BRAZIL-WHEELCHAIR DANCING Daring wheelchair choreography impresses in Brazil

Record ID: 154682

  • Title: BRAZIL-WHEELCHAIR DANCING Daring wheelchair choreography impresses in Brazil
  • Date: 18th May 2015
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN DANCER, VANESSA ANDRESSA, SAYING: "People have to become more conscious of the fact that there is a space for people with disabilities and they have to have respect. There is no point just saying that the government has to do this or that, the government already does a lot, life has improved significantly for people with disabilities. What is needed now is for the people to have respect for one another." THE GROUP'S BALLROOM DANCE TEACHER WALKING IN THE DOOR AND HIGH-FIVING AND HUGGING THE DANCERS CLOSE-UP OF A DANCER IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR TILTING BACK ON HIS WHEELS AND SPINNING THE SMALL WHEEL SUPPORTING THE FRONT OF THE WHEELCHAIR CLOSE-UP OF DANCER STRAPPING HIS LEGS INTO THE WHEELCHAIR DANCERS CHATTING IN THE STUDIO AND GIRLS DOING THEIR MAKE-UP DANCERS, VANESSA ANDRESSA AND BIANCA OLIVEIRA, PUTTING ON MAKE-UP AND LAUGHING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN DANCER, BIANCA OLIVEIRA, SAYING: "The dance comes from rehabilitation, it begins as the person gets to know his or her own body better, gets to know and begins to accept himself or herself better within society.
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVATYF01DBI1X0Z4DCKYTYTWS9T
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Dancing for integration. This is the inspiration behind the Brazilian dance troupe Corpo em Movimento, or Body in Movement, which has gained international attention for its daring routines performed by dancers in wheelchairs.
    The group was established in 1999 by the Association for Physical Disabilities in Niteroi (Andef) in Rio de Janeiro state. Since then the group has taken part in over 1000 performances throughout Brazil and the rest of the world.
    Hip hop, break, ballroom dancing, and the national styles of samba and funk feature in the group's diverse repertoire, which seeks to push boundaries within choreography and social attitudes.
    One of the most striking aspects of the group is its mixed composition of both disabled and non-disabled dancers. The dances hold and spin each other in agile lifts and sensual duets.
    According to dancer, Vanessa Andressa, who has danced with the group for 12 years, this integration is a way of encouraging audiences to rethink how they interact with disabled people in their own societies, and inspiring firmer respect.
    "People have to become more conscious of the fact that there is a space for people with disabilities and they have to have respect. There is no point just saying that the government has to do this or that, the government already does a lot, life has improved significantly for people with disabilities. What is needed now is for the people to have respect for one another," Andressa told Reuters at a recent rehearsal.
    Non-disabled dancer Bianca Oliveira came to the institute to take part in a jazz class six years ago. It was then that she first saw the group's work, and after learning of its founding principles, she has been dancing with them ever since.
    "The dance comes from rehabilitation, it begins as the person gets to know his or her own body better, gets to know and begins to accept himself or herself better within society," said Oliveira.
    The process of rehabilitation at Andef is multi-faceted, involving physiotherapy, pilates, psychology and nutritional guidance, among other activities.
    Oliveira explains how the group's choreographer, Camila Rodrigues, works with the dancers to develop these processes, building movements which aim to improve each dancer's physical capacity without aggravating their difficulties, all the while opening new artistic possibilities.
    "(Our choreographer) has always been very daring with the dance steps, she wanted to show that the wheelchair can be artistic, can be acrobatic, you don't just have to do simple steps here and there, that the wheelchair is capable of opening up new steps that have never been done before," Oliveira added.
    Corpo em Movimento also provides employment opportunity for participants with a monthly salary of between 900 and 1200 Brazilian reais ($300 - $400 U.S. dollars), depending on the level of commitment. Most of the dancers balance this commitment with other jobs elsewhere.
    In 2012, the troupe represented Brazil in the Closing Ceremony at the London Paralympics and performed alongside the popular Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown.
    It has not yet been confirmed whether the group will take part when the Olympic Games come to their home country next year, but with rehearsals at full-speed three times a week, the dancers continue to illustrate that anything is possible.
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