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Ballet Dancer

Highlights

Bailarino
"(…) Luís Damas, (…) little stars that emerge from the Gulbenkian Ballet school (…)"

Manuela Azevedo
Diário de Notícias
05-02-1986

Bailarino
"It was with great joy that I learned about the prize and medals won (...) (...) Luís Damas, for the best interpretation (...)
(...) at the 2nd International Ballet and Modern Dance Competition, in Nagoya."
Bailarino
"(...) it is a great reason for pride for the Portuguese (...)"
Bailarino
"I ask you to let (...) Luís Damas know, (...) the most sincere expression of my congratulations (...)"

António Guterres
Prime Minister's Office
28-02-1996

Bailarino
"(...)Ballet Gulbenkian was the school of some of the greatest Portuguese dancers and the laboratory of choreographers, musicians and other artists of excellence in Portugal, such as:
(...) Luís Damas (...)"

Mafalda T. Silva - Analysis, Culture, Other Art - 20-01-2017

1st Dancer at Ballet Gulbenkian, where he danced from 1982 to 2001.

Scholarship holder of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to attend the Rosella Hightower International Dance Center, in Cannes, France, in September 1984.

Awarded with a place as a dancer on the international dance course for choreographers and professional composers in 1986 in Guildford, England.

Principal Dancer invited to dance with Mari Ushioda at the presentation of the Japanese Tandavaha Company in New York with choreography by Yoshie Kaku, in 1990. 

Scholarship holder, several times, at the Rosella Hightower International Dance Center, namely from September to December 1990, with Rosella Hightower as mentor and teacher. José Ferran and Monica Saez were also his teachers, among others.

Frankfurt Ballet, William Forsythe's permission to attend Company classes from December 1990 to January 1991.

Residency in New York from February to June 1991, with Kazuko Hirabayashi as mentor of his studies. He studied with Maggie Black and Benjamin Harkavy, attended the School of American Ballet, working with the teachers: A. Kramaresky, Richard Raap and Stanley Williams in Classical Ballet. He attended Cunningham Studio and as a fellow at the Alvin Ailey School, he worked in Modern Dance with Kazuko Hirabayashi, among others, who also created the solo "Transition" for Luís Damas.

Gold Medal
      and      - in “The 2nd Japan International Ballet and Modern Dance
                Competition ", in 1996, with choreographies by Vasco Wellenkamp
1st Interpretation Award

Best Dancer of the Year (nomination), elected by the media, for the “Bordalo da Imprensa ‘96” awards.

Finalist as an interpreter and choreographer at the 3rd Japan International Ballet and Modern Dance Competition, in 1999, for which he specifically choreographed "Earth Spirit" and "Invocation", after being selected with the ballet "La Mamma Morta".

Principal Dancer Invited at Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo, for all the shows of the years 2002 and 2003, having represented C.P.B.C. in several International Galas in addition to the regular shows; obtaining excellent national and international reviews.

Invited to become a member of the International Dance Council CID - UNESCO in 2004, admission that distinguishes “leading dance professionals” from all over the world. 

First representation of Portugal (invited), in the presentation of the III Edition of "Frammenti di Danza. Rassegna europea di vídeo danza 2004 "- National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome - Italy, by Camões Institute, with all its choreographies and videosdance work.