Diana Niepce The Other Side of Dance Portugal

In her earlier work, dancer, choreographer and acrobat Diana Niepce explored her journey of self-recovery following a spinal cord injury from a trapeze accident. Since then, she has sought innovative ways to express herself, aiming to integrate the disabled body into mainstream dance. This effort challenges audiences to reconsider conventional aesthetics of the body. 

In her solo piece, The Other Side of Dance, Diana delves into dance’s past and the hierarchical principles driving movement. She rigorously tests her own body, using minimal staging and occasional cutting sarcasm to present the non-normative body as revolutionary rather than victimised. 

Recognised as a compelling figure in Portuguese dance, Diana describes her piece as “a survey of the invisible in dance history”. Drawing inspiration from artists like Bill Shannon, Claire Cunningham and David Toole, she redefines the laws of movement. She is joined on stage by three ‘performer assistants’ who support her through this intense exploration of an alternative dance history.  

The performance will be followed by an extended discussion with the choreographer, delving into the themes of the work. 

Diana Niepce is a dancer, choreographer, and writer. She graduated from the Escola Superior de Dança, completed an Erasmus at Teatterikorkeakoulun, and earned a master’s degree in art and communication from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. An associate artist at Espaço do Tempo, she created several pieces including Forgotten Fog and Anda, Diana. She collaborates with national and international artists, and curates programmes for artists with disabilities. Her recent works include the book Anda, Diana and the article Experimenting with the Body. She also curates the Political Bodies Cycle at Culturgest.