Airida Gudaitė is a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher with more than 30 years of dance and 17 years of educational experience. She started dancing at the age of six at a choreography school in her hometown Rokiškis, and in 2010 she graduated from Vilnius University of Educational Sciences with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Education and a Master’s Degree in Theatre and Dance Education. In 2002, during her studies, Airida became interested in Western cultural and social dances and their movement structure, which is always open to modification and improvisation, and she continues to improve her movement by connecting street and contemporary dance forms with each other, supporting them with personal research, collaborating with choreographers living in Europe and beyond, and organising educational events. Her early work included events, projects and participation in Urban Dance, Ruhrnation, Juste Debout, SDK, Summer Dance Forever, ImPulzTanz, Gaga Movement Lab, B12, teaching in non-formal education institutions, dance studios, and at the private T. Liubertienė High School. Creative activity has been expressed through the formation of the Locked Signs hip-hop girls’ dance team and dance productions. She gained recognition after appearing in the TV project “Tu gali šokti / So You Think You Can Dance”, winning the LRT TV project “Šok” and being a member of the jury and a master in the TV dance project “Šokio revoliucija”.

In 2012, after co-founding the independent dance organisation Urban Dance Theatre Low Air with Laurynas Žakevičius, Airida Gudaitė was the first educator to officially teach urban (street) dance at a public higher education institutions in Lithuania. In 2013, she was the first teacher to teach dance education at Vilnius University of Educational Sciences. Since 2016, she has been introducing Western cultural dance forms to actors and dancers while teaching at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Since 2013 she has been a member of the Contemporary Dance Association, an independent dance artist, well-known as a dancer, choreographer and creative director of Low Air Dance Theatre in Vilnius, creating and residing in Lithuania and abroad. Together with Low Air’s co-founder, Laurynas Žakevičius, Airida was awarded the “Young Creator Award” by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania in 2017. In the same year, the Boris Dauguvietis Earring for their successful exploration of new forms of stage expression by combining street dance and theatre in performances and for their pedagogical work that is changing the face of Lithuanian contemporary dance. Awarded the most memorable creative activity award by the Contemporary Dance Association. Three Golden Stage Crosses, 2014, 2017, 2022, for the performances The Home Trip, Game Over, Me two/ Savoj krūvoj, and numerous awards for creative achievements.

Having performed/created over 15 performances, Airida Gudaitė has travelled with her dance works from Greenland to South Korea, from the USA to all over Europe, accumulating knowledge and experience of dance, while at the same time sharing it and opening up the Lithuanian name to the world. She continues to learn through workshops and internships abroad with teachers such as Henry Link, Buddha Caleaf, Ejoe, Loose Joint, Sekou, Icee, Jimmy Yudat, Ohad Naharin, Natalia Iwaniec, Marina Abramovič, and in general, she calls education the essential engine of curiosity, cognition, open-mindedness, energy, and opening up of possibilities.

THREE KEY EVENTS:

-1991 – first lessons in Lithuanian folk, classical, character, historical, entertaining, contemporary dance at the seven-year choreography school in her hometown Rokiškis.

-2011 won the Arts Printing House programme “Open Space” with the first urban dance performance “Feel-Link”. The first attempt to bring street dance on stage. 100th performance in 2021.

-In 2012, together with Laurynas Žakevičius, the first independent art organisation based on urban (street) dance in Lithuania, Low Air Dance Theatre and School, was founded. From the interest to nurture creative processes, mentor young dancers and educate young audiences in Lithuania, the school and theatre have expanded the dancer’s scope and approach to art. In 2017 Low Air was awarded the title of Vilnius City Dance Theatre and School.