Bale captivates with powerful celebration
Campus Times
February 14, 1997
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, a dance group from Brazil, called Brazil's Balé
Folclórico de Bahia, performed at the Claremont Colleges, Bridges
Auditorium. The dancers began rehearsal at 4 p.m. to prepare for a 7 p.m.
show. They engaged in several special and stretching exercises lead by the
Artistic Director Jose Carlos Arandiba.
To witness Brazil's Balé Folclórico da Bahia is to experience
sights and sounds so explosive that makes "Dante's Peak" look
tame.
The 30-member company performed its high energy, stomp-your-feet folkloric
dance routine at Pomona College's Bridges Auditorium in Claremont for Mardi
Gras Tuesday night.
For 90 minutes, Brazil's only professional dance troupe displayed its
dancing, singing and musical abilities to a large and enthusiastic crowd-who
celebrated Mardi Gras with beads and masks handed out by the college.
The program began with choreography based on the origin of the universe
as interpreted by the African religion Candomble and a Bahian folklore fisherman's
dance.
The evening continued with a dramatic number interpreting slaves celebrating
a good sugar cane harvest, a dance of happiness called "Afixire,"
which has influenced cultural and religious celebrations in Bahia, and a
choreographed routine inspired by black women who lived in freedom until
they were shipped to Brazil as slaves.
One interesting sight was the male dancers using knives and sticks as
props in a martial arts style sequence. Sparks from the clanging of the
knives caused a few gasps from the crowd.
Miralva Couto and Dora Santana are coupled well as the company's singers.
Their voices ignited in the auditorium and received spirited applause.
The highlight of the evening was the Samba, the most popular dance and
rhythm in Bahia, in eastern Brazil. One could feel they were enjoying themselves
because of the smiles on their faces and the interaction they had with the
audience.
When the company performed "Samba Reggae" as its finale, the
audience rose to its feet and began to dance in the aisles-even singing
loudly along with the performers-until the final bow.
Balé Folclórico da Bahia was formed in 1987 by General
Director Walson Botelho and Ninho Reis in the city of Salvador. The group
has toured its own country and throughout the Unites States, winning numerous
accolades with its authentic African derived folkloric dance.
The dance troupe has had sold out performances in New York, Boston,
Washington D.C. and Cleveland.
Balé Folclórico da Bahia will be performing in Vancouver,
British Columbia, this weekend and will return to California March 25-26
to perform at Humboldt State University in Arcata.