Mariana Oliveira is the Choreographer and Artistic Director of The Union Project Dance Company. Originally from Brazil, she started her career as a ballet dancer, and at the age of 17 she had the opportunity to travel to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dance where she graduated. While living in London, she also had the opportunity to do a traineeship with the National Dance Company of Wales where she had her first contact with contemporary dance. As a young dancer in Brazil she participated in many dance festivals, including the Rio de Janeiro Festival, Joinville Festival and Brasilia International Festival. At the age of 19 she was invited to perform the ballet Giselle with the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami.
In 2007 she moved to New York and started to study contemporary dance at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and DNA. She studied with amazing teachers and directors, such as Azsure Barton, Stephen Petronio, Brice Mousset and Philip Gardner. The New York life style inspired her to start a small group with the idea of integrating artists from different backgrounds. In 2009 she founded The Union Project, and 3 months later she met her future husband, composer Michael O. Hurwitz, who she has since been collaborating with in the creation of new works. After 3 years of living in New York, she moved to Miami where she created Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Dancing with Tom and Malemolência. She also collaborated as a dancer with local company Karen Peterson & Dancers.
Now residing in Los Angeles, Mariana has been extremely welcomed in the community, affording her the opportunity to create works that have been invited to be performed in local festivals such as High Voltage Series, Dance on the Edge, Pasadena Dance Festival, among others. Mariana won People’s Choice at the World Dance Awards, and was invited as a panelist to speak at Dance Career Day. She was invited to teach at the Contemporary Modern Dance Cooperative, Collective Movement, and Pasadena Dance Festival. Mariana is responsible to all the executive duties in the company. So when she creates a piece, she is not only creating the artistic vision but the whole network of resources necessary to fulfill the project’s vision.
Official Website: www.marianaoliveira.net
Company Website: www.tupdance.com/about
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