Marlene Monteiro Freitas was born in Cape Verde, where she co-founded the Compass dance group. She studied dance at P.A.R.T.S. (Brussels), E.S.D. and Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Lisbon). She has worked with Emmanuelle Huynn, Loic Touzé, Tânia Carvalho and Boris Charmatz, among others. She created the pieces "Jaguar", in collaboration with Andreas Merk (2015), "de marfim e carne - as estátuas também sofrem" ("of ivory and flesh - statues also suffer" (2014), "Paraíso - colecção privada" ("Paradise - private collection")(2012-13), "(M)imosa" with Trajal Harell, François Chaignaud and Cecilia Bengolea (2011), "Guintche" (2010), "A Seriedade do Animal" ("The seriousness of animals" (2009-10), "Uns e Outros" ("One Another") (2008), "A Improbabilidade da Certeza" ("The Improbability of Certainty") (2006), "Larvar" ("Larval") (2006) and "Primeira Impressão" ("First Impression") (2005), works that have a common denominator in openness, impurity and intensity. She is co-founder of P.OR.K, a Lisbon-based production company.