Sabam Jong Theater Writing Award at TAZ
2018 Operadagen Rotterdam Award 2018