Débora Oliveira

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I am dedicated to Dance over 20+ years,

with a professional practice that ranges between artistic creation, movement teaching and rehabilitation.

I hold a MA in Dance by Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PPG-Dan/UFRJ, 2023) and a BA in Communication of the Arts of the Body - Dance by Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC/SP, 2015). My qualifications include the professional training in Eutony by Instituto Brasileiro de Eutonia (IBE, 2015) and the Horseback Therapist certification by Associação Nacional de Equoterapia (ANDE-Brasil, 2021).

In my artistic inquiries, I am engaged with topics such as somatic approaches to movement, site-specific explorations (highlight to urban public spaces and nature), participatory artworks, relationaliy and historical activism. I have studied Dance Improvisation with the Brazilian choreographer and teacher Zélia Monteiro (2013-2018), have studied Eutony with eutonists as Luciana Gandolfo and Patrícia Pernambuco, and have attended significant workshops and short courses with teachers such as Jörg Hassman (GER), Katja Mustonen (FIN), Monika Gallardo (ESP), JoAnna Mendl Shaw (USA), Javi Sanhueza (CHI), Katie Duck (USA/HOL), Isabel Tica Lemos (BRA), Sofia Neuparth (POR), Rubiane Maia (BRA), Samira Br (BRA), São Yantó (BRA), Juliana Moraes (BRA), Scottish Dance Theatre (SCO), Maristela Estrela (BRA), Marcela Reichelt (BRA) and Amiris Marcon (BRA).

I have created artistic works exploring the relations between body and city, between people, and between species. I usually create dance solos and participatory performances.

Some of my most significant creative partnerships were with Coletivo Traça Urbana (BRA), Cléia Plácido and Compania Id’Artê (BRA), Aviv Sheyn (ISR), Liv Schulman (ARG), Marina Dubia (BRA/DEN), Danielle Greco (BRA), among others, and selected previous works were: SP Brutalista, pause breathe move, Walking Jams, gestuary field and My house is not ready.

I have been engaged with the context of Contact Improvisation since 2014, and have offered classes, labs and workshops, joining jams as the core of my practice.

By linking my background in creative exploration of movement to the expertise in somatic modulation of muscle tone through the practice of Eutony, I collaborate with educational and rehabilitation institutions with a singular approach.

I have worked in schools, studios, cultural centres, clinics, third sector organisations, government projects, and horseback therapy centres. I have experience in the treatment of children, adolescents, young people and adults with neuromotor and cognitive limitations.

Highlights:

Lecturer at the VII National Scientific Meeting of Dance Researchers of the National Association of Dance Researchers (ANDA) with the session "Between stages, streets and hospitals: Gerda Alexander's radical transdisciplinary in the creation of Eutony", 2022
Lecturer at the international conference BodyIQ 2021, organized by Somatische Akademie Berlin, with the session "Moving with Horses – Reflections on an Interspecies Somatic Experience", 2021
Creator and member of the Somatic Research Center, an independent research group on somatic practices at Espaço Semente, São Paulo, 2017-2018
Artist-Advisor for the Vocational Program of the Municipal Culture Secretariat of São Paulo, 2017
Long-term experience with bilingual Portuguese/English education in schools and after-school institutions for children and teenagers
Teacher of the workshop "Flying-low Meets Eutony" with Verena Kuschera (ALE) at Tanzbasis Berlin, 2016
Granted with scholarship for scientific initiation project "Self-perception - A way to acquire knowledge", funded by PIBIC-CEPE at PUC/SP, 2013-2014

I'm currently developing the second season of the project "Transforming body into dance", a durational artistic project that has been in progress since December 2018. In every season, I address a subject through an artistic perspective and the output of work includes several activities and interactions.

In the first season, I have addressed notions of "home". I have lived in ateliers, residencies and artists' communities in Brazil and Europe between 2018 and 2020, and I have created dance performances, installations, workshops, jams, interviews and talk circles.

In the current season, I am researching notions of "work" through two references: the work of Gerda Alexander, creator of Eutony, and the movement between species. The activities of this season include artistic works, interviews, workshops, sessions, articles and lectures.

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Débora Oliveira Online 2025