Programação EVC ● 2024

THE WORLD IS THE HOME OF THE BODY.

THIS IS WHERE WE PROPOSE TO MEET.

THE WORLD IS THE HOME OF THE BODY The body as a matter of common heritage. A body that listens and acts; a place of dance, from this and other worlds.

As Estúdios Victor Córdon enter a new cycle, we are firmly committed to continuing to support the independent artistic community, with a primary focus on dance. We also reiterate our dedication to promoting initiatives that help young artists start their careers, that intensify the circulation of artists from and within the Portuguese-speaking African countries, that provide a space where immigrant communities and their descendants living in Portugal can be represented, and that, in general, are an example of the increased democratic access to cultural institutions. When fundamental values are reversed, it is essential to multiply actions that directly impact on the lives of the people affected by this reversal, while it is true that many different approaches are needed to respond to the reality of our times.

The 2024 Season aims to reflect the state of a world in (dis)aggregation, about which we urgently need to think and on which we must act. As Portugal celebrates half a century of liberty and democracy, we need to reaffirm universal humanist values, because a transformation in the political context won't change the fact that such work has to be carried out.

Establishing these values always involves a constant effort, starting at the core of one's individual life. Our time must be a time of continuous action to counter oblivion, which remains an eternal enemy of civilizations, and to respect and recognize the dignity of every person.

The voices and needs of creators and performers. The recording and transmission of these voices, coming from many different places in the world.

Thinking about artistic creation and its

impact on social reality. The routes of the Portuguese language as spaces for meeting, sharing and establishing networks where artists can travel, proposing to bring North and South closer together. Migrant communities living in Portugal and the role of artistic creation in the process of drawing different cultures together. Communities of African descent and their presence in cultural institutions and society in general.

To support artists, festivals and educational institutions, as well as to give assistance to young performers and creators who are starting their careers.

These are the main lines guiding the nearly twenty programs we are proposing for 2024.

We launch this season knowing that the path can shape our intentions, making them more suited to the needs of those who can benefit from it, and while it is true that not all projects will reach the point where we initially imagined them, when driven by a creative and conciliatory spirit they will certainly bring about change.

This is where we propose to meet. In a home of the world.

Rui Lopes Graça January 2024

EVC

OTHER SPACES

While researching the archive of choreographer Paula Massano at the National Museum of Theatre and Dance, I came across the file “Proposal for the Organisation of a Minimum Support Structure for a Workshop”. This document was sent to the National Ballet of Portugal (CNB) a year after its foundation, in 1978, as an attempt to establish a permanent choreographic experimentation project.

The document opened with a description of what a workshop is, a term that wasn’t used at the time: “a workshop is a place where a group of people gather around a common work with the aim of, within a given field of artistic practices (in this case, dance), developing it in order to discover new forms and necessarily, new content.”

choreographer, former dancer and CNB special projects coordinator Rui Lopes Graça was appointed to lead the project.

Despite maintaining a concern for the dancers’ professional transition, another direction was set out.

Paula Massano’s proposal was not adopted by the CNB. Was it discussed? It might have seemed radical, on the one hand, or naïve, on the other, at a time when the company had just been founded and was trying to become, essentially, a classical corps de ballet. If we propel it into the present, this proposal prompts a reflection on the mission of a state dance company. Although CNB’s statutes have always ensured a coexistence between classical and contemporary dance, this balance has always seemed complicated.

What could a permanent movement research workshop do for the company, in particular, and to dance, in general?

One of their core initiatives is to offer daily dance classes for professionals at a fee of three euros. The classical dance classes are usually taught by former dancers from the CNB and Ballet Gulbenkian, among others, ensuring intergenerational transmission. The classes are attended by a wide variety of people, and in the same studio you might come across a retired dancer from the Paris Opera who has bought a house in Lisbon, a choreographer of the New Portuguese Dance movement, a young dancer who has just graduated from the Conservatory, a former student of Forum Dança, a researcher at c.e.m – centro em movimento, an amateur doing a PhD in sociology, a dancer who works abroad, is on vacation in Lisbon and is attending a vogue ball in the evening, dancers who either are between projects, have an audition or want to warm up before rehearsing. The contemporary dance classes are taught by a younger community – active dancers aged between 20 and 40, who also have the opportunity to share their practice with others. With a pedagogical and professionalising focus, the EVC have also

The history of Estúdios Victor Córdon (EVC) is inextricably linked to the CNB and emerged as a project by Luísa Taveira (director from 2010 to 2017), with the intention of promoting the career transition of dancers who were no longer performing. Opening its doors in 2016 under the coordination of Bruno Cochat, EVC began as an “educational, community and creative centre” with dance classes for children and adults, masterclasses, workshops and other projects. In 2017, the

Described as a “platform”, Estúdios Victor Córdon are a place for practice, research, experimentation and choreographic creation without a defined aesthetic line. Being one of the few places in Lisbon with the right conditions for dance practice – i.e. spacious studios with wooden flooring, sprung floor, linoleum covering and heating –, the EVC provide vital support to the independent dance community by offering proper studios to work and rehearse.

been working to create opportunities for young performers, either through collaboration between dance schools across the country and foreign choreographers, or by establishing collaborations between art schools from different fields, such as music.

The EVC have understood that, in order to have a comprehensive discourse, it can't always be the same people doing things. Power cannot be pyramidal; on the contrary, it has to be shared, to be a dialog, to be a bridge. Part of EVC’s programs involve inviting different people to curate, opening up the spectrum of collaborations to do what might not have been within their reach. What comes out is not the voice of a director, but different voices that show and nurture the diversity of the dance scene in its multiplicity. This openness should also be seen as a space of responsibility for when, occupying places of power and decision making, institutions pursue the task of continuously repairing the structural injustices that continue to divide the world in two.

The world needs new and renewed institutions. Institutions that make us believe in them, that are transparent, open, with spirit, and that inspire us, represent us and make us want to be represented. Institutions that aren’t machines for sucking up heads and taxpayers, nor launching pads for their directors. The EVC have become a home for many. They are a place where we know we are well looked after, where we feel welcomed, appreciated and respected, regardless of the kind of dance we practise. This transversal dimension, promoting different perspectives, fosters communication between peers who often don’t cross paths, no longer cross paths or don’t want to cross paths. It’s a place of encounters, where one can meet new people or people we admire but never

actually see. We never know who’s going to cross the hallway and that brings us a mixture of flutter and excitement.

Many of EVC’s actions are invisible and involve muscular, psychological and legal support or, in other words, care. Care which isn’t protocol, but that comes from an experienced team who are devoted to their daily practice: dance. This attitude proves that institutions, despite being created by decree, are made by people and out of love, attention and dedication.

Although the EVC emerged as an attempt to solve a problem within the CNB, it became an inspiration for the dance scene in general, and an example of what a national dance project could be. That project would be, in addition to a corps de ballet, and in Paula Massano’s words, a place to develop the field of dance permanently, in its form and substance.

Through the actions of the EVC it is possible to see a large spectrum of the dance field, its networks, subjects, aesthetics, concerns, desires and needs, but the way it operates allows us more: it allows us to collectively imagine how to make of an institution one other space.

João dos Santos Martins January 2024

JANUARY

DECEMBER

TERRITORY VII

AT HOME

CHOREOGRAPHERS

INVITED ARTIST

AKRAM KHAN JERMAINE SPIVEY

TERESA SILVA

24 JUNE – � AUG

SHORT FILM DIRECTOR

JOÃO SANCHEZ Program targeting young dancers aged between 14 and 18 from dance schools all over the country. Every year the program welcomes internationally renowned choreographers who share their pieces and creative processes with the group of young people selected for each edition.

This year, we invited the renowned British-Bangladeshi choreographer Akram Khan, who incorporates elements of classical Indian Kathak dance into his works, and Jermaine Spivey, an emerging American choreographer. Territory VII will also feature a short film by director João Sanchez, winner of the Território | Estúdios Victor Córdon award for Best Portuguese Director from InShadow – Lisbon ScreenDance Festival 2023.

MAIN SPONSOR FUNDAÇÃO MILLENNIUM BCP

YOUNG COMPOSERS 8 JAN – �� MAY

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

LUÍS TINOCO COLLABORATION

VICTOR HUGO PONTES COMPOSERS

DÉBORA COQUIM, RÚBEN DIAS, TIAGO SIMAS WRITERS

CLÁUDIA ANDRADE, INÊS FRANCISCO JACOB, JOÃO PEDRO VALA CHOREOGRAPHERS

BEATRIZ VALENTIM, DEEOGO OLIVEIRA, JOANA FRANCO Now in its seventh edition, the Young Composers Program continues to promote a collaborative spirit and foster interactions between artists in creative processes, this time focusing on Music Composition, Writing and Choreography.

Since its first edition, the program has developed a number of partnerships and collaborations with higher education institutions and groups of professionals at the start of their careers, including Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, Escola Superior de Dança, Escola Superior de Artes e Design das Caldas da Rainha, Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo do Porto, the Concrète [Lab] Ensemble and Ar.Co - Centro de Arte e Comunicação Visual.

JAN – DEC

COLLABORATION

DAVID MARQUES KRISTINA NORMAN SARA ANJO At Home is a space dedicated to dance artists who, throughout the year, are invited to develop their projects at the EVC and make them their creative home. This year, we welcome Teresa Silva, who will show us her work in all its facets and different formats.

Teresa Silva (Lisbon, 1988) has dedicated herself to research, creation and performing in the fields of contemporary dance and performance since 2008. She sees dance as something that goes beyond the physical body, resulting in a work of attentiveness and sensitivity, as well as a multidisciplinary approach to movement.

BANTU TOUR JAN – DEC

CHOREOGRAPHER

VICTOR HUGO PONTES The result of a partnership between Estúdios Victor Córdon and Camões – Portuguese Cultural Center in Maputo, Bantu is a new work by choreographer Victor Hugo Pontes and features both Portuguese and Mozambican performers.

Bantu premiered at TNSJ (Porto) last October, and then went on a national and international tour. In January 2024, the second part of the tour began, with the first presentation of the piece taking place in Lisbon, at The National Opera House of Portugal (TNSC), after which it will travel across the country to the cities of Guimarães, Águeda, Leiria, Ovar, Coimbra, Funchal, Loulé and Torres Vedras.

OTHER WORLDS IRAN 2024 – 2025

CHOREOGRAPHER

CLARA ANDERMATT A program dedicated to migrant communities living in Portugal that aims, based on the study of their respective cultures, to create materials and art works that can be shared and promote public interaction.

The program, which involves cyclically choosing a target country, aims to highlight that country's culture through the gaze of a dance creator. This year, we invited choreographer Clara Andermatt, who will create a piece founded in the cultural heritage of Iran, and which is to be developed in close contact with the Iranian community in Portugal.

NETWORK OF ARTIST RESIDENCIES IN THE PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING AFRICAN COUNTRIES SEP – OCT

COORDINATION

PANAIBRA CANDA

PROJECT

THINKING ABOUT AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR CONTEMPORARY DANCE CURATOR

ANA RITA TEODORO CO-PRODUCTION

ASSOCIAÇÃO PARASITA The EVC will host this collective training and research experience into audio description during the classical and contemporary dance observation sessions.

A new residency network that promotes works by artists from Portuguese-speaking countries and their circulation between Africa and Portugal. The artists taking part in the first edition come from Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, Cape Verde and Portugal.

PROJECT

Over the course of 5 weeks, these artists will develop collaborative work in the several artist residencies taking place in the cities of Lisbon, Porto, Viseu and Guimarães.

The program also includes showcases presenting the work developed in each residency, talks, dance workshops taught by the guest artists, where they'll share dances from their countries of origin, and interactions with local artists. This year’s edition of the program wraps up in Maputo with a final public presentation.

CURATOR

SEASON PARTNERS

ECOSYSTEM.DANCES.BODIES

2 ND EDITION CLÁUDIA GALHÓS NATACHA CAMPOS CO-PRODUCTION

ORDEM DO O Ecosystem.dances.bodies is a project in movement, transformation and renewal, consisting of conversations, masterclasses, lectures and workshops. It proposes alternative ways of sharing in a stimulating context, where artists and public meet.

FEB – DEC

PROJECT PROJECT

OU.KUPA CURATOR

PINY CO-PRODUCTION

ASSOCIAÇÃO VAI As part of the Season Partners, the EVC are inaugurating a new partnership with the VAI Association, which consists of the OU.kupa residencies, which are residencies with mentorship, and the project OU.kupando - what fits in contemporary dance(s)? , which aims to reflect on and expand the program of dance practices for professionals.

PODCAST – LECTURES

WORDING DANCES CURATOR

CARLOS MANUEL OLIVEIRA CO-PRODUCTION

ASSOCIAÇÃO PARASITA A series of lectures presented in podcast format, in which distinguished artists from around the world talk about issues that make contemporary dance and its various manifestations an endless ground for questioning and creation. The program, which began in 2023, will continue into the new season.

WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING 2ND EDITION CO-PRODUCTION

COFFEEPASTE In the context of a partnership with Coffeepaste, the portal for the dissemination of the performing arts will propose another cycle of events dedicated to dance studies, including workshops and the sharing of artistic practices in this field.

ARTIST RESIDENCIES JAN - DEC

With the aim of supporting independent artistic creation, this program welcomes creators in the field of dance and other areas of artistic intersection, at national and international level, for a maximum period of two weeks.

IN TRANSIT JAN - DEC

Through the In Transit Program, the EVC establish partnerships with numerous festivals that play a fundamental role in promoting artistic creation and the access to the performing arts in Portugal. The partner festivals are Alkantara Festival, Boca – Biennial of Contemporary Arts, Cumplicidades – International Contemporary Dance Festival of Lisbon, Encontro Bienal de Artes Performativas – (Re)Union, Festival Materiais Diversos, Festival Silvestre, Festival Temps D’Images Lisboa and Guidance – Festival Internacional de Dança Contemporânea. In Transit also encourages partner institutions to develop some of their dance projects in collaboration with the EVC.

FIRST STAGE

EXHIBITION SPACE FEB – DEC

EXHIBITIONS

BRAIN, EYES, HANDS AND PAPER CURATOR

CARLOTA LAGIDO INVITED ARTISTS

ELIZABETE FRANCISCA JOÃO GALANTE LUÍS GUERRA

JAN - DEC

Residencies program dedicated exclusively to young artists who have recently graduated. The initiative aims to support and encourage the production of their first works in a professional context. To this end, the EVC promote partnerships with several educational institutions linked to the performing arts, namely Escola Superior de Dança (ESD), Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo (ESMAE), Faculdade de Motricidade Humana (FMH) and Fórum Dança.

SUPPORT FOR AUDITIONS JAN - DEC

The Support for Auditions Program continues to provide conditions for artists to participate in selection processes for training or casts.

PHOTOGRAPHY

EXHIBITION INVITED ARTIST

GUILHERME GOUVEIA The visual artist will be exhibiting a selection of works he made during a photography residency at the EVC in 2023.

MEETINGS FOR THE FUTURE VI PARI PASSU NOV

CURATOR

PHOTOGRAPHY RESIDENCY PROGRAM JAN - DEC

Program to support photographers who want to explore their artistic language in relation to dance and its areas of artistic crossover.

TEATRO PRAGA A series of talks focusing on the situations of migrant communities living in Portugal and the role of culture in their path to become fully integrated into society. The program will unfold over three weeks, in the form of three talks that will reveal different realities that are part of our society but are not properly acknowledged.

A COLLECTION FOR TOMORROW À LA MINUTE APR – DEC CURATOR

CRISTINA PERES In the new edition of the series A Collection for Tomorrow, Cristina Peres collects short statements by choreographers on fundamental questions about the state of the world.

A COLLECTION FOR TOMORROW ATLANTIC AXIS JAN – MAR CURATOR

CRISTINA PERES

KICK OFF’24 2 - 6 SEPT

CHOREOGRAPHER

AKRAM KHAN INSTRUCTOR

NICO RICCHINI One-week program for dance professionals proposing intensive dance training at the “rentrée” right after summer holidays, this year diving into the artistic universe of Akram Khan.

DAILY PRACTICE FOR PROFESSIONALS JAN – DEC

MONDAY TO FRIDAY �0 AM – ��:�5 AM Daily classical and contemporary dance practice designed for professional dancers and those in the process of becoming professional dancers. The diversity of the teachers’ proposals is intended to mirror our approach to what a dance practice can be today.

ANA CLARA GUERRA MARQUES (ANGOLA) ANETH E MIGUEL CARLOS (ANGOLA) ANTÓNIO TAVARES (CABO VERDE) BIBIANA FIGUEIREDO (SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE) LUCIÉNY CABRAL & NUNO BARRETO (CABO VERDE) MANO PRETO (CABO VERDE) MÓNICA ANAPAZ (ANGOLA)

A series of conversations guided by Cristina Peres and directed by João Afonso Vaz, broadcasted on EVC’s Youtube channel, dedicated to artists from Angola, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. The series, which began in 2023, moves into the new season with the release of six new episodes.

EVC TRAINING 28 - 30 MAR

COREOGRAPHER

CRYSTAL PITE INSTRUCTOR

SANDRA MARÍN GARCIA Complementary intensive training for professional dancers that gives them the opportunity to explore the fundamental languages of contemporary dance, this year focusing on the artistic language of Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite.

CLASSICAL DANCE CLASSES FOR ADULTS JAN – DEC

MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY 6:�5 PM – 7:45 PM Classical dance classes designed for beginners or for those who have always been connected to dance and want to continue this practice as a means to their well-being.

PROVIDING SUPPORT TO DANCE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS JAN – DEC

The EVC opens its doors to universities or equivalent institutions in some of their training programs. With this initiative, we aim to consolidate the relationships established with these institutions for the benefit of new generations of dance artists..

EVC ARTISTS

2024

Aiswarya Prathap Akram Khan Ana Clara Guerra Marques Ana Rita Teodoro Anadelia Giscafre André Cabral André de Campos André e. Teodósio André Lepecki Aneth Silva António Tavares Apneia Colectiva Artur Bóndia Beatriz Garrucho Beatriz Mira Beatriz Valentim Bibiana Figueiredo Bojana Cvejic Brent Williamson Bruno Alexandre Carlos Manuel Oliveira Carlota Lagido Catarina Branco CIM Companhia de Dança Clara Andermatt Cláudia Andrade Claudia Galhós Cláudia Nóvoa Cristina Peres Crystal Pite Dally Schwarz Daniel Matos Daniel Tércio David Marques Débora Coquim Deeogo Oliveira Delma Nicolace Diana Niepce Diane Giraud Dinis Abudo Quivalei Djam Neguim Dougie Knight Elisabete Francisca Eric Santos Fátima Brito Filipa Peraltinha Filipe Macedo Francisca Neves Freek Damen Gaya de Medeiros Guilherme Gouveia Helena Baronet Herve Palito Inês Francisco Jacob Jermaine Spivey Joana Franco João Afonso Vaz João Cardoso João dos Santos Martins

João Galante João Pedro Vala João Sanchez Jonathan Burrows Katrin Deufert Kristina Norman Lewis Seivwright Luciény Cabral Luís Guerra Luís Tinoco Luiz Antunes Mano Preto Marcelo Evelin Marco Santos Marcos Aganju Maria Abrantes Maria Fonseca Maria Luisa Crales Martins Tuvanji Mauricia Neves Mélanie Ferreira Miguel Carlos Miguel Santos Mónica Anapaz Natacha Campos Neguxa Uau Nico Ricchini Nuno Barreto Nuno Cruz Nuno Feist Nuno Pinheiro Olga Roriz Osvaldo Passirivo Panaibra Canda Piny Rafael Alvarez Rita Quelhas Romain Beltrão Teule Rúben Dias Rui Reis Sandra Marín Garcia Sara Anjo Sara Montalvão Sara Schürmann Simão Costa Siobhan Davies Siri Dybwik Sónia Baptista Teatro Praga Teresa Silva Thomas Plischke Tiago Barreiros Tiago Martins Tiago Simas Tom Maciel Associação VAI Vânia Doutel Vaz Victor Hugo Pontes Yola Pinto

EVC PARTNERS

2024

MAIN SPONSOR - TERRITÓRIO VII

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

CENTRO CULTURAL PORTUGUÊS MAPUTO

PARTNERS

CULTURART

ASSOCIATES

Board of Directors of OPART, E.P.E. Conceição Amaral CHAIR OF THE BOARD

Rui Morais MEMBER OF THE BOARD

Sofia Meneses MEMBER OF THE BOARD

Estúdios Victor Córdon Rui Lopes Graça DIRECTOR

Maria Luisa Carles PROJECT MANAGER

Margarida Bak Gordon COMMUNICATION PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Mário Oliveira ADMINISTRATIVE AND PRODUCTION ASSISTANT