Grupo Corpo hail from Brazil and have brought a double bill of UK premieres to the Edinburgh International Festival, forming a perfect response to Festival Director Nicola Benedetti’s 2024 theme: the rituals that unite us.
Their first piece, Gil Refazendo, by choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, starts with a single dancer emerging from crepuscular gloom. Dressed only in a voluminous shirt, she swaggers into the light. Soon she is joined by another dancer and another. Inspired by the work of Brazilian singer-songwriter Gilberto Gil, the soundtrack is an infectious fusion of jazz, samba, bossa nova, and electronica with a thrumming bassline.
You can probably figure out what Grupo Corpo means without trying very hard: ‘group of bodies.’ Much of the piece sees the company dancing in a pack so languidly synchronised it could almost be an accident. But, of course, it’s not. The fluidity, flexibility, and power of these dancers is incredible. They’re barefoot yet leap and spin with a coiled energy that is mesmerising. After moving together in joyous harmony, they break apart,  ricocheting off each other. By the end of the piece, 22 beautifully lit dancers are moving in unison and the sunflowers on the animated backdrop finally unfurl. ‘Refazendo’ translates as ‘remaking’, a call to arms in honour of Gil who has since gone on to become a leading politician, activist, and UN Ambassador.
The second piece of the evening, Gira, meaning ‘spin,’ is inspired by Afro-Brazilian religion Umbanda. In Umbanda, believers perform rituals where they dance and spin, releasing control of their bodies to the spirits of deities. The movement in Gira evokes the complex balance of power and stands in stark contrast to the laid-back fluidity of the first piece. These dancers are buoyant, dynamic, taut, and precise; mixing ballet and contemporary movement to evoke the religious rituals. The dancers are topless. They wear huge circular white skirts, almost flamenco style, and they whip and twirl to an eclectic soundtrack from São Paulo jazz group Metá Metá. Gabriel Pederneiras‘ lighting is all chiaroscuro here and the dancers move into a golden feverish light only to be then lost in shadow. It’s visually stunning.
This is a wonderful opportunity to see a stunning dance troupe celebrate both their homeland and the rituals that unite their people in a joyously eclectic programme that’s a fitting cornerstone to this year’s festival.