Marlene Monteiro Freitas

Marlene Monteiro Freitas (born in Cape Verde; based in Lisbon) is a dancer and choreographer known for her electrifying presence and powerful aesthetics influenced by the Carnival tradition of her native island. Monteiro Freitas centres her work around themes of openness, impurity and intensity, giving form to gestures and words that are hard to express and forcing her audience to look at things differently. Her work explores metamorphosis and deformation and confronts her audience with the paradox of their multiple selves. She has been recognised internationally for her cultural achievements, including a distinction by the government of Cape Verde (2017), the Silver Lion for Dance at the Venice Biennale (2018) and most recently, the Prize for Best International Performance by Les Prémis de la Critica d’Arts Escèniques of Barcelona (2020).