Miguel Esteves Ramalho was born in Portugal on July 3, 1987.

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He trained as a dancer at the National Conservatory Dance School and joined the Portuguese Contemporary Ballet Company, performing worldwide under the direction of Vasco Wellenkamp.

 

In 2008, he joined the National Ballet Company (Companhia Nacional de Bailado), where he has remained to this day, performing both classical and contemporary repertoire in Portugal and abroad. Throughout his career, he has worked with some of the world’s leading choreographers, including Ohad Naharin, Hofesh Shechter, Akram Khan, Sasha Waltz, Edward Clug, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Alexander Ekman, among many others.

 

In 2012, he was named Dancer of the Year by the Portuguese press. In 2015, he became the first dancer from the company to undertake an artistic residency in Africa, collaborating with Faustin Linyekula in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a solo performance. In 2019, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and Merit by his hometown for his artistic contributions in Portugal. In 2020, he was promoted to Principal Dancer at the National Ballet Company.

 

Miguel began his choreographic career in 2017 and has since created numerous original works for major dance institutions in Portugal and abroad. In 2019, he became the first choreographer to collaborate with Vasco Wellenkamp on a joint creation. In 2020, he premiered Symphony of Sorrows for the National Ballet Company, a piece that remains in the company’s repertoire. In 2022, he was officially named an associate choreographer of the Portuguese Contemporary Ballet Company.

 

Throughout his career, he has also taught masterclasses and workshops across Portugal and Europe, a role he continues to this day.