Brazilian Dance Company Relies On A Trio Of Gimmicks: Not-So-Subtle Slave Imagery, Soccer Balls, And Cheap Props

We tend to keep our distance from modern professional dance–especially the kind that borders on interpretive–because the artform’s pretentious and, frankly, over our heads. But when we read a gushing review of Brazilian dance company Mimulus‘ Friday night performance in New York, we couldn’t help but comment; namely, on how embarrassed we felt for the things these grown men and women had to do on stage. (e.g., Start off the performance upside down, as pictured.) In case the show hadn’t already gotten the point across about its Brazilian background with a title like “Do Lado Esquerdo de Quem Sobe,” its choreography called for cultural identity markers that went from heavy-handed (a slave chain metaphor using red, elastic chords that’s explained by the show’s program notes) to stereotypical (soccer balls that “whizzed about” the stage). The gimmicks reached their height towards the conclusion of the show:

And in one inspired segment toward the end, a dancer scrunched a plastic bag to provide syncopated accompaniment for a feisty female dancer, urging the audience to join him with the bags tucked into their programs.

The funny part is not picturing a whole auditorium of people fascinated by participating with such ghetto-rigged props, but the fact that the reviewer calls the resulting effect “the sound of soft rain” and “magical.” To which we say, get over yourself; everyone knows grocery bags aren’t magical unless they floating in the air of their own will.

From Brazil With Brio, Soccer Balls, And Samba [NYTimes]
Image [Nancy Palmieri / NYTimes]