Ana Rocha Nené

MIGUEL NUNES ESTEVES

Photo by Fábio Lino

Miguel was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and began his formal dance training at the Escola Artística de Dança do Conservatório Nacional, graduating as a professional dancer in 2007. He was awarded a scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to join the prestigious D.A.N.C.E. II Program in Dresden, Germany, where he trained and performed with renowned companies including The Forsythe Company, Studio Wayne McGregor, Ballet Preljocaj, Ballet National de Marseille, and Charloi Danses.

From 2009 to 2023, Miguel’s career flourished as he danced with notable companies such as Introdans, Balletboyz, James Cousins Dance, Delattre Dance Company, Ballet Hagen, and Companhia Nacional de Bailado (CNB) in Portugal. These diverse experiences have significantly enriched his artistic vision.

Miguel’s choreographic journey began with “Silencio de Eva” in 2013 for the Portuguese Royal Academy of Dance in Lisbon. He continued to make impactful contributions with works such as “Good Night & Farewell My Love” (2014) for Delattre Dance Company, “Supernova” (2016) and “Saudade” (2017) for TanzLabor at Ballet Hagen, and “Ageless Breed on Moon’s Aura” (2019) for the National Conservatory of Ballet’s graduating students in Lisbon. In 2020, Miguel was selected by CNB for the Composers/Choreographers/Directors project at Estudios Victor Córdon where he created “A Carta”, and in 2021 he was featured in the CNB documentary “BOW” by Paul Visser, contributing two solos and two duets.

In 2022, Miguel became the Curator of the Gala Solidária de Dança, a charity event dedicated to supporting cultural institutions in Portugal and promoting both classical ballet and contemporary dance. He premiered “Alemurity” at this Gala and was later invited as a special guest at the 10th Anniversary Gala of Associação Corações Com Coroa, where he presented his solo “All Human Beings.” Additionally, he recreated “Supernova” for Intranzyt Cia, created “Three Images of Water” for the Quorum Project, and developed “…a que vive” for the Planalto Festival das Artes.

In 2024, Miguel premiered his latest work, “Cold Desert,” at the 2nd edition of Gala Solidária de Dança and served as Choreographic Assistant for the award-winning “À Deriva” by Ana Isabel Casquilho at the 4th Concours de Jeunes Chorégraphes competition in Biarritz. He is currently coaching, conducting movement research classes, and leading workshops for young and pre-professional dancers across Portugal and Europe. Recognized as an emerging choreographer, Miguel is also finalizing his Master’s degree in Choreography at Escola Superior de Dança in Lisbon.

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