TEAM

Petra Van Gompel

Luis Marrafa,

Born 1975, lived in Schuttorf in Germany until he was 9 years old, moved to Évora and then to Lisbon in Portugal, then to London in Uk and now lives and works in Brussels in Belgium since 2009.

Luis Marrafa, graduated from the Escola Superior de Dança in Lisbon. In Brussels he is the artistic director of the dance company Marrafa vzw and of StairCase.studio Brussels where he is also artistic curator. He creates and produces his own works as choreographer, performer and sound composer, intuitively inspired by his experience and the multicultural environment around him.

Luis has been invited by several dance schools and professional companies as choreographer and dance teacher. Some of the pieces he has created through invitations:

2023/24 - Ombra a collaboration with Alain Platel for Opera Ballet Flanders,

2022 - CREDO (Cultural Association - ArQuente, Faro);

2021/22 - SNOW (National Ballet of Portugal);

2021 - Frag (Kunsthumaniora, Antwerp);

2020 - What if? (Kunsthumaniora, Brussels);

2020 - Efeméride (Balleteatro, Porto);

2019 - Functio (FMH - Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Lisbon);

2019 - Hodierno (Balleteatro, Porto);

2018 - Anpassung (QuorumBallet, Lisbon);

2017 - Soma (Balleteatro, Porto);

2017 - Marvel (Company de Dança de Almada);

2017 - Duplo (Artes na Rua, Évora);

2016 - Folklore (ESD - Escola Superior de Dança, Lisbon);

2015 - Proxemics ( Facultad de Bellas Artes de Querétaro, México).

Marrafa vzw productions:

2021 - Ghost (Collaboration with Alain Platel);

2020 - Clavicula (Animation);

2016 - HOME;

2014 - ABSTAND (Collaboration with António M. Cabrita);

2014 - Disquiet (Dance video);

2012 - Untitled (Dance video);

2012 - Transistor (Collaboration with Petra Van Gompel);

2012 - escape & light night;

2011 - Coffee Loop (dance video in collaboration with Bernardo Camisao);

2009 - Unstable (collaboration with António Bexiga);

2007 - IIB (Dance video);

Highlights, in 2021, Ghost made the top 10 of the best dance pieces of the year in Portugal by two newspapers O Público and Expresso. HOME - Selection by Aerowaves twenty company in London 2016; ABSTAND - Nominated for the best choreography by the Authors Award SPA Lisbon 2014; Untitled - Best performance at the International InShadow Festival, Lisbon 2012; Coffee Loop - Nominated for One Film Festival in Gent, BE 2011; IIB - Selection for The Place dance school film in London, UK 2008 and Best dance video at the International Dance Festival, Almada 2009.

Collaborated with artists such as: Alain Platel, Rui Horta, Karine Ponties, Tania Carvalho, Satya Roosens, António M. Cabrita, Luis Guerra, among others.

www.ghostmarrafa.com

Started her professional training in dance at the Art school in Antwerp Belgium, where she graduated in 2005. Next year she studied contemporary dance at the Rotteramse Dansacademie, continuing training and researching at P.A.R.T.S. After graduating in 2010 she performed the duet ‘Nameless We’ and toured with the dance works of Maaike Van De Westeringh. Petra is a cofounder of the MARRAFA company that is based at StairCase.studio. Through this structure in collaboration with choreographer Luis Marrafa she created the duet ‘Transistor’. In 2014 she joined the creation of choreographer Tânia Carvalho ‘Weaving Chaos’, starting to tour at the Biennale de la danse in Lyon, traveling across Europe in 2015/2016. In this season Petra will also be involved in the new dance piece ‘Home’ choreographed by Luis Marrafa. She frequently gives dance workshops, and movement expression classes. Currently she is continuing to engage in developing dance projects.

Cátia Candeias

Born in Portugal, sociologist and graduate in Gender Studies, currently social worker in the hospital sector in Switzerland. In parallel, she is voluntary teaching French to a migrant public in an associative frame. Cátia is a founding member of MARRAFA company.

Ruth Vanreusel

Born in Antwerp, Ruth graduated in Theaterscience (UA). Currently she is responsible for the public activities in concert venue De Roma, in Borgerhout. She works on cultural and social diversity, positive framing of the area Borgerhout and spaces where accessible cultural encounters can happen. Ruth is a member of MARRAFA company.