movement for every-body

Magalhães has eight years of experience designing and teaching movement-based classes for bodies of all ages and levels throughout the world, including the U.S., Cuba, Brazil, Botswana and South Africa. Consistent in all of Magalhães's classes is an inclusive approach to movement that invites participants to take risks, express their creative selves, and connect with one another. 

<< Dancing Diaspora: decolonizing the Body through dance >>

Magalhães has been spearheading the Decolonizing the Body through Dance movement research since 2015. The research is centered around the belief that decolonization is inherently an impossible act, yet one worthy of pursuit. It moves away from traditionally European-derived genres (classical ballet, modern dance, etc) and toward a creative dance practice that honors the principles and aesthetics of the Afro-latin Diaspora. Such elements include: valuing musicality and dynamics over shapes and lines, the cultivation of a mobile spine and expressive pelvis, having an intimate relationship with the ground, engaging in playful and social improvisation, and embracing the communal dance experience rather than competing against one another. Iterations of the workshop have varied from 2 hr classes (focused on building technique) to weekend-long programs (involving choreographic laboratories and showings). Currently, Magalhães is holding a weekly practice called Dancing Diaspora at Pieter Space as part of the Decolonizing research - CLICK HERE for more information.

Past Events:

• Pieter Performance Space - Los Angeles, CA
• Women's Center for Creative Work - Los Angeles, CA
• Duke University Dance Department - Durham, North Carolina
• We Live In Space - Los Angeles, CA
• Theatre & New Dance Department, Cal Poly Pomona Residency - Pomona, CA
• CounterPulse Theater - San Francisco, CA
• FUNCEB School of Dance - Salvador, Brazil
• CONTRA-TIEMPO dance company - Los Angeles, CA  

<< master classes & community workshops >>

Magalhães believes  that moving collectively inherently builds community, and every body is capable and deserving of movement that empowers, expresses, and connects that person with their own well being and the world around them. Magalhães pulls from the Brain Dance methodology, call & response games, Theater of the Oppressed exercises, and Afro-Latin social dances to create an inclusive, fun, and safe workshop experience. 

Past Classes:

• "Embodied Connection & Reflection" at Skirball Cultural Center - Los Angeles, CA
• "Embodied Connection & Reflection" at Duke University Dance Department - Durham, North Carolina
• "Embodied Connection & Reflection" at Drama For Life, Witswatersrand University - Johannesburg, South Africa
• "Get Out Of Your Head and Into Your Body!" at the UCLA Health Symposium - Los Angeles, CA
• "People's Dance: Cumbia" at Play the LA River - Los Angeles, CA
• "People's Dance: Cuban Salsa" at People's Yoga - East Los Angeles, CA

<< yoga & wellness >>

Magalhães completed her YTT 200 hr training with Trinity Capili and the Cloud Nine School in 2013. Magalhães's deep love of yoga is nurtured through the belief that self-care is radical, and that our on-going well-being is intrinsically tied to the well-being of our communities and environment. She enjoys sharing a heart-centered and nourishing yoga practice that encourages yogis to listen deeply to their instincts. She is currently a faculty member of the YTT program at the East Los Angeles-based People's Yoga studio. Currently, Marina teaches Radical Self-Care yoga every Tuesday evening at People's Yoga - CLICK HERE for more information. 

<< SUMMER TRAVEL: theater of the oppressed in rio >>

Join the UCLA Travel Study program to Rio de Janeiro (open to UC & non-UC students) and spend your summer at the world-renowned Center for Theater of the Oppressed (CTO), founded by Augusto Boal. Theater of the Oppressed (T.O.) is a humanist methodology based on the belief that every human being is capable of making art. It invites the activation of the public who become “spect-actors”, capable of taking action and using theater as a rehearsal space for social transformation. During the UCLA-CTO Travel Study program, students will meet the Groups of  T. O. that exist throughout Rio de Janeiro, each focusing on a specific social issue, ranging from domestic worker's rights and racism to women's rights and mental health stigma. Students will partake in a T.O. intensive and have the opportunity to apply what they are learning by engaging in independent study.

This year's program will take place July 8 - August 5, 2017 - sign up here. 

Save the date T.O. Training for English-Speakers Dec 11-22, 2017, more info to come.

<< arts & health education for youth >>

Magalhães has taught in over 25 K-12 public and private schools throughout the U.S., and designed dozens of original standards-based curricula to fit each of these schools' needs. Magalhães works closely with classroom teachers and school administration to identify the needs of the students, and together they devise a catered program, ranging from 1-time workshops to multi-week residencies. Core values for curriculum design include: emphasis on group process & team-building, dialogue as a tool for collective learning, use of non-verbal communication, inclusion of cultural and historical analysis, and an interdisciplinary approach that utilizes movement, voice, and writing.

Past Programs:

• "Introduction to Yoga" with People's Yoga at Hawkins High School - Los Angeles, CA
• "Dance Theater Choreography" with Ramon Cortines Company at Ramon Cortines Performing Arts High School - Los Angeles, CA
• "Introduction to Latin Social Dances" at East LA Performing Arts Academy- East Los Angeles, CA
• "Building Community Through Hip Hop Dance & Music " with The Opportunity Program at Lennox Middle School - Lennox, CA
• "Young Women Empowered" with C-Youth Summer Program at New Roads High School - Santa Monica, CA
• "Futuro Summer Intensive" with CONTRA-TIEMPO Urban Latin Dance Theater - Los Angeles, CA