Every July,
Joinville, in the state of Santa Catarina,
south region of Brazil, hosts the largest and the most important dance
festival of the country. It receives some 50,000 patrons from all over
Brazil searching for the most recent production on national and
international levels. Classical, contemporary and popular groups of
acclaimed artists and new talents from Brazil and all over come to
Joinville either for presentations or competitions.
In 2006, for
the 24th
Joinville Dance Festival, this charming, European like town welcomed
4,500 participants between students, dancers, choreographers and
professors divided into 173 groups. There were 11 days of presentations,
courses and lectures. The program was
extensive and rich with
many styles, group
sizes and ages to choose from.
The main events are
the Opening and the Gala nights, and the 2006 attractions were the American
David Parsons Company and Brazilian Ballet do Teatro Municipal do Rio de
Janeiro groups.
There are eight
competition nights in Classical Ballet, Classical Repertoire Ballet,
Contemporary Dance, Tap Dance, Jazz, Street Dance and Popular Dances.
Groups from Brazil and from all over the world are selected to compete.
You maybe asking how
in the world a medium-sized town like Joinville can host such an important
dance event that attracts people from around the globe. Well, one of their
credentials is that they are the only town to have a branch of the
prestigious Bolshoi Ballet School outside Russia. What about that?
The Festival
Atmosphere
Even though the end of
July is the middle of the winter in Brazil and Joinville gets rather
chilly during the winter, July 2006 was amazingly warm in the mid 20sº C
(70sº F). It felt very much like spring.
My nephew lives in
Joinville and is a festival admirer. At 20 years old, his favorite style
is street dance. When he learned I would be in Brazil in July, he invited
me to go to the festival to the street dance competition night. I was very
excited about it as I love dance and had
attended contemporary and classic dance events before, but never a street
dance one.
When my brother, my
8-year-old nice and I got to Joinville we were amazed by the number of
people on the streets. Young people and teenagers were everywhere. The
city had assembled open air stages in five places
around town where scheduled presentations took
place throughout the day. The air was filled with that special energy that
comes to life when art, artists and art lovers get together.
Competitive Night:
Contemporary and Street Dance
Thursday, July 27th.
The huge Centreventos Cau Hansen was packed with children, adolescents,
young and old people. The presentations started with Contemporary Dance,
Masculine Solos followed by the Duos and Trios. Last but not least, the
Street Dance Groups set the audience on fire. I was surprised by the
skill level
of the groups and absolutely enchanted with the
inspired performances.
Among the audience,
the local groups were the favorite. Actually, the winner was from
Joinville, “Fúria das Ruas” and it deserved it all the way. They were
amazing and the center exploded with their enthusiasm and dance skills.
If you are a dance
lover and ever get to travel to Brazil in July, check out the dates of the
Joinville Dance Festival at
www.festivaldedanca.com.br.
Whatever your favorite dance style
is, you
will find it there. So besides getting to know a modern and charming town
you can also delight yourself with a wonderful art treat. Enjoy!
