BALE DE RUA

BaleDeRua

A company of fifteen Brazilian street dancers , BaleDeRua, are currently igniting the Concert Hall stage, a venue that is usually the preserve of classical music. The BaleDeRua (translates as street ballet) are in Sydney to present their new show as part of this year’s Sydney Festival.

The BaleDeRua story is an amazing one. The Company started started from the streets of Brazil, in particular the village of Uberlandia, with Marco Antonio Garcia being one of the founding fathers. Garcia learnt his art on the streets of Brazil from when he was twelve years old. In a remarkable journey the guys, there is only one female dancer, have come from the poor streets of Uberlandia to play some of the world ‘s main stages, that now includes the Sydney Opera House. In a further step, the Company, back in 2007, established its own Cultural and training centre, the first of its kind in its home town.

The mission statement of BaleDeRua is crystal clear:-‘We want to talk about our country, our culture, our traditions, we want our shows to sweat Brazil, that which is the roughest and the most beautiful, the most musical and the most contradictory, the most colourful and the most human, This our Brazil, the Brazil we love’.

In their 75 minute show the dancers celebrate their survival and growth. There were some great highlights, my two favourites: When one of the dancers raised himself aloft in handstand style and then spun himself around like an express dreidel. The other great moment was when each of the dancers did a solo contemporary. breakdance or hip hop piece, showing off their skills.

In the vein of Walt Whitman they truly do sing their bodies electric! As the picture above shows the production ends with sprouting of huge roses on the stage as the drum beats persist, an exhilarating climax!

The show reminded me of the young guys who do their break dance moves on the forecourt of the Bondi Beach pavilion! They”re talented, and the guys get plenty of support. The atmosphere is great still ‘BaleDe Rua’ with its professionalism is in another league all together!

‘BaleDe Rua’ plays the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House until the 17th January.