Bruno Duarte
Is a PhD student in Contemporary Art at the Universidade de Coimbra, has a Master Degree in Dance Teaching and a degree in Dance from Escola Superior de Dança (ESD) in Lisbon. He was a dancer and performer in Grupo Experimental de Dança (2011/2) and Quorum Ballet (2013). Since 2013, he has been a member of Companhia de Dança de Almada. He was co-producer and performer in the "P48" video dance (2012), presented at the 20th Quinzena de Dança de Almada, and "5" (2013), presented at the Caldas Late Night (Portugal), L'art difficile de filmer la danse (Belgium) and InShadow (Portugal) festivals, the latter winning the award for best videodance in competition - audience choice. As a creator, amongst others, he presented "Metamorphosis" (2011/2), for Culturgest in partnership with ESD, "someone else ago" (2013), for Centro Cultural de Belém’s BOXNOVA programme, “Blömma” (2021) for Estufa, and for Companhia de Dança de Almada, "Riot" (2014), "Fobos" (2017), “SubRosa” (2018), “Inverno” (2019), “A Quiet Moment” (2020), and “Carbono” (2022). In this company, he is also the author of the Itinerant Choreographic Laboratory project, for which he created "Dentro do Abraço" (2016) and "SCENA" (2022). He’s participated in workshops and seminars by Mikael Fau and Pauline Journé (France), João da Silva (Brazil), Siri Dybwik (Norway), Jack Gallagher (USA) and David Zambrano (Venezuela), amongst others. As a choreographer/dance teacher he integrated the European projects CLASH! (2019/21) and Up2DANCE (2020/21). He has taught workshops at venues such as the Beijing Dance Theater (China), Giro8 Companhia de Dança (Brazil), FreeDance (Croatia), DNA (Portugal), amongst others. He’s been a guest teacher at Escola Superior de Dança (2016 and 2019), a teacher at Ca.DA Escola, and a guest choreographer in the Projecto Quorum. He was distinguished with the Almada Artes - Young Talent award, in the “Jovens Talentos 2019” contest, promoted by Almada’s Municipality.
Carla Albuquerque
Carla studied classical dance from the age of seven working under the tutelage of several teachers including Michèle Destréez, Patrick Hurde, Ruth Silk and Mark de Graef. She went on to study modern dance, jazz, tap and contemporary dance. She’s taken part in various complementary training courses in dance including Estágio Internacional de Dança de Lisboa, 14th Barbara Fewster Internship in England, Stage-Danse Monpellier, Master's Class in France amongst others. In 1998 she entered Escola Superior de Dança, Lisbon, where she completed her degree in Dance-Branch of Education in June 2002. Since then she’s given lessons in Classical and Creative Dance and Music and Movement for babies in several schools, having held the post of Director of Education at the Academia de Dança de Lisboa between September 2003 and July 2005. She’s participated in several courses and seminars dedicated to dance education in school and pre-school age including a Pedagogic Internship headed by Professor Alain Davesne, president of Association Française des Maîtres de Dance Classique, Movement Improvisation and Rhythm with Edwin Gordon and Dance in Compulsory Education, supervised by Maurizio Padovan.
Inês Barros
She began her dance studies at Academia de Dança de Alcobaça (2011-2019). For 8 years she developed in Classical Dance, Modern Dance and Contemporary Dance techniques. In 2019/20 she joined ProjectoQuorum having performed pieces by Lua Carreira and Miguel Ramalho. In 2020, she joined the young company InTranzYt Cia, performing pieces by Ana Casquilho, Fábio Lopez, Cristina Pereira and Vasco Macide, Tiago Manquinho, Ayano Tatekawa and Miguel Esteves. In partnership with Compagnie Illicite Bayonne, she was part of the artistic cast of the ballet “La Belle au Bois Dormant”, by Fábio Lopez. In 2023, she joined Companhia de Dança de Almada, performing pieces by Bruno Duarte, Tiago Manquinho, Martxel Rodriguez and Jon Lopéz, Inês Pedruco, Carolina Cantinho, Hugo Marmelada and São Castro. She currently teaches Contemporary Dance (adults) at Ca.DA Escola - Companhia de Dança de Almada’s school.
Inês Coimbra
Is Master in Dance Education and has a degree in Dance (2019) from Escola Superior de Dança (ESD) of Lisbon. She started her dance path at age 6, in Ballet, and in 2010 she joined the Vocational Course at Almada Dance Company school, Ca.DA Escola, which she completed in 2018. As part of her degree, she worked with Barbara Griggi, Sylvia Rijmer, Amélia Bentes, Vitor Garcia, Catarina Câmara, Francisco Pedro, Cristina Graça, Maria Ramos, Jácome Filipe, and Madalena Xavier, among others. She participated in the Erasmus+ program in the University of Chichester. She danced in the project "Compota à solta", with Paula Pinto (2018) and in "A Filha do Tambor-Mor", at Teatro São Luiz (2019). She began her professional career in the same year, as part of an internship at Companhia de Dança de Almada, in which she worked with choreographer Bruno Duarte on the pieces "Fobos" and "Inverno". Currently, she teaches Contemporary Dance Technique and Creative Expression at Ca.DA Escola.
Lúcia Salgueiro
Born in Almada, began her training in ballet and contemporary dance at the dance school of Companhia de Dança de Almada. In 2018, she completed the secondary education of the Dancer Training Course of Academia de Dança Contemporânea de Setúbal - with a main focus on classical dance and Graham's modern dance techniques - where she also joined the Pequena Companhia/Little Company, highlighting her work as an interpreter in choreographies by Élson Marlon Ferreira, Inês Pedruco and Iolanda Rodrigues. In 2018 she moved to London to attend the contemporary dance course at the London Contemporary Dance School, finishing it with merit [BA (Hons)] in 2021. Highlights are the choreographies of her last year of course, “Dream Deprivation” by Yukiko Matsui and “Omniscient-Ego / Spiral / Law of Attraction” by Kloé Dean.
Luís Pulido
Born in 1978, he formally began his musical studies at Academia de Amadores de Música de Lisboa in 1999, where he completed the Basic Guitar Course and the disciplines of Musical Training and Analysis and Composition Techniques of the High School Course. At the same time, he graduated in Teachers of Music Education for Basic Education at Escola Superior de Educação de Setúbal. He attended classical guitar master classes with Dejan Ivanovic and Eduardo Isaac, and the Composition Course at Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa. He is a freelance classical guitar teacher and since 2004 has taught music education.
Maria Franco
Born in Almada, Maria began her training in Spanish dance with Célia Neves. In 1975 she attended the Escola de Bailado da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon. In 1979 she graduated from the Conservatório Nacional. She won a scholarship from the Secretaria de Estado da Cultura, in 1986, to study in the USA. She participated in several contemporary dance, Jazz Composition and Improvisation workshops in Portugal and abroad, the highlights of which were working with Stephan Petronio, Carolyn Carlson, Malou Airaud, Zeca Nunes, (ACARTE), Peter Gross, Joseph Russillono, Richard Levi, Michele Kadison, Joe Canteri, Jennifer Muller and Lenny Williams. She attended the seminars for teachers promoted by Escola Superior de Dança, with Barbara Fewster, Director of the Royal Ballet School, obtaining diplomas from the 1st to 8th courses, (O.B.E. - F.I.S.T.D). She has a diploma from the Imperial Classical Ballet School. Maria was a dancer with Grupo Experimental de Dança Jazz and Companhia de Dança de Lisboa. From 1976 to 1998 she taught in Academia Almadense in Almada, where she formed and drove the artistic professional career of numerous young people with the creation in 1990 of Grupo de Dança de Almada, currently Companhia de Dança de Almada. Maria was on the faculty of Estúdio Escola de Dança Clássica Anna Mascolo, (1981-1983). She taught and took over the direction of vocational training courses in Companhia de Dança de Lisboa, (1986-1988). She was on the faculty of Ginásio Clube Português, directing the Jazz dance class, (1984-2013). Since 1990 she’s organised various training activities, internships and workshops for children, youth and adults. In 1998 Maria founded the school of Companhia de Dança de Almada, Ca.DA Escola, of which she is director and teacher.
Maria José Bernardino
Maria was born in Almada in 1971. In 1983 she began her dance training in Academia Almadense under Teresa Resende and Maria Franco. In 1985 she entered integrated vocational training courses in the dance school of Companhia de Dança de Lisboa. (Lisbon Dance Company). From 1990 to 1999 she was a dancer with Companhia de Dança de Almada, the highlights of which were working with Clara Andermatt, Amélia Bentes, Jordi Cortés Molina and Peter Michael Dietz. In 1994 she attended a theatrical initiation course and performed in and co-created all of Maria João Garcia pieces until 1998. As an independent dancer she took part in "Dança com Lorca", ("Dancing with Lorca"), a work by Yolanda Alves and the "Empty Box" project along with Cláudia Dias and Maria João Garcia. She was a dancer with Associação Cultural Ninho de Víboras. Since 1999 she’s teaches Creative, Classical and Contemporary dance at Ca.DA Escola, from Companhia de Dança de Almada.
Mariana Dias
She began her training at the Companhia de Dança de Almada school and graduated from Escola Superior de Dança, with an Erasmus apprenticeship in Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH). She also highlights her training in Flying Low and Passing Through with David Zambrano (2021). As a performer, she worked on national and international projects with different artists such as: Paula Pinto, Ângelo Cid Neto, Amanda Piña and Maja Dahbäck. As a creator, she co-created "Em Laivo" (2020-2022), in partnership with Rafael Pinto, "Protorretrato" (2022), with Eva Aguilar and Bárbara Gomes, and "E DEPOIS ERAM DOIS" (2024), with Francisco Freire. She has a degree in Performing Arts Management/Production, from Forum Dança (2022), and works as a producer for Partícula Extravagante Associação Cultural and, occasionally, for artists such as Mário Afonso and Amélia Bentes.
Raquel Tavares
Born in Lisbon, she has a Master degree in Dance Education (2020/2022) and has a degree in Creation / Interpretation (2010/13), both from Escola Superior de Dança of Lisbon. Started her career in Classical Dance when she was 7 years old, performing several levels of the Royal Academy of Dance method. From 2013 to 2015 she held the Olga Roriz - Dance / Theater training, where she had contact with Olga Roriz, Sylvia Rijmer, Magalie Lanriot, Catarina Câmara, Paulo Reis, Marta Lobato, Maria Cerveira, amongst others. At the same time, she attended the Quorum Project, where she danced pieces by Daniel Cardoso, São Castro, Inês Godinho, Jácome Filipe, and held technical classes with Cláudia Sampaio and Margarida Belo Costa. In 2015 she presented the solo "Campo Estreito. Minado de Sombras", at BlackBox of CCB and in 2016, in the 24th Quinzena de Dança de Almada. Also in 2015, she worked with Benvindo Fonseca, making an excerpt from the play "Edzer". In 2016, she interned and taught repertoire classes at Companhia Olga Roriz, during the creation "Antes Que Matem Os Elefantes". In the same year, she joined the project Contraste, of the Associação Poveira Nós da Dança, where she danced choreographies by Benvindo da Fonseca and Gonçalo Lobato. Since 2017, she has been a dancer at the Companhia de Dança de Almada, where she danced pieces by Bruno Duarte, Luís Marrafa, Margarida Belo Costa, Luís Malaquias, Julia Ehrstrand, Martxel Rodriguez and Jon López, Tiago Manquinho, Inês Pedruco, Carolina Cantinho and São Castro, having participated in national and international tours. As a teacher, she started her career in 2013, teaching at various schools of classical dance, contemporary dance, creative dance, choreographic composition and repertoire. She has been a teacher in vocational dance courses at Ca.DA Escola since 2020.
Rita Judas
Born in Lisbon, she began her dance studies at Academia de Dança de Almada with teacher Maria Franco, and graduated from Escola de Dança do Conservatório Nacional and later from Escola Superior de Dança, and obtained a postgraduate degree in Dance Training from Faculdade de Motricidade Humana of the Universidade de Lisboa. She has a Master in Cultural Practices for Municipalities from Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. She began her career as a dancer in UPE Dança in 1987, with the choreographer Vasco Wellenkamp. She was a dancer and choreographer with Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo, (1998-2007) and was responsible for the educational programs of the company from 2001 to 2006. As a dancer and co-choreographer, she participated in the Companhia CIM, (Companhia Integrada Multidisciplinar), project in collaboration with Associação VO'Arte and the Associação Portuguesa de Paralisia Cerebral. She participated in the BY-PASS project, (a workshop of Architecture in dialogue with the body in motion), under the direction of Rui Horta in Portugal and Germany. She was a teacher of Creative Movement and Contemporary Dance in the creation project of Centro de Experimentação Artística do Vale da Amoreira. She is currently a teacher of Classical Dance, Floor Barre, Creative Dance, Contemporary Dance, Creative Expression and Choreographic Composition in private schools, public schools, communities, Escola Dança Next and Ca.DA Escola.
Susana Matos
Born in Lisbon, she began her dance studies at the age of 6 with Vera Varela Cid and later with Igor Ivanoff. Between 1986 and 1990, she attended the Training Course for Dance Professionals at Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and in 1990 she started in the Escola de Dança do Conservatório Nacional, completing her training in 1992, the year in which she joined the artistic cast of Companhia Nacional de Bailado (CNB). She has a Master's degree in Dance Teaching (2021) and a Degree in Dance Education, from Escola Superior de Dança (2001). In 2013 she completed the Royal Academy of Dance Course (CBTS) in Ballet Teaching Studies. In addition to her activity as a dancer at CNB, over the years she has taught Classical Dance Technique, Pointe Work and Repertoire in several schools and dance academies, and was a Guest Assistant in the discipline of Classical Dance Technique, Vocabulary Analysis, Educational Practices and Physical Condition at Escola Superior de Dança between 2018 and 2023. Since January 2024, she has participated in the CNB Aproximação à Dança (Approach to Dance) Programme with Pointe and Classical Repertoire masterclasses in specialized artistic education and playful/free education. Since January 2022 she acted as a guest teacher at Companhia Quorum Ballet, since April 2023 in Classic Dance Technique classes at Estúdios Victor Córdon, and since September 2023 as a teacher of Classical Dance Technique in the Basic and High School Course at Ca.DA Escola, the Companhia de Dança de Almada’s school.
Susana Rosendo
She was born in 1980 and began her dance training with the Royal method. She attended the dance school at the National Conservatory and Maria Franco classes at Academia Almadense. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked in different nurseries, having been an internship supervisor for the Piaget Institute. She took part in the European UP2DANCE project (2021/2022). She attended the Classical Dance Teacher Training Course organised by Estúdios Vítor Cordon and Professor Luísa Carles in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, she was trained and certified in the Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) method. In 2022, she attended a postgraduate course in Dance Training at the Faculty of Human Motricity, under the guidance of Professor Luís Xadrez. At Companhia de Dança de Almada, she has taken part in various artistic projects as a performer, trainer and as a supervisor of body expression workshops for children, seniors and people with disabilities. For over 20 years, she has developed various projects with organisations such as Zarabatana and Praznik. She was trained in the ABA method and worked with children on the autism spectrum for five years. In partnership with music teacher Maria João Costa, she has organised music and movement workshops for babies. She is currently a dance teacher at the Ca.DA School for children, young people and seniors and organises movement workshops for the community. In 2017, with Ângela Ribeiro, she created EmbalArte, a theatre group for babies and early childhood, for which they created ‘De Lés a Lés Saberás Quem És’, ‘As voltas que a Terra dá’ in 2019, ‘Do pé para a mão’ in 2020, ‘Abrigo’ in 2022 (a dance and animated forms project for seniors and young people) and ‘E agora?’ in 2024. Since then she has travelled the country presenting these projects and creative expression workshops.
