Bruna Diniz Afonso is a Brazilian-born dancer and choreographer based in Graz, Austria. With a foundation in classical and contemporary dance from Belo Horizonte and Vancouver, and a bachelor’s degree in Product Design from UEMG (Belo Horizonte), Bruna brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work. Over these years, Bruna has worked in diverse contexts, from large institutions to site-specific environments, collaborating with musicians, visual artists, designers, and local communities. 

 

Her career began with Balé Jovem do Palácio das Artes (Belo Horizonte) and Lamondance Company (Vancouver), before joining Theater Ulm in 2012 under Roberto Scafati. From 2013, Bruna performed at Graz Opera, first under Darrel Toulon and later Jörg Weinöhl, taking on prominent roles. This experience as professional dancer over continents shaped a broad view of performance, providing raw mater for a mix of influences, visible in her later work.

 

Since 2018, she has been active as a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer, engaging in institutional, independent, and site-specific contexts across Austria and Germany. Bruna’s choreographic work explores socially engaged themes through collaborative, cross-disciplinary processes. Recent projects include BURST (Kunsthaus Graz, 2024) and BURST#2 (Hornig Areal, 2025) — immersive performances combining dance, sound instalation, and interviews with people affected by discrimination— Gut Feeling (Steirischer Herbst Partnerprogram 2024); and present.in.difference (Graz Kulturjahr 2020/21, Lendwirbel 2023). She has performed in festivals in Austria and venues such as the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. Beyond the stage, she has contributed to dance films screened in Austria and Brazil.

 

The same approach she brings to her courses and workshops. Since 2019, she has been teaching ballet classes and contemporary dance workshops that connect her pedagogical practice with her latest choreographic research. In 2023, she also joined the faculty of the Further Education Course in Contemporary Dance at Tanzhaus Graz. She views dance as a mode of communication that transcends traditional cognitive boundaries and is deeply interested in working with diverse bodies, backgrounds, and perspectives.