Davi Rodrigues

Originally from Brazil, Lamondance Artistic Director Davi Rodrigues is proud to be a Canadian Citizen. Prior to joining Lamondance, Davi distinguished himself both as a dancer for many years, and as a visionary young choreographer for nearly a decade. He brings high energy and optimism to his work, having made a name for himself on the basis of an audacious, immersive dance approach, unique choreography, and daring hard work.

While in Brazil, Davi studied Physical Education at the Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), and was a dancer for six years with the Aplauso Cia de Dança, under the direction of Junior O'Hara, in Taguatinga, DF. Davi also studied classical ballet with the Ballet Theatre Guaira’s principal dancer, Heloisa Almeida.

Davi's gift for creating innovative experiences had its inception in Brazil, where he danced and choreographed for many companies. He has choreographed eight original full-length dance shows for Cia Criatividança, where he worked as both director and dancer for 15 years. With Cia Criatividança, Davi toured Brazil and received many awards as an outstanding dancer and choreographer. His works are known around the globe.

Davi moved to Vancouver in 2008 to work as a dancer and guest choreographer for Lamondance Company and has since risen to the position of Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer. In 2019, Davi was instrumental in getting Lamondance incorporated as Lamondance Arts Society, a charitable organization registered under the laws of the Province of British Columbia.

Davi's unmistakable passion and drive have helped establish Lamondance Company as one of Vancouver's premiere training programs for emerging dancers. Based on creative and ambitious choreographic work, combined with a strong focus on technical and artistic development, Lamondance Company is a formidable launching point for the careers of young artists.

Through the program, Davi connects his dancers with many artists from Canada and abroad, creating a significant network present in our community. Davi's most recent works for Lamondance are Ubuntu - I am because we are, Garden of Lights, Kauã, WE, Marbled, IELE (a collaboration with the Emmy-nominated music composer Hall Beckett), How It Ends, and lastly, VIVA, which premiered in June 2019, in celebration of the company's 10th anniversary.

Davi's works as a choreographer have also been performed by many prominent dance schools in Vancouver since his arrival in Canada, including Arts Umbrella, Pacific DanceArts, Kirkwood Academy of Performance and Arts, and RNB Dance & Theatre. His choreography has received several awards from prestigious festivals in Vancouver, as well as in the United States.

Furthering his commitment to community impact, Davi created the Lamondance and Friends Gala. Now in its eighth edition, the gala celebrates the local dance community by uniting schools, training programs and companies from the all over the Lower Mainland, and engaging in a conversation about dance.

Davi showed promising leadership skills from a very early age. Outside of Lamondance Company, Davi continues to work in leadership positions worldwide. Working as a Mentor, Judge, and Choreographer, Davi is one of the most highly regarded faculty members of the International Dance Seminar in Brasília, Brazil - a momentous event that celebrates, educates and gives opportunities to dancers around the world. Davi also worked for many years as a member of the artistic committee for Vancouver's Royal City Youth Ballet.

Davi has found success with his unique style, his infallible optimism, and his generous heart. As a passionate mentor, Davi enthusiastically contributes to dance communities by supporting, educating and challenging artists to take risks. He continues to pursue artistic excellence, creation, production and performance, with an ongoing commitment to share his breadth of experience with performers, choreographers, and arts educators in the community at large.