Maria João Gomes Lopes

With a Master's degree in Cultural Programming and Management from the Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies and a Bachelor's degree in Dance from the Lisbon Dance School (Escola Superior de Dança), she has held the position of rehearsal director and stage manager for the Almada Dance Company since August 2004. Born in Lisbon in 1977, she began her dance studies at the age of six at the Setúbal Dance Academy (Portugal) under the guidance of Maria Bessa and António Rodrigues, and during her training, she worked with various teachers. She was a dancer with CeDeCe Contemporary Dance Company of Setúbal, participating in most of their shows in Portugal and abroad. She had the opportunity to work with several choreographers, notably Darshan Singh Buller, Olga Roriz, and Gagik Ismailian, among others. As a dancer, she was also part of the cast of Dançarte Dance Company, the Almada Dance Company, and Luzzo Fluidans Cia (Curitiba – Brazil).

As a dance teacher, she has worked with the Setúbal Contemporary Dance Academy, Estúdio Sétima Posição, the Algarve Regional Conservatory, Gaia Cia de Dança (Natal – Brazil), the Dance Group of the Faculty of Arts of Paraná (Curitiba - Brazil), the Aveiro Dance Company, the Dance School of the Almada Dance Company, the Lisbon Dance Circle, the Coral Luísa Todi of Setúbal in the Show Choir Project with conductor Gisela Sequeira, Fórum Dança of Lisbon, and the Montijo Regional Conservatory of Arts.

She was a speaker at the meeting on The role of rehearsal and the rehearsal director in the dancer's performance, promoted by the Centre for Studies in Performing Arts and the Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for Studies in Music and Dance, Faculty of Human Kinetics – University of Lisbon.

She participated in the European Project Clash! - When classic and contemporary collide and new forms emerge, being responsible for the Audience Development area.