Show r I Bra Brazilian ilian Ballet and Banging Bongos t By Shane I. I Callahan t AE Editor 0 ta tar r r ti Dance through the years has obviously obviously obviously ob ob- ob- ob taken many different and yet unique forms From waltzes and traditional ballet to modern and break dancing On Saturday Nov 18 brought Ballet Do Brazil into its Grand Theatre This performance which energized the entire audience showed the diverse talents of dance percussion and song that has rooted from the Latin Afro-Latin heritage was founded by a man named Amen Santo in 1990 al although although although al- al though he has joined together with friends from 7 to 15 years ago The company has toured throughout the west involving the audience to such sucha a degree that the on lookers might as aswell aswell well be dancing on the stage them them- sel selves ves is a project of the Brazil Brazil Culture Center a community grounded cultural space which supports the African Brazilian arts and fosters ethnic interchange HR Amen Santos signing autographs J v q J w ft- ft J. J t- t 11 TY 4 v j J j L t. t n JI f di diy dir 41 i r q p r j- j 1 w Y y r y 6 between people of various cultural affiliations To begin the nights night's performance the Suite hypnotized the audience It begins with an offering for Exu the trickster who holds the keys to open pathways Then the dressed in ceremonial white purify the area in a Limpeza dance Then powerful drums call the The are dressed very extravagantly and are the rulers of different aspects of life Navio was a dance which is based upon the poem by Castro AI Alves ves The poems pays homage to those who endured slavery and the effects there after This dance was well placed for it bridged the gap of the African cultural cultural cultural cul cul- cul- cul tural dances to the Brazilian per per- formers is a dance that includes sticks and machetes to form a swarm of dashing and prancing feet with the rhythm from the sticks This dance is actually disguised as a form torm or 01 of self sen defense which matured in the cane fields of Brazil The next performance was a form fonn of communication in the Amazon area which was sent in code The original code was sent by the means of tapping sticks on hollowed tree trunks called Here it is recreated on the ever elegant PVC pipe and engaged an incredible trio pounding out a melodic rhythm The act just before intermission was called and formed rolling rolling rolling roll roll- ing running and spinning to the beat of calabashes and de Rede is a dance that shows the connection between mankind and the ocean and celebrates this powerful connection And Fala Fiera is an outdoor outdoor outdoor out out- door marketplace where the cries of selling goods are interrupted by a harmonious singing The brazilian Instrumental Suite was a performance of percussion that combined different instruments into one beat And the Samba bamba Reggae and Samba de Roda are perhaps the most renown Brazilian dance which is adored by a world wide audience The final dance of the evening called Capoeira began with the traditional African instrument called the Berimbau This instrument looks very similar to a long bow with a metal string and is hit to produce the sound It then transforms into a dance that is woven from lethal movements from the two styles of African Brazilian martial arts called Capoeira Angola and Regional This style of ballet was not only elegant and precise but also included humor two which usually do not go together This overwhelming evening evening evening eve eve- ning showed off the talents of Brazilian African-Brazilian tradition and involved involved involved in in- the energy of the performer and the audience When the two were combined a performance beyond human explanation grasped the souls of each and took them on a journey inward |