"Irrepressible... Brazilian to the core" LA Times

"Breathless and colorful... from the first sound of the atabaque drums, a surge of electricity sweeps through the audience." LA Weekly

VIVER BRASIL DANCE COMPANY, a multi-award winning Los Angeles based ensemble founded in 1997 and incorporated as a non-profit dance company in 2003, is committed to cultivating Afro-Brazilian dance and music traditions while extending their boundaries through community outreach, educational programs and concert dance. Under the guidance of co-artistic directors, Luiz Badaró and Linda Yudin, guest choreographers, vocalists and the collaborative efforts of Los Angeles dancers, (composed of Brazilians and non-Brazilians of multi-ethnic origins), the company has developed a body of work that represents the traditional and contemporary Afro-Brazilian dance and music experience. In addition to training in L.A. with internationally renowned choreographer Rosangela Silvestre in her signature Silvestre technique training program combining Orixa dances, gestures and symbols with a contemporary movement vocabulary, many company members also make annual trips to Brazil to refresh and refine the company's repertoire, and to absorb and reflect the spirit and expression of Afro-Brazilian culture in Northeastern Brazil. The combination training of the folkloric with the contemporary has diversified the company’s palette, allowing them to innovate new ways to present Brazilian dance to U.S. audiences. Viver Brasil has recently been awarded an Irvine Dance in California Grant for 2007-08 season and received an Inter/Arts grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in 2004 to bring distinguished Brazilian artist Nancy Souza e Silva of the Pierre Verger Foundation to collaborate with the company in Los Angeles. The company was also selected for the prestigious Lester Horton Dance Award in 2000 for outstanding achievement in a company performance for non-western dance. They were nominated for: a Brazilian Press Award for best representation of Brazilian dance in the U.S., and Lester Horton awards for best achievement in music, dance, costume design, and for best company performance and best female performance in 2003 2004 and 2005, respectively. Viver Brasil has received major support from the New England Foundation for the Arts/National Dance Project touring program for its upcoming national tour in 06-07 and has received support from with an Alliance for California Traditional Arts Mentoring Program, from the LA County Arts Commission, awarded two Durfee Foundation Artist Completion grants, Heineken USA, AeroMexico,Varig and TAM Brasil Airlines and from the generosity of individual and business donors.

Since its inception, Viver Brasil’s list of credits has grown impressively to include: consistently sold out concerts at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), the Hollywood Bowl’s Summer Sounds (2005) and the Hollywood Bowl with the Basement Jaxx (2005), Walt Disney Hall with Pink Martini (2004), the World Dance and Music Festival in Chico, CA (2004), Paradise Performing Arts Center, Paradise, CA (2004), the Brazil-Africa Connection Festival at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, FL (2002), Riverside Community College's World Dance Festival (2002), Santa Monica Festival (2001), the Los Angeles Dance Invitational (2001), the California Choreographers Festival (2001), the Getty Center Family Festival (2000-2001), the UniVerse Festival (2000) and the World Music Festival/Brazil Nights at the Hollywood Bowl (1999).

The company is committed to increasing awareness of the rich history of Afro-Brazilian dance and music through performances and residencies in scores of elementary and high schools, on college and university campuses and on the concert stage nationally and internationally. Viver Brasil’s educational and outreach component has expanded its youth performance assemblies in the Ventura County area as part of “Performances to Grow On.” They were in residency at the University of North Carolina- Charlotte, North Carolina A & T in October and November 2002, and at the Boulder Afro-Caribbean Dance Festival in April 2003. Their most recent world premieres of “Mo Ife: Love Stories”, “ Yabas/Queens”, “Legends of Brazil” and “Bahia: Land of Magic” at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood were performed to a sold out audience.