On dancing on Victoria Secret Fashion Show's grave, third spaces becoming the theaters we need, and frying pans that don't solve world peace.

In Conversation with Xiomara Bovell; Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing at Spotify and Founder of Live Cultures

Xiomara Bovell is currently working at Spotify, managing Audiobooks Partnerships and Licensing, where she matchmakes between communities and the creatives that bring their art to the platform. She is also a trained dancer who has collaborated with James Cousins, Cameron McMillan, English National Ballet Youth Co., Pascal Merighi (of Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal), and Pam Tanowitz, amongst others. She simultaneously publishes one of our favorite Substacks Live Cultures, where she discusses performance and live art all over NYC.

A sister project to Live Cultures is the field trips she hosts, gathering friends and strangers to experience performances collectively and discuss afterwards. The next field trip is in the works for Febuary some potential contenders are Maldonne by Leïla Ka at New York Live Arts and LaHorde’s Age of Content at BAM. Make sure to subscribe to Live Cultures on Instagram and Substack to be sure to grab a spot once it is announced!

🎭 On third spaces becoming the theaters we need

The first field trip came about via a very nonchalant IG story. Next thing, I was placing an order for 30 tickets at the box office to see Nederlands Dans Theater. The best part, is hearing people speak about how the show made them feel. I've run field trips where the theater literally had to kick us out because we'd spent so long lingering in the foyer chatting about the play. Some of the cast even joined in on it so we must have been a vibe. (Despite kicking us out, the theater actually ended up inviting me back to bring more people).

There's so much opportunity for theater right now. We know that people crave tangible experiences beyond an iPhone screen, and are seeking more depth and variety in the things they consume. I really want to see the theaters step up and become the third space we need — or maybe for third spaces to become the theaters we need.

📚 On curating your syllabus

I love seeing syllabi becoming a trend of Substack; it's refreshing to earnestly explore a topic from true experts (by which I mean, the writers, researchers, and subjects referenced on the syllabus).

Non-algorithmic, personalised recommendations are the way to the richest nuggets of intel. If you have a Brooklyn Library card, I highly recommend using their BookMatch service. You fill out a form online, and a librarian will help you find books on whatever you want to explore (you can give them a vibe as a brief or get hyper specific about the topic you want to read more about). They'll email you back with hand-selected recommendations + a matching booklist in their online catalog. I'll also look into the various university course catalogs for classes that align with the topics I'm exploring and download or email the professors, asking for the syllabus. It feels like a real cheat code tbh.

☮️ On frying pans that won’t solve world peace

Misen is so refreshing to me because it does what it says on the tin. They make very good cookware from quality materials, at fair prices, and that’s it. They’re a grassroots brand in that they develop their products with the support and input of their customers, leveraging Kickstarter to gauge appetite and fundraise for new products. Working at Meta and Google has probably jaded me when it comes to “mission-driven marketing”. I think more brands could benefit from being more honest (with themselves) about where they sit and how they function in the world. Your frying pan won’t solve for world peace, and that’s ok.

🩰 On dancing on Victora Secret Fashion Show’s grave

GAP collaborating with dancers is *chef's kiss*. Obviously, there's the iconic KATSEYE ad choreographed by Robbie Blue. (Shoutout to whoever thought of collaborating with Broadway Dance Center to host a choreo class as a campaign extension — they get it.) Lest we forget, they also worked with choreographer Shay Latukolan and the dancers from Jungle's Volcano visual album at the height of the Back on '74 wave. I love that GAP recognises the cultural capital of the dance world. Where fashion feels out of reach, dance is communal and participatory, especially in the era of TikTok. While we're on the topic, I have to also callout the Savage x Fenty shows choreographed by Parris Goebel, those shows literally dug the grave for the Victoria's Secret shows (they never truly recovered RIP). That said, this is nothing new — movement and fashion have always intrinsically connected: Martha Graham closely collaborated with Halston, Issey Miyake designed for William Forsythe. I love to see that lineage continue. (See also: Issey Miyake SS23, FKA Twigs x Rambert x Valentino, Adidas Y-3 SS26, I could go on...)

🧃 On Terrance’s Fresh Juices

There's a man called Terrence who sells fresh juices outside the subway station in my neighborhood. He's Guyanese (as is my entire family), so I guess there was an immediate kinship. There's nothing flashy or branded about this spot, which is a nice change, especially in Brooklyn, where I feel like places are converging towards the same algorithm-drunk Pinterest board. I go for good juice and a good chat. Usually, I'll stop by after a run or before a walk in Prospect Park or on my way out of the subway. He often tells me about his plans to return to Guyana for the winter, and always extends the invite. Terrence is one of those familiar faces that makes the neighborhood feel like home.

🖼️ On playing in the process

I’ve found collaging to be a really playful practice, and it really gets me out of my head – nothing’s fixed, and everything is possible. I don’t get as caught up in perfecting things. It’s fun to not have an end goal in mind and just create according to what catches my eye.

👁️ On experiences that haven’t been mediated by someone else’s recap

For my birthday two years ago, I invited a big group of friends to see Sharon Eyal’s R.O.S.E. at Park Avenue Armory. It’s an immersive dance performance that is modeled after a rave. The dancers are STUNNINGLY alien and dressed in gorgeous custom Dior bodysuits. What made the experience special was the intimacy of this make-shift dancefloor they’d carved out within the Armory’s Drill Hall. You’re moving around in the dark, dancing and experiencing with strangers (I was watching alongside Mark Ronson for the first chunk of the show!), phones and photos are forbidden, so you’re really in it. The performance happens amongst the crowd, and you never quite know when or where the next scene will spawn from. They created a really captivating energy that was as much about the performers as it was the people around you. By the finale, everyone was dancing together — it was beautiful. The absence of phones also meant that you couldn’t sneak a preview or post a spoiler — it’s rare to experience things that haven’t first been mediated by someone else’s camera or recap. I also love my friends for staying curious and being willing to attend something they didn’t have much context on — it made it all the more thrilling.