FR/EN

Maria is a dance artist living and working between Brussels, Lisbon, Zurich and Stockholm. She started her artistic journey at the age of six, performing at the local auditorium in the suburbs of Lisbon with the dance teacher Fernanda Mafra. She holds a dance degree from the National Conservatory of Lisbon (2006) and P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Research and Training Studios) 2010, with the support of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In June 2023 she concluded de New Performative Practices MA program at the Stockholm University of the Arts.

As a maker, she co-creates the duet Light as a Feather, Green as an Apple (2010/2012) with the dancer/choreographer Veli Lehtoaara with the support of P.A.R.T.S., coproduction of Zodiak – Center for new dance (FIN) and Theater Malpertuis – Tiel (BE) and presented at Alkantara Festival (PT), PACT zollverein (DE), Kaaitheater (BE), amongst others. In 2021, she led an artistic research project, with support from the Federation Wallonie Bruxelles and Charleroi Danse, which investigated the concept of Plasticity in relation to the performative and the choreographic, leading her to the following upcoming creations.

As a performer, she has worked with Willi Dorner, Daniel Linehan, Georgia Vardarou, Radouan Mriziga, Marco Torrice, Anneleen Keppens, Renan Martins de Oliveira, Maud le Pladec, Benjamin Vandewalle, Trajal Harrell, amongst others. In her teaching practice, she has worked at Thor company, Charleroi Danse, AORCA, CAMPUS Paulo e Cunha, Royal Conservatory of Antwerp and Stockholm University of the Arts. Maria has worked as an choreographer’s assistant with Maud le Pladec, as a rehearsal director with Trajal Harrel at the Schauspielhaus Zürich and occasionally as an external eye for Alexander Vantounhout and Julia Kraus.

Currently, she develops her choreographic work and performs in the works of Trajal Harrell. Maria defines her artistic practice as porous container that offers space to a vibrant ecosystem to emerge from within and in which different practices, roles, and contexts, nurture and feed-forward her engagement with the dance field.