My Story

Nica Portavia

(she/they)

dance has been always their way to encounter the world, the others, themselves.

Reasearch as a daily practice, practicing every day knowing that we dont know, we just experience.

They are a dancer, performer, philologist and activist and the interconnections between bodies-politics-humanity-anthropology and how to cultivate something together is what impact their research and what their are bringing in the dance space.

Because we dont practice just to feel good, we practice to feel more' and that is an incredible journey.

Since 2022 their are collaborating with Karen Nelson, touring with a our workshop - Faking IT with Gravity- and performing SMALLER that is celebration to Steve Paxton material, the Small Dance, Material For the Spine, Gravity and Human action for changes.

Since 2026 I am collaborating with Charlie Morrissey co-facilitating our research workshop GRAVITY DANCES where there is the initiation of M- QUEER-ial for the Spine, new puzzles and new ways to explore bodies and politics through physicality, imagination, masses and mess.

Visto in TV

Nica had the privilege to train abroad with many teachers, including Steve Paxton, Daniel Lepkoff, Charlie Morrissey, KJ Holmes, Scott Smith, and Karen Nelson. The encounter with Steve Paxton during the study of 'Material for the Spine was a very special moment, as the studio time with Charlie Morrissey and the researching time with Karen Nelson and Scott Smith, all those space of sharing and researching have profoundly shaped their understanding and practice.

Nica has shared their material across continents, teaching in festivals, workshops, and intensives in France, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Russia, Poland, USA, Mexico, and Germany. They are co-organizer of Italycontactfest, now in its 13th edition, happening every June in Italy. They were in the organization team of ECITE 2022 Portugal and now they are co- organizing ECITE 2026 Italy. They are co-founder within Fran of EVERYBODIESAREPOLITICAL. Their wish is to keep traveling across cultures, places, meeting people and share space of collaboration.