Choreographed by Luiz Badaró and Rosangela Silvestre
Original compositions by Jose Ricardo Sousa
Featuring Vania Amaral and Katia Moraes on vocals

World premiere at Ford Amphitheatre September 7, 2007

Sagas, romances, festivals, and carnaval celebrating the African roots of Brazilian dance- an evening of experimentation of life, love and dedication to the arts of Bahia.  New choreographies by Luiz Badaró and Rosangela Silvestre and original musical compositions by guest artist, Jose Ricardo Sousa. 

Xirê begins with Navio Negreiro, inspired by the history of the traumatic arrival of Africans to Brazil and the poetry of Bahian poet, Castro Alves. Choreographer Luiz Badaró innovatively combines dances of freedom and celebration, demonstrating the resilience and evolution of African culture as it was integrated into Brazil.   Choreographer, Rosangela Silvestres’ Orixas retells the ancient myth of the orixas arrival to the earthly world.  Maracatu by Badaró portrays the technicolor soul of Brazil via a display of Maracatu, a contemporary processional dance honoring African royalty.  In Lagoa de Abaete (choreography by Badaró with Margit Edwards and Jose Ricardo Sousa) mermaids cavort and washerwomen cajole each other into fantastic feats of daily heroism. Dipping their hands and wash boards into the dark sweet waters, the Lavadeiras (washerwomen) sing the praises of Oxum, lest she steal the affection of their fishermen, revealing their own prowess across the circle of a samba de roda. Identidade/Identity expresses the explosive and joyous quality of Silvestre’s unique approach to contemporary dance. Tribute to Carnival Queens by Badaró is a blend of ritual, folkloric and homegrown Bahian movements and sounds with a reggae beat, the performance of the Rainha [Queen] do Bloco is a celebration of Afro-Brazilian aesthetics and political strength developed by the blocos afro, (Afro-Brazilian parading group) Ilê Aiyê, Muzenza and Olodum.