Intellect

Dr. Rita Marcalo is a conceptual choreographer and practice-based researcher. After performing internationally she founded Instant Dissidence (http://www.instantdissidence.co.uk) and in 2006 completed an AHRB-funded practice-based Ph.D. Marcalo has published in: Diario de Aveiro (2010), Yorkshire Post (2010), Journal of Writing in Creative Practice (2009), Animated Magazine (2007), Society for Dance Research Newsletter (2002) and Research in Dance Education (2002). She also features in the books Performing Nature, Explorations in Ecology and the Arts (2006) by Gabriella Giannachi and Nigel Stewart, The Dust Archive and A History of Leeds Met Studio Theatre (2008) by Alexander Kelly and Annie Lloyd. In 2011 Portuguese television screened a documentary featuring Marcalo’s work (http://vimeo.com/26135190).

Marcalo regularly gives talks about her work and in 2011 she spoke at Access All Arts – Live Art and Disability (Live Art Development Agency) and at Artist Talks Series (Lanternhouse).Her work has been commissioned by Theatre in the Mill, Dance 4, Light Night Leeds, Yorkshire Dance, Ferens Art Gallery, York St John University, Bretton Hall, Community Dance York, Essexdance and Dance Digital and has been described as “…well-conceived, witty and thought-provoking… work that is surprising, challenging, transgressive and exciting… (The Guardian). Marcalo's practice-based research has received several national awards (Digital Futures in Dance, AHRC, Creative Futures, Interact, Awards for All, Lisa Ullman, CETL Fellowship). Internationally she has received an Erasmus Award (Portugal), an ELIA Award (Holland), an Intercult Award (Sweden), and been shortlisted for the Caroline Plummer Fellowship (New Zealand). After a series of positions within academia Marcalo now works in association with Theatre in the Mill, Intercult, Dance4, Yorkshire Dance, Dance Digital, South East Dance, Dance South West (Pavilion Dance), and Bournemouth University (The Media School).