Giovanni Luquini

Giovanni studied at Universidade Federal da Bahia School of Dance in Salvador, Brazil and is a former member of three of Brazil's most important dance companies: Ballet do Castro Alves, Ballet da Cidade de So Paulo and Teatro Brasileiro de Dana. He spent many years abroad and performed with Cloud Chamber Interdisciplinaire Dance Theatre, Stitch Unica Dance Theatre, Susado and Dormu Theatre in Amsterdam and the Netherlands. Through his work with Cloud Chamber, the Lincoln Center commissioned Mr. Luquini in 1992. In Brazil he has worked with choreographers such as, Victor Navarro, Clarisse Abujamra, Sonia Motta, Lia Robatto and Susana Yamauchi. In December of 1995, Mr. Luquini relocated to Miami, Florida where he continued to perform and produce his own choreographies locally. His company appeared at the International Hispanic Theatre Festival in 1996. 1998 marks the second season for Mr. Luquini's company Giovanni Luquini and Dancers whose first season production in the summer of 1997 was Flirt . This year's production, Wrong Clue, and Flirt were co-sponsored by Florida International University and featured original works. This 1998 season marks Mr. Luquini's third year representing Florida choreographers in Tigertail's FLA /BRA Festival in Miami. Currently Mr. Luquini is teaching at Florida International University. His recent company concert was June 1998.

Artist Statement
The principal aspect of my choreographic work is its focus on urban society and its many collective manifestations. The rediscovery of what makes us act in the ways that we eventually call society. My aim is to decode the ordinary in order to weed out the true organic motion. I believe it is this same motion that creates our most interesting rituals. These rituals range from sacred to banal and lie somewhere in the muscle memory of each one of us. Using music, humor coupled with the raw power and timing of contemporary and ethnic dance forms, movement can unlock the door to many hidden feelings lying dormant in each one of us. I consider my work to be dance-theater and it is, therefore, open to the inclusion of many other disciplines, including video image, spoken text and all the possibilities of theatrical stage production. As a dancer and choreographer, I am hopeful to create a complete work that can stand alone as a dance-narrative.



Festivals
Matrix, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Dance Companies
1986/1987     Teatro Brasileiro de Dança - São Paulo, Brazil - Val Folli & Clarice Abujamra, Directors.
                         Penha de Souza Cia. de Dança - São Paulo, Brazil.
1983/1985     Ballet da Cidade de São Paulo - São Paulo, Brazil - Julia	Zivianni, Director.
1981/1982     Ballet do Teatro Castro Alves - Salvador, Bahia, Brazil - Antonio Carlos Cardoso, Director

Choreographer
1997          Flirt & Ciranda, FIU Dance Ensemble, Miami, Fl.
1996          Drumming, in collaboration with Bebe Miller; Miami Light Project - Miami Beach, Fl.
                    Persona & Villa Lobos, New Vision Florida Brazil Festival & Teatro Avante, XI International Hispanic Theater Festival.
1995          Salvador, Capitania Real, commissioned by City Hall to celebrate Salvador's anniversary - Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Carlos Petrovich, Director.
                    Encontro em Linha Morta & Persona, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil - National Contemporary Dance Workshop.
1990          Flirt, Temple University Dance Department, Cowell Dance Theater Philadelphia, PA, Dance Potpourri.
1982/1983 Poemas Urbanos (won first place in the Sorocaba's Ballet Festival) & Dançando na Praça Sorocaba, SP, Brazil. Lumiá Contemporary Dance Group, Giovanni Luquini, Director.

Instructor
1997          Florida International University, Miami, Fl - Afro-Brazilian Dance
1996          MOCA Museum of Contemporary Arts, Mexican Modernism Dance Workshop
1995          Body movement classes for actors for the play Exercitando a Energia Criativa. Sonia Brito & Ana Cravo, Directors.
                   Body movement classes to Cereus Theatrical Group.  Hebe Alves, Director.
1994          Capoeira Applied to Modern Dance - National Contemporary Dance Workshop, Federal University of Bahia Brazil School of Dance.
                   Choreography Composition - Federal University of Bahia Brazil School of Dance
1993          Capoeira Applied to Modern Dance - Cosmic Illusion, Amsterdam, Netherlands
1991          Capoeira Applied to Modern Dance - Cultureel Gekleurd, Roosendaal, Netherlands

Actor
1995          Jenipapo - movie by Monique Gardemberg
                    Um Corte no Desejo - play directed by Deolindo Checucci

Education
Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, School of Dance