For Milan Valencia, art has never been about performing for an audience. It isn’t about hitting flawless technical cues or staging a spectacle just for the sake of it. It’s about feeling something real, and making sure the person watching feels it, too.
As a dancer, director, and multidisciplinary artist, Milan uses movement as a vessel to turn internal, often unspoken emotional landscapes into shared human experiences. Working across dance, film, and visual storytelling, she doesn't see dance as an isolated discipline trapped on a stage. Instead, movement is just the starting language, one that constantly evolves, shifts, and adapts as it moves through the lens of a camera.
That emotional honesty is at the core of everything Milan creates. In a culture that constantly encourages people to gloss over discomfort and bury tough emotions, Milan’s work does the exact opposite, it holds up a mirror and invites audiences to lean in.
"The intention is always to translate a feeling from an internal perspective into an external showcase," Milan explains. "I want to create work that makes people feel seen, heard, and appreciated. As people, we tend to bury and run away from raw feeling, hiding behind vulnerability. Through my work, I want to flip that narrative and welcome the exact feelings people try so hard to avoid."
When asked to describe their creative practice in three words, Milan chooses vulnerable, limitless, and freeing.
That sense of freedom comes directly from how they approach the creative process. Rather than forcing an idea into a rigid box from day one, Milan prioritizes play, experimentation, and trial and error. For her, creativity isn't about getting a project "right" on the first attempt, it’s about staying curious, embracing mistakes, and discovering where the work actually wants to go.
Equally important to that process is the community surrounding it. Milan’s practice thrives on collaboration. Bringing together close friends, connecting with new creatives, and building ideas from the ground up transforms what can often be a solitary process into something lighter, warmer, and far more rewarding.
That collaborative spirit culminated in DSCVRY, the first visual project Milan felt confident enough to share with the world. More than just a career milestone, the project became a defining moment, a vivid proof-of-concept showing what happens when a team of artists fully commits to elevating a shared vision.Created alongside videographer Lejla Krasniqi (Kiwi In Kolour) and a dynamic ensemble of dancers, Adhya Shastry, Hettie Farmershee, Imran Jallow, Ophelia Nunes-Wickham, and Milan themselves, DSCVRY remains a piece Milan holds close. It marked a creative turning point not just because of the finished product, but because of the genuine generosity and energy every collaborator brought to the set.
That initial spark to create visual art came from a simple realisation, much of the work Milan was consuming felt visually polished, but emotionally hollow. Rather than waiting for someone else to bridge that gap, she decided to build the work they wanted to see."I just wanted to feel something," Milan reflects. That simple, grounded desire continues to anchor every frame they shoot and every piece of choreography they map out.Looking ahead, Milan is preparing to deepen their practice by pursuing an MA in Screendance at The Place in London. While dance and directing will always sit at the core of what they do, Milan is eager to step behind the scenes in new ways, expanding into creative production and fully stepping into their role as a multidisciplinary creative.
"I want to extend my disciplines past dancing and directing and expand into production as well," they say. "My end goal is to become a multidisciplinary creative overall."
For emerging artists trying to find their footing in an intimidating industry, Milan’s advice cuts straight through the noise,"Hesitation is the biggest enemy of progress. Create, share, and make amendments later. And don’t create for the sole purpose of being perceived, create to express."
It’s a philosophy that extends beyond individual studios and sets. As the creative industries navigate rapid changes, Milan is equally vocal about the need for systemic support for new talent, especially recent graduates trying to make the leap into professional spaces. For Milan, accessible funding and clear, sustainable pathways into paid creative work aren't optional extras; they're vital if the industry wants to nurture the next generation of storytellers rather than lose them before they get the chance to grow.
At the end of the day, Milan’s mission remains refreshingly grounded. In a world obsessed with visibility and metrics, their focus is turned inward and toward community. Creativity, for Milan, has never been about being seen. It’s about helping other people finally see themselves.
