Went to see the Brazilian hip hop dance company Grupo de Rua perform "H3" at On the Boards last night. Here's a description of the choreographer, Bruno Beltrao, and the dance company from On the Boards:
Stripped of the posturing and booming bass associated with hip hop, Bruno Beltrão’s H3 mines the movement vocabulary of the streets of Rio de Janeiro without the usual cultural baggage. The Brazilian choreographer’s company Grupa de Rua features 9 male dancers performing hypnotizing solos, duets and group work while incorporating elements of krumping, popping and floor-spins against a sparse electronic soundtrack ranging from classical music to sampled loops of the dancer’s screeching shoes.
The first 20 minutes of "H3" showcased the incredible physical mastery, artistry, and athleticism of 3 of the company's dancers. The number was untraditional in all respects. The movements were a combination of hip hop and modern dance. It was set to the sound of Rio's streets - mostly the "white noise" of daily life, cars whooshing by, intermittent honking - rather than conventional instrumental tracks. The dancers wore street clothes consisting of crumpled polos and pumas. It appeared that the dancers were making some social commentary through their movements, but I couldn't identify what exactly. Was it oppression? Assimilation? Race, or politics? As the performance continued, they incorporated unique lighting techniques and more music/beats. Actually, I really started to enjoy the performance more with the music. The movements incorporated high-velocity running (forward & backward) and what looked somewhat like capoeira "sparring" between 2 dancers, and also more ground spins and b-boy moves. As the 9 men shuffled quickly across the floor on all fours, my mother compared their moves to those of the iguanas that inhabit the Galapagos. Hm, maybe. The performance lasted 1 hour total. Shorter than I expected, but it was also a jammed-pack hour of movement.
Grupo de Rua will be performing at On the Boards in Seattle through the weekend, then at White Bird Dance in Portland from 2/3/10 - 2/7/10.
Here is a video clip of Grupo de Rua performing "H3":
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