André Mesquita
Born in 1979, André Mesquita trained at Academia de Danca Contemporânea in Setubal and at the Portuguese National Ballet Company. He was a professional dancer in CeDeCe and in Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo under the artistic direction of Vasco Wellenkamp.
André has been evolving his independent activity since 2006, after completing his employment as resident teacher and dancer at Tanz Companie-Stadttheater Hildesheim. As a performer, he worked with choreographers such as Michael Corder, Ivan Alonso, Ana Sendas, Miguel Oliveira, Bernardo Gama, Sónia Rocha, Vasco Wellenkamp, Darshan Singh Buller, Carlos Matos, Jean Renshaw and Martina La Bonté.
Founder of TOK’ART a creative platform, of which he shares artistic direction with Teresa Alves da Silva and acts as associate choreographer. TOK’ART is a non profit making organisation.
André was responsible for the coordination of LAND(E)SCAPE, a project, which encourages encounters between creative’s, thinkers, interpreters and a non-professional artistic community. He has created the pieces, Como é bom tocar-te, Cinderella, Slow, I hope not to fall, O último lugar, The Who and The What, Made in Time, Foreword, Landscape with Figures and WORK. He additionally created A Kind Of for the Cross Connection Ballet Company with artists of the Royal Danish Ballet, Danish Dance Theater and Skanes Dance Theater. In March of 2009, André was awarded the third prize for choreography, at the 13th International Solo-Tanz-Theater Festival of Stuttgart for the solo Lake. In the same week, he was a winner of the competition, UNCONTAINABLE 2 at the Royal Ballet of Flanders, under the direction of Kathryn Bennetts, with the piece Echoes from Elsewhere. André has also created “In the middle of my heart there was a small white spot. I don’t know what it’s supposed to mean.” for the National Ballet School of Portugal and “MILK” for the V International Gala of the National Ballet of Portugal, as well as A Short History of Walking for the North West Dance in Project in Oregon USA, Suggestions for Walking Alone for TOK’ART and We Don’t Have To Think Like That Anymore for the Danish Dance Theatre.
In 2011, André created “Vertical” a duet for two women and performed in a piece by the choreographer Silvia Rijmer, “Everybody Hunts” through TOK’ART’s cultural platform. Recently he was involved in a creative process with in Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo with “A Terceira Sugestão” , “Cidade Incerta” for Sao Paulo City Ballet in Brasil, “Another Good Story”,”Hands/Head” for Tanz Luzern Theater and (.)dot for The Danish Dance Theatre.
In 2012 Andre created “You Never Know How Things Are Going To Come Together” in co- production with Maria Matos Teatro Municipal in Lisbon.
Both Portuguese and international dance critics have been praising Andrés work by virtue of a higher sensitive quality and great originality. As a choreographer, he has presented his work in various countries including Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, Switzerland,Palestine, Cyprus and Spain.