The last time I watched a performance by Grupo Corpo, I was living in Brazil and the soundtrack of the show was composed by João Bosco. I fell in love with Grupo Corpo while watching their performances of Bengelê and Santagustin at Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. Since 2002, I have been chasing them around the world and if it wasn’t for my good friend Lili Viera de Carvalho, I would have missed their performances in Vancouver.
Corpo means body in Portuguese. Grupo Corpo is the realization of Paulo Pederneiras’ ambitious dream of mixing contemporary dance with genuine Brazilian music. Grupo Corpo has given life to over 30 different shows and toured through several countries. Grupo Corpo is eye-catching for its powerful and defiant way of introducing a human body to movements and concepts that are beyond imagination. Its Latin American take on contemporary dance ads an extra sparkle for its audience, and watching one of their performances always leaves you having trouble believing what you’ve seen.
PARABELO
Photo Credit: José Luiz Pederneiras
Parabelo was the first act of the Vancouver show. Meant to be a re-creation of the Brazilian Sertão, it is described by its creator Rodrigo Pederneiras as the most “regional” concept that Grupo Corpo has brought to life. Parabelo is as intriguing as its title.
The impressive soundtrack created by Tom Zé, one of the most polemical Brazilian musicians, and José Miguel Wisnik brings to the stage the exact feeling associated with the hard reality experienced in the Northeast of Brazil. However, the beauty of Grupo Corpo’s choreography and audacity of mixing xaxado, forró and frevo with modern dance makes Parabelo an unforgettable experience.
BREU
Photo Credit: José Luiz Pederneiras
The rock and roll approach that Lenine gave to Breu’s soundtrack is conveyed by Grupo Corpo as a fight between darkness and sound. Lenine’s wild guitars also set the tones of violence and brutality that fill the stage. Apparently, choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras asked Lenine to have fun while composing BREU’s soundtrack. Lenine certainly followed his instructions by adding uncomfortable and rebellious sounds to Grupo Corpo’s darkest show.
The second act of the Vancouver show completely challenged gravity. Jumping from the floor while twisting and balancing bodies against each other were ordinary tasks for the cast of BREU. Compared to the first act, BREU was too rushed and I didn’t feel that it conveyed a full story to me in its 45-minutes. It was beautiful to watch, but I’d love to see more darkness and young anxiety through a structured story that could better relay the spirit of Pederneiras’ vision.
Grupo Corpo is now on its way to Europe and will be back on the stage on May 8th and 9th at Teatro Municipal de Valencia, in Valencia, Spain, and May 12th at Gare du midi, in Biarritz, France. For more information, visit http://www.grupocorpo.com.br/site
