BIOGRAPHY
Ana Portela, born in Portugal, studied in the National Dance Conservatoire in Lisbon where, besides learning ballet and modern, tap and theater, tradicional and character dances, she danced numerous ballet excerpts/variations and performed modern pieces of Portuguese choreographers such as André Mesquita and Rui Horta.
In 2010, she started a Bachelor at “Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten” and specialized in the techniques of Graham, Laban, Cuningham, Limón and diverse contemporary movement vocabulary and techniques. Codarts repertoire included pieces of Kristina de Châtel, Christopher Tandy, Jens van Daele, Ed Wubbe, Jíri Kylian. Ana received the Corrie Hartong Scholarship for her 4th year internship at The Luzerner Theater. There she danced contemporary versions of “The Sleeping Beauty” by Stijn Celis and “The Nutcraker”, “NUTS!” from Kinsun Chan. With another stagiare she created a piece for “Tanzmakers 5”.
In 2015, Ana initiated her freelancing and teaching career in Rotterdam, at Het Nationale Opera and festivals at Studio de Bakkerij, De Gouvernstraat and touring Holland. Collaborated with Allegoria Emsemble and taught at Circle Dance. Accompanies non-movers through dance since then.
In the first half of 2016, Ana danced and acted at the National Theater São Carlos “A Flowering Tree”, performed at the RotterdamDanst with “Balance” by Laura Rae Bernasconi and engrossed in Company ENS.
Throughout the 2016/17 season she developed as a performing artist on collaborative performances such as “Kaleidoscope: Miniatures Evening” at Wolfart Gallery Rotterdam, “Flora, Forgotten and Forgiven” at the Van Nelle Fabriek Rotterdam Art Week, the OT 301 residency performance “A.C.I.D.” by Monica Sharon and “3” collaboration with TerazNow and SINE. Ana also taught contemporary dance at Studio181 besides her private practice and established herself as a dancer of Ballet Bernasconi and ENS Dance Company. She performed at Het Nationale Opera in the productions of “Prins Igor” with choreography by Itzik Galili and “Eliogabalo” with choreography by Maud Le Pladec.
Currently she is involved in multiple projects as movie/video-dance projects by Guido Braccini alongside her private dancing practice , performing “Inner Voyage” by Laura Rae Bernasconi and “DMR” by Rens Borkent with an upcoming premiere.