The Matosinhos Dance Company (CDM) premieres, on Saturday, at the Constantino Nery Municipal Theater, the show “SAL”, inspired by the travel stories of people who, for different reasons, are forced to seek protection in different countries to yours.
Speaking to Lusa today, the artistic and choreographic director, Sara Silva, and the production director, Diana Amaral, explained that the show arose from an initial project, of an academic nature, and from “deep research” that the students and the choreographer made about the refugee crisis.
“It is a scourge, which is now being talked about more because of the war in Ukraine, but which is transversal to several countries and which, unfortunately, is not treated in the same way for all types of countries, refugees and life stories,” he said. Diana Amaral.
Diana Amaral and Sara Silva considered that this would be a “more than pertinent” issue to be developed within the CDM, which they administer, and which has the objective of “addressing issues that divide society.”
The show features the participation of professional dancers who add “an emotional charge, an even stronger aesthetic and artistic charge,” they said.
Diana Amaral explained that an exploration work was carried out, with interviews with refugees who went through the trip, from various countries, and with filmmakers who explored the subject.
“We were also involved in the work [do artista chinês] O Weiwei. We went to explore in various ways, anthropological, personal and enthnographic”, underlined the production director.
Sara Silva explained to Lusa that, based on the work done previously, the show was developed in six weeks.
“It was six weeks of hard, arduous and intense work, which will finally debut on Saturday,” he stressed.
To make “SAL” even “more interesting”, CDM invited the Moradavaga collective that explored and signed the scenery, “using the material that most [se vê] in the images of the refugees, especially when they are saved, which are the emergency blankets”.
“In this project, we have four performers in the body of the piece, but we will also include young people and adults from the Matosinhos community in a part of the show. It will be a unique opportunity and experience”, said Sara Silva.
Diana Amaral and Sara Silva recall that “ships still sink in the Mediterranean, where immigrants classified as illegal travel, who are not always given the same opportunities.”
Andrea Valenti, Marianna Diroma, Maria Carrasco and Vanessa Vieira da Cunha are the co-creators/performers who will embody the choreography by Sara Silva, in collaboration with the Moradavaga collective.
“SAL” is a co-production between CDM and the Câmara de Matosinhos/Constantivo Nery Municipal Theater and was supported by ESAD – Escola Superior de Artes e Design and Casa da Arquitetura.
Source: Observadora
