Companhia de Dança de Almada - Ca.DA (Almada Dance Company), is a non-profit cultural association, which develops its activity essentially in the areas of artistic creation, dance training and cultural programming. It consists of a body of professionals with specialized training, with extensive experience both in the organization and production of cultural events, in dance teaching, and towards the training and audience awareness.

Founded by Maria Franco, it started its activity as a professional contemporary dance company in 1990. Since then, it has produced more than a hundred pieces by national and international choreographers, presented in the country and abroad, namely in Europe (Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland), Africa (Cape Verde), America (Brazil) and Asia (China).

Since 1992, Ca.DA organizes the annual festival "Quinzena de Dança de Almada – International Dance Festival", promoting exchanges between Portuguese creators and dancers and the international community.

In 1998, Ca.DA's school was founded (Ca.DA Escola), developing continuously in the field of artistic dance training, offering non-vocational dance courses and vocacional training. Since 2018/19, it offers a vocational Integrated Dance Course accredited by the Portuguese Ministry of Education.

TOURS AND FESTIVALS

REVIEW

ARTISTIC INTERVENTION

TEAM

Every year the Company tours Portugal and abroad, presenting shows and new productions for the season, promoting contemporary dance and attracting new audiences. Most notable were international tours to CAPE VERDE (2002), SWITZERLAND, (2003), POLAND, (2009), BRAZIL (2013) and CHINA (2014)

Simultaneously over the years, it has participated in numerous festivals and Dance meetings, among which the highlight was taking part in the 26th edition of the Fira de Teatre al Carrer, Tarrega, winning 1st prize for best debut.

BELGIUM | Verviers / Eupen - Danse en Ville / Tanzende Stadt (2019/24)

BRAZIL | Taubaté - Festival ENCUT (2013); Goiânia – 2ª Mostra GiroDança (2016)

CHINA | Xangai - China Shanghai International Arts Festival (2014)

CROATIA | Zagreb - Platform for Young Choreographers (2007/11), Platforma.hr (2012/2013); Karlovac - KDF - Karlovac Dance Festival (2017/18); Šibenik - Šibenik Dance Festival (2023)

CZECH REPUBLIC | Prague - ProArt Festival (2011/12)

FRANCE | Brest - La Becquée (2010)

GERMANY | Düren / Herzogenrath - Danse en Ville / Tanzende Stadt (2018/19/22); Cologne - SoloDuo NRW + friends (2020/22)

GRECE | Volos - 2nd Mediterranean Platform of Municipal Theatre (2005); Atenas - Xopeytez Dance Festival (2006)

ITALY | Genova - Dance Festival, Capital Europeia da Cultura (2004); Turim - Insoliti (2011), SOLOCOREOGRAFICO - Solo Dance Festival (2023); Naples – Dance Show Case, Piccollo Bellini (2015); Siena – Confi.Dance (2016); Velletri - Paesaggi del Corpo (2021)

ISRAEL | Jerusalem - Jerusalem International Dance Week / Choreographic Competition (2022)

POLAND | Bytom - XI Annual International, Silesian Dance Theatre (2004/05/07); Poznań - Internacional Dance Theatre Festival (2009), Malta Festival Poznań (2019/21); Gdansk - Gdansk Dance Festival, Baltic Movement Project (2009); Tarnów - Scena Otwarta (2012); Warsaw - International Dance Theatre Festival Zawirowania (2024)

PORTUGAL | Lisbon - Plataforma Coreográfica Portuguesa de Bagnolet - ACARTE; Expo/98 - Festival Internacional de Dança em Paisagens Urbanas (1998/99); Coimbra - Ciclo de Dança do Teatro Académico Gil Vicente, Festival Caminhos do Cinema Português (2018), Cistermúsica (2019/23); Silves - Noites do Castelo, Entrelaçados - Festival de Dança Contemporânea (2020); Faro - Serões Culturais de Faro; Guimarães - V Semana da Dança; Estarreja - VI Semana da Dança; Bragança/Vila Real - Algures a Nordeste (2017/18); Almada - Festival de Música Cidade de Almada (2018); Ponta Delgada - Paralelo - Festival de Dança (2019); Portimão - Entrelaçados - Festival de Dança Contemporânea (2021/23); S. João da Madeira - A Cidade Dança (2021); Horta - Giro Dance Festival (2021); Benavente - Mês da Dança (2023); Campo Maior - Pés no Chão – Festival Internacional de Dança de Campo Maior (2023); Ferreira do Zêzere - 1ª(Ed.) do Festival Internacional Zêzere CineDança (2023); Santiago do Cacém - ComDança (2024); Guarda - contraDANÇA (2024)

ROMANIA | Bucharest - BIDFF – Bucharest International Dance Film Festival (2023)

SPAIN | Barcelona - Marató de l'Espectacle (1998/99/2000); Atrium Viladecans (2004); Ciudad Rodrigo - Feria de Teatro (2001/02); Castilla y Leon - Feria de Teatro (2001/02/05/08/12); Tàrrega – Fira de Teatre Al Carrer (2006)

TURKEY | Ankara - SOLO Çağdaş Dans Festivali (2023/24)

ONLINE | New York Tri-State International Film Festival (2024); Tokyo International Short Film Festival (2024); Japan International Film Festival (2024); Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival (2024); Roma Short Film Festival (2024); Rome Women Film Festival (2024); Seoul International Short Film Festival (2024); Madrid International Short Film Festival (2024)

Artistic Director and General Coordinator: Maria Franco

Artistic Director of International Dance Festival and Artistic Adviser: Ana Macara, PhD

Legal Adviser and Administrative Director: Nasciolinda Silva

Technical Direction and Multimedia: José Pacheco

Rehearsal Supervisor and Dance Teacher: Maria João Lopes

Production Management: Isabel Cruz

Production Management of International Dance Festival and International Relations: Carlota Machado

Marketing and Communication: Armanda Capinha

Communication Assistance for the Quinzena de Dança de Almada: Inês Araújo

Dancers: Bruno Duarte, Inês Barros, Lúcia Salgueiro, Mariana Romão, Raquel Tavares e Vitor Afonso

Lighting: Hugo Franco - Stageplot and Paulo Santos

Pedagogical Coordinator of School: Carla Albuquerque

Production of School: Inês Barros

Secretariat of School: Tânia Branco

Teachers of School: Bruno Duarte, Carla Albuquerque, Carlos Gomes, Inês Barros, Inês Coimbra, Lúcia Salgueiro, Luís Pulido, Maria Franco, Maria José Bernardino, Mariana Dias, Raquel Tavares, Rita Judas, Susana Matos e Susana Rosendo