Born in 1978 in Guimarães, Portugal. BA in Fine Arts & Painting by Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto (Oporto University, Fine Arts School). Norwich School of Arts & Design in Norwich, UK, 2001. Drama courses at Balleteatro Escola Profissional and Teatro Universitário do Porto. Choreographical Research and Creation course at Forum Dança, Lisbon, 2003. Theatre Direction course, directed by Third Angel at Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, 2004. “Projet Thierry Salmon” La Nouvelle École des Maîtres, directed by Pippo Delbono, Belgium and Italy, 2006. As a performer, worked with Moncho Rodriguez, Joclécio Azevedo, João Garcia Miguel, Nuno Carinhas, João Paulo Costa, Ana Luísa Guimarães, Lígia Pape, Jack Souvant, Isabel Barros, Mário Afonso, Clara Andermatt, Charlie Degot, David Lescot, Joana Craveiro, among others.

Victor Hugo Pontes
© Estelle Valente

As a director and choreographer, created Puzzle (Festival da Fábrica/2003), Voz Off - «Voice Off» (NEC – Quadros de Dança/2003), Laboratório - «Laboratory» (Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian/2005), 100 Palavras - «100 Words» (co-created with Wilma Moutinho, NEC – Inter.faces/2005), Ícones - «Icons» (2006), Voyeur (NEC – Quadros de Dança/2006), Fotomontagem - «Photomontage» (NEC/2006), Ensaio - «Rehearsal» (Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian/2007), Manual de Instruções - «Instructions Manual» (CCVF/NEC/O Espaço do Tempo/2009) and Vice-Versa (Teatro Maria Matos/CCVF/Teatro Viriato/Teatro do Campo Alegre/NEC/2010), Rendez-vous, a new production by O Espaço do Tempo (Portugal)/Uzès Danse (France)/TanzWerkstaat Berlin (Germany), T3+1 (Ao Cabo Teatro/TNSJ/2010), Fuga Sem Fim (Companhia Instável/2011), A Ballet Story (Guimarães Capital da Cultura 2012/Nome Próprio/2012), A Íntima Farsa by JP Simões (São Luiz Teatro Municipal/2012), A Strange Land (Guimarães Capital da Cultura/Nome Próprio/2012), ZOO (Nome Próprio/TNSJ/Teatro Maria Matos/CCVF/2013) and Ocidente by Rémis de Vos (Ao Cabo Teatro/As Boas Raparigas/2013), «COPPIA» (cocreated with Manuela Azevedo and Hélder Gonçalves, CCB and Nome Próprio/2014), «FALL» (Teatro Municipal Rivoli.Porto, CC Vila Flor, Maria Matos Teatro Municipal and Theatro Circo/2014), «CAIR (Nome Próprio, CC Vila Flor, Maria Matos Teatro Municipal/2015), «ORLANDO» (co-created with Sara Carinhas, Nome Próprio, Teatro Municipal Rivoli.Porto, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian /2015), «SE ALGUMA VEZ PRECISARES DA MINHA VIDA, VEM E TOMA-A» (Nome Próprio, Centro Cultural de Belém, Centro Cultural Vila Flor, Teatro Nacional São João and Teatro Viriato/2016), «UNÍSSONO – COMPOSIÇÃO PARA CINCO BAILARINOS» (Nome Próprio, São Luiz Teatro Municipal e Teatro Municipal Rivoli. Porto/2016), «NOCTURNO» (Nome Próprio, São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Teatro Municipal do Porto Rivoli . Campo Alegre and CCB / Fábrica das Artes/2017), «MARGEM» (Nome Próprio, Centro Cultural de Belém - Fábrica das Artes and Teatro Aveirense/2018), «DRAMA» (Nome Próprio, Centro Cultural Vila Flor, São Luiz Teatro Municipal and Teatro Municipal do Porto – Rivoli . Campo Alegre/2019), «OS TRÊS IRMÃOS» (Nome Próprio, Casa das Artes de VN Famalicão, Cine-Teatro Louletano, São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Teatro Municipal do Porto, Teatro Viriato/2020). Was invited by THE NATIONAL BALLET OF PORTUGAL (COMPANHIA NACIONAL DE BAILADO) to direct the dance piece «CARNAVAL» (2016), and «MADRUGADA» (2019).


As assistant director, worked with Nuno Cardoso in: Woyzeck, by Georg Buchner (2005); Plasticina, by Vassili Sigarev (2006), Platónov, by Anton Tchékhov (2008), all produced by Teatro Nacional S. João (Oporto National Theatre); Richard II e R2, by William Shakespeare, produced by Teatro Nacional D.

Maria II (Lisbon National Theatre/2007); The Good Person of Szechuan, by Bertolt Brecht, produced by Centro Dramático Galego/Spain/2008; Menagerie du Verre, by Tennessee Williams, produced by Ao Cabo Teatro/2009; The Seagull by Anton Tchékhov (TNSJ/Ao Cabo Teatro 2010); Long Day`s Journey into Night by Eugene O`Neill (Teatro Experimental do Porto); Three Sisters by Anton Tchékhov (Lisbon National Theatre/211); Desire under the elms by Eugene O`Neil (Ao Cabo Teatro/2011); Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare (Ao Cabo Teatro/2012); Porto S. Bento (Ao Cabo Teatro/2012); The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt (Ao Cabo Teatro/ Companhia Maior/São Luiz Teatro Municipal/2013); Class Enemy by Nigel Williams (Ao Cabo Teatro/TnBA Bordeaux/2013); Coriolano de William Shakespeare (TNDM II/2014).


Since 2005, he works as set up designer for the pop/rock music band Clã. Directed, with Helder Gonçalves, the videoclip Amuo (2008) and A Paz Não Te Cai Bem (2014), for the same band, and in 2009 directed the concert/show Barbie Suzie Dolly Polly Pocket, at Nacional Theater of Porto (Teatro Nacional São João) and Disco Voador at Main Auditorium Centro Cutural de Belém.


Since 2003, is a regular teacher at the Theatre and Dance Graduation Course, Balleteatro Escola Profissional (Porto), Fórum Dança (Lisbon), among others. Was invited by Escola Superior de Artes e Design do Instituto Politécnico de Leiria to direct the final project in Theater Master (2011), and invited by Academia Contemporânea do Espectáculo to direct the final project Punk Rock by Simon Stephens at the Theatre Graduation Course. Currently, he is a Professor in the Theater Course, at University of Minho.


Between 2003 and 2006, Victor Hugo was selected as «Young Talent» in Portugal, at the contest Jovens Criadores («Young Artists»). In 2005, he represented Portugal at Repérages – Rencontres Internationales de la Jeune Choréographie, Lille, France. In 2007 was awarded the first prize, with the dance piece Ícones - «Icons», by No Ballet – 2nd International Choreography Competition Ludwigshafen, Germany. In 2008 represented Portugal at the Europe and Mediterranean Young Artists Bienal, Bari, Italy. In 2013 A Ballet Story was nominated as Best Dance Choreography SPA (Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores) and was considered the best show of the year 2012, by the Portuguese press, in Público and Expresso newspapers. In 2019, MARGEM won the award for Best Dance Choreography SPA.


Was selected by Intradance Project to direct the Russian company Liquid Theatre, in a show called Far Away From Here, May 2010, in Moscow. In 2013 co-directed the piece A Ilha with Marco Da Silva Ferreira in the Festival Walk&Talk – Azores. Works as a performer, choreographer, theatre director, teacher, set designer. His work was been presented in Germany, Spain, France, Brazil, Austria, Russia, Belgium, Italy, in the Uzès Danse CDC, TanzWerkstaat/Tanz im August, Panorama Festival, Festival de Danse de Cannes, PAYS DE DANSE (Théâtre de Liège), Sesc Dance Biennial (São Paulo), Festival Artes de Macau, Festival Paris l'étè, BRANDHAARDEN (Internationaal Theater Amsterdam), among others. Since 2009, he is the artistic director of Nome Próprio – Cultural Association.


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