AS THE WIND TAKES ME

Choreography, Lighting, Dramaturgy: Marcos Novais
Dancer: Marcos Novais

What inspired the starting point for your piece, and were there any major challenges along the way?

My inspiration usually comes from life experiences, relationships, and real events — even if the final work looks abstract to the audience. The core of the piece comes from moments and situations I’m living through at that time.

A big challenge for me is always choreographing on myself. I tend to be inconsistent and unsure, because every time I create something, I immediately find a new version that feels more interesting. It’s hard to decide which one is “better” — the first idea or the last one.

When did you begin to see choreography as a possible career path for yourself?

When I was young, I taught dance to kids and had to create choreography for their end-of-season performances. That’s when I discovered my passion for choreographing. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to continue developing that path for years now, both with professional dancers and through my own work.

How does your experience as a dancer influence your choreographic practice — and how does choreography influence the way you dance?

I feel that my choreography reflects the way my body and spirit want to move. My experience as a professional dancer influences my work a lot — it gives me a strong technical base and a more critical eye for how movement should be executed.
At the same time, my choreographic thinking also shapes the way I dance. My experiences as a dancer are always present in my choreographic choices, even in ways I don’t consciously notice.

Is there something specific you hope to communicate to the audience through this piece?

Dance, for me, is an art form where acting, singing, and movement all live together. Any way the body can bring emotion and life to the stage is dance. I invite the audience to feel whatever they want to feel while watching and without expectations.

How do you choose the title for your piece?

It’s different every time, but usually the title connects metaphorically to the theme or idea that inspired the work.

For the pieces included in our Work in Progress program: when and how do you decide that a piece is finished — or do you feel a piece is ever truly finished at all?

I don’t think a piece is ever truly finished. What we present is simply the best version possible for that moment and those circumstances. I’m always satisfied with the result, but I always see possibilities for change. The version you see onstage is never exactly the first idea I had when I began creating. And even after the premiere, when I revisit it, I always imagine a different version that could exist.