Biographys

César Saavedra Nande (born 1999, Vedado, Cuba) and his brother Lázaro Saavedra Nande (born 1995, Havana, Cuba) are influential contemporary artists whose collaborative and individual works span dance, performance, and visual arts. Both are deeply engaged in exploring the physical and political dimensions of the body through innovative choreography and performance art.

César is a contemporary dancer, performer, and visual artist based in Cuba. He graduated from the National School of Ballet Fernando Alonso in 2018 as a professional ballet dancer and teacher. His choreography “GLORAFIN” won first prize at the 1st International Student and Teachers Contest, and he has trained internationally, including at the Washington Ballet School in 2016. César was a principal dancer with MiCompañía and currently works with the El Ciervo Encantado Theater.

His work is characterized by an introspective investigation of the body’s movement in space, challenging perceptions of physical and mental boundaries. Since age 17, César has created independent video art pieces such as VIGILIA (2018) and YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO DESTROY ME (2021), which have been showcased internationally. He has collaborated with numerous artists and companies, including Ballet Preljocaj Junior and MalPaso Dance Company, and participated in prestigious festivals and exhibitions worldwide.

Lázaro is a visual artist and performer who graduated from the Fine Arts Academy San Alejandro in 2014 and the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in 2020. His thesis, 1 square metre of non-conformity, reflects his engagement with performance and actionism traditions. During his military service, he trained in acting under Nelda Castillo and began working with El Ciervo Encantado Theatre group in 2015.

Lázaro’s performance work often addresses themes of political repression, violence, and the limits of the body, as seen in powerful pieces like IL GRANDUS OUTROS CASTIGA MEA CORPUS (2016) and ROMPIMIENTO MILITAR (2016). He has presented solo and collaborative performances at major festivals such as the PEPA Panamá Festival and the ¡ADELANTE! Iberoamerican Theatre Festival.

Collaborative Work

Together, César and Lázaro have developed a series of provocative performance actions under the title ACTION, including ACTION #3 UNTITLED : (NORMALIZACIÓN) (2022), which they presented at the ¡ADELANTE! Festival in Heidelberg, Germany, in 2024. Their collaborative works critically explore the body’s relationship to political and social contexts, pushing the boundaries of performance art in Cuba and internationally.