São Paulo – Confluence is the geographic term used to explain the flowing together of two or more streams. In spectacle "Com-fluência", (With fluency, in Portuguese, but also a pun with "confluência" – confluence -), the term serves to show, through dance, a language that is common to the Arab, Spanish and Indian cultures.
On the stage, each culture has as its representative a ballerina: Betty Gervitz (Arab), Sonia Galvão (Indian) and Deborah Nefussi (Spanish), accompanied by singer Sonia Mindlin. The spectacle is a joint production between the ballerinas, and was created in 2006, having opened in the same year, at the São Paulo Cultural Centre.
After spending several years on stages in the city of São Paulo, the group is getting ready for a two-month tour of the interior of the state. The cities of Adamantina, Lençóis Paulistas, Votuporanga, Lins, Santa Fé do Sul and Andradina are going to receive the play that is part of the Cultural Circuit, a programme by the state government whose objective is to decentralize art and culture produced in the capital.
"The main reason for the promotion of this project was to take to the audience an expert outlook on dance, showing that it is possible to find a universal language between people, a code that is not spoken, but felt and expressed in the form of dance," explained Betty Gervitz, who says she is in love with Arab rhythms, "especially the part of the Bedouins, which are more folkloric dances, with stronger roots, but in their bulk state," she says.
On seeking new Arab music and dance, the ballerina has already travelled to Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Morocco. "My trips are always a mixture of passion and study. I fell in love with the desert and the Arab culture, especially the music I consider very rich and full of meanders," pointed out Betty.
In the spectacle, each river represents a culture. "Thus, the three cultures merge and run in a virtuous flow of dance," explained ballerina Sonia Galvão. "In this context, more than promoting styles of oriental dance, the spectacle takes spectators to reflection on themes that go beyond the artistic dominion," he added.
The presentation is divided into solo, group, percussion and vocal. "There are several choreographies with a filling of one kind or another. The final part brings together all three styles in a choreography that respects the characteristics of dance, but promotes the junction of three rhythms," said Sonia, who opens the play presenting millenary Indian classical dance, like Odissi, whose choreography focuses on hand movements, foot percussion and eye movements.
Arab body expression, with its winding hand and hip movement, is seen in the choreographies of Betty Gervitz, who is specialized in oriental dance. Deborah Nefussi, a flamenco artist and director of Raies group, shows the Hispanic rhythms with castanet clicks.
Ballerinas Cíntia Toma Kawahara and Maria Inês Moane help with the music throughout the spectacle.
Contacts
Producer Márcia Cardoso
E-mail: cardoso_marcia@ig.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament