Born in Cape Verde in 1979, Marlene Monteiro Freitas studied dance at P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels and at the ESD and the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon, before co-founding the Compass dance company in her home country. She has worked with many choreographers including
Emmanuelle Huynh, Loic Touzé, Tânia Carvalho,
Boris Charmatz, François Chaignaud and Trajal Harell. In 2015 she co-founded P.OR.K, a Lisbon-based production company. Her numerous choreographic works have earned her international recognition. She received the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2018, the Chanel Next Prize, and the Evens Art Prize in 2021.
