RAFAEL ALVAREZ was born in Lisbon in 1976, where he lives and develops his work as a choreographer and performer, set and costume designer, researcher and teacher. His choreographic work has been performed since 1997 in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. His choreographic language reveals a strong visual component, standing out for the enigmatic, poetic and minimalist use of the body, dance and space.
From 2017 to the present, his work traces a constant dialogue with different themes and conceptual, visual and imagery materials around Japan, since then developing a set of research and artistic residency projects, creation and regular presentation in Japan, as a result of of this in-depth research, establishing a creative bridge between Tokyo, Paris and Lisbon. Resulting in the creation and touring of works - “In the range of a wave” (2017), “In the Wave of Distance” (2018), “WAVE” (2018), “In the Silence of the First Wave” (2019), “Un Tsugi ” (2021), “Fū Tsugi” (2021), “Tsugi” (2022), “Eko Tsugi” (2023), “Mono-no-Aware” (2024) and Choreo.Portraits (2024).
He invests in depth in the relationship between Dance and the Community and in the collaborative dimension of artistic practice of dialogue and intervention with the world.
Has been teaching since 1998, in the areas of Contemporary Dance, Inclusive Dance and Artistic Mediation of Dance, (creation, improvisation and mediation), developing artistic dance training and mediation projects, involving dance students and professionals, non-professionals, over 55 years old and elderly people, people with disabilities/functional diversity, people with Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative conditions and artists in general. He is a guest adjunct professor of the master's degree in Choreographic Creation and Professional Practices at the Higher School of Dance/Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon. Founded the CONTEMPORARY DANCE +55 Years project in 2001, which he has since coordinated with a program of regular classes for older participants and a regular cycle of monthly laboratories in Almada and Paris. Artistic coordinator of Plural_Inclusive Dance Company and professor of inclusive dance at the ONG Fundação LIGA (since 1998). Certified teacher in the “Dance for Parkinson’s - Portugal / Dançar com Pk” weekly class since 2016 (member of the Dance for PD / Mark Morris Dance Group / Brooklyn Parkinson's Group, USA). Improvisation / Composition teacher at FOR Dance Theater / Olga Roriz Company (2017-20).
He collaborated as dancer/performer in shows and projects directed by the choreographers - Francisco Camacho / EIRA (PT), Christian Rizzo (FR) and the theatre director Luís Castro / Karnart, among others.
PhD in Communication, Culture and Art - Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, UALG. Post-graduate in Communication Sciences - Contemporary Culture - Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the New University of Lisbon. Graduated in Stage and Costume Design and in Theater and Education - Superior School of Theater and Cinema, IPL. He was Fellow grant recipient of the National Center of Culture in the area of Dance / Creation (Portugal, 2000-2002). He was an Integrated Researcher at CHAIA - Center for History of Art and Artistic Research at the University of Évora.
He was an artist supported by O Rumo do Fumo (2000-04) and associate artist of EIRA - Contemporary Dance and Performance (2005-2016). Co-founder of ANKA Inclusive Dance Company of São Tomé and Príncipe. He is the artistic director and founder of BODYBUILDERS – Contemporary Dance.