Tatiana Junqueira, Brazilian dance Invades Lyon, France

From the 10th to the 29th September 2002 took place in Lyon, France, the 10ème Biennale de la Danse. It was 20 days of festival, 19 show houses, 145 curtains rising, 36 companies, 12 countries, 600 artists, 7 new creations, and 4,500 participants for the 'Défilé'.

This year the Biennial was dedicated to Latin America, with the theme “From Rio Grande to the Tierra d’el Fuego, on the Freedom Road”. Brazil was the most represented country in the festival, with six – out of 37 – companies presenting their work: Grupo Corpo (*), Balé de Rua, Quasar, Cia Paula Nestorov, Staccato, Mimulus, and a French-Brazilian group Ensembles Attaca & Gondwana. Besides the dance programme there was a dance ball based on New Year’s celebration, and a parade inspired on Rio de Janeiro’s carnival. The event attracted around 4.500 participants, putting together a lot of Brazilians playing, choreographing and dancing.

Brazilian modern dance is maturing, and it is slowly being accepted by the international community. The Brazilianist Online Magazine is preparing a special report focusing on local Brazilian dance groups that are breaking the national barrier through their elegant, sophisticated, and creative productions. Don’t miss this exciting report, which will profile the work and vision of modern Brazilian choreographers and dancers, showing us that it is possible to mix local tradition with global modernity, accents and universalism.