FRACTAL

FRACTAL is a dance performance that questions colonial constructions of the body. Through movement and fabric, it explores relationships of power, resistance, and interdependence. Navigating the spectrum between care and oppression, the work intertwines body and memory, bringing individual and collective experiences closer together.

This work is structured around the concept of the fractal—a complex system in which small initial conditions lead to self-organized patterns. Through an intersectional feminist and decolonial lens, we investigate the body as an ambivalent space traversed by intimacy and collective dynamics. By physically manipulating the fabric, we construct a narrative and imagine alternative futures, using weight and counterweight to confront histories and question the concept of affection.

DAYANA GUZMÁN & VICTÓRIA HOLANDA

The collaboration between Dayana Guzmán and Victória Holanda stems from the meeting of two independent Latin American artists living in Portugal who, although coming from different backgrounds, view dance as a space for collective creation, research, and social transformation. They met through the collective “Mulheres, Poesia e Tambor”, where they discovered a shared vision of community, inclusion, and artistic collaboration. Since then, they have been developing the FRACTAL project, a dance creation initiative that began in 2026. Dayana Guzmán is a dancer and the founder of AfroAveiro, an initiative dedicated to sharing dances from West Africa and the diaspora. Victória Holanda is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher of ballet and contemporary dance, dedicating her artistic practice to education through movement and creative expression.

Artist-in-Residence at CAMPUS | Paulo Cunha e Silva (Porto, Portugal) in January and February 2026

Since January 2026, FRACTAL has been operating independently as an artistic laboratory, without relying on public or private funding. The project received support from the Conservatório de Música de Aveiro Calouste Gulbenkian (Aveiro, Portugal) and CAMPUS | Paulo Cunha e Silva (Porto, Portugal), which made their studios available for rehearsals.

Artist-in-Residence at CAMPUS | Paulo Cunha e Silva (Porto, Portugal) in August and September 2026

Weekly meetings led to the discovery of a common language, new challenges, and new possibilities.

III ENCONTRO DE ARTES PERFORMATIVAS

On September 9, 2026, FRACTAL 1.0, the duet version of the project, was part of the program for RE=INICIAR – III Performing Arts Festival. Organized by Ballet Contemporâneo do Norte, with support from DGARTES and the Santa Maria da Feira City Council, the festival took place at the Imaginarius Centro de Criação and brought together 44 artists and creators from Portugal, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, and Mozambique for a program that included performances, exhibitions, and workshops.

FRACTAL 1.0 received an external perspective from Tutto Gomes, support with stage materials from Ivon Trujillo, and assistance with production tasks from Jenny Melo.

COMING SOON

From January 11 to 24, 2027, FRACTAL will be in artistic residency at the Red Cloud Teatro de Marionetas. FRACTAL.2 expands on the research begun through a participatory artistic process to be developed with migrant women from the local community. Through movement workshops, participants will explore the body and fabric as choreographic devices for power relations, care, and transformation. The process culminates in an expanded version of FRACTAL, in which the community’s presence becomes an integral part of the work, reinforcing its artistic, political, and collective dimensions.

CONTACT US

FRACTAL is open to new collaborations and partnerships. If you identify with the project and would like to be part of this journey, please contact us at the email address below:

movefractal@gmail.com