Stay with this sweet song until the end…..

Many of you will recognize Rosangela Silvestre.  A number of our dancers in class have had the joy of studying with her including me: back in the days of Fareta in the east village.  Here’s a nice moment at a party as she dances samba. 

The guys in our class are adding more fancy footwork into their samba.  Watch Paulinho Samba de Rua!  Suave.  He reminds me of our beloved Pacifico.

sambaheggae

for Janelle, who is

a teacher.

They start off stepping in quick tracks

then rolling back the steps

and dance advancing on a common wire

limbs hauled to sling and flex.

Flat-hipped pivots torque the rolled ellipse

of barefoot saints.

Dancers shoulder hard on roads of breath

that branch to heaven

and conjugate red fathoms from the earth

with stolen praise.

Shoulders barely holding jittered legs

lengthen from the waist and chime the nerves

with gongs of feet

running to the torso of the surdo

in tones that round and shudder down and back

the skinstruck floor,

now reaching long to conjure and to send,

curtailing and uncoiling

what loves knows now before the song will end.

The caixa has to know how this will finish,

though each step come toward and then avert

the loss of breath;

we dance in breath and flux and must diminish,

if not yet time to end the dancing day.

We tread and turn along the drum’s ecliptic

and stand at last in this our true array.

Look up look down for the sweat of the saints

like dew is rising,

the feet so long now and the arms immense

uncoiling sparks that disappear in sun

so dance that opens wide

the world can dance.

—-1-2010 Jonathan Moore

This year was the 20th anniversary of the Seattle’s most creative parade.  We received a large grant from the Fremont Arts Council to concoct a lively, colorful, pulsating celebration.  We did.  The theme was Brazil in all its glory!  We did, of course, dance samba, highlighting our fantasias, and samba reggae AND Maracatu (from the northeast) with the spotlight on our large group of dancers.  We invited our very own Aileen and her husband Daniel, newly relocated from Salvador, Bahia to lead folks in Makulele.  As always, Jeff arranged the musical compositions and the musicians and the band was incredible.  Visually we were stunning, including flags for Brasil, a beautiful float, and costumes designed for each group and their dance.  The combination was a splash of sound, color and warmth.  Dare I say it: love!

Thanks to the Fremont Arts Council for acknowledging our contribution to the mission: bringing art to the community.  We don’t wait for others to inspire us, but find that artistic expression is part of our every day life. 

It resides in us.

Enjoy the photos!

Andrea dances to Joao Bosco

Pacifico & Maceo

Oxum

Steve and Justin opening the show singing Elegua

Jose as Chango

Adrienne dances samba

Emilee dances Maracatu

We created an “Extravaganza!”

The intention was to offer a series of shows that highlight our dancers from class, with special musical arrangements from our band.  I collaborated with our band leader, Jeff, and custom tailored choreography for our dancers with Randy Neal and Dinho Costa on guitar, mandolin, bass, and cavaquinho, Naoyuki Sawada on percussion along with special guests that included Samia Panni, vocalist.  I invited Jose Carrion, who had just arrived from Santiago, Cuba.  (He was the principle dance and choreographer for Ballet Folklorico Cutumba, the company I traveled to studied with.  He married sweet Naomi and lives in Seattle now).  Local Cuban musicians joined Jose.  In Rio to Havana 1 I invited Roberto Borrell to perform and he danced an oh so suave Danzon and folkloric.  Eduardo Mendonca joined us for all the Brazilian tunes including singing a gentle samba.  (I particularly loved that)!

Stanny dances Samba Reggae

The idea was to honor the lineage of teachers and students that continue to enliven dances and music that migrated during slave trade to areas within Brazil and Cuba.  We shook the joint to the rafters!

Fantasias galore!

Fantasias Katie and Renee

Grande Finale! Our dance party on stage.

Our beloved Jeff and Samia

Janelle & Samia lead the audience to sing and dance

Fierce dancing to a Timbalada tune. Percussionist Daniel Carvalho even sang!

When we create a show, traditionally we donate a performance to Bahia Street.  Margaret Wilson began this wonderful organization to provide education and jobs for young women in Salvador, Bahia that would otherwise not receive these opportunities.  You can read about how what inspired her and how she did it in her book.  Bahia Street has offices in Seattle and Salvador.  It was a lovely evening.