Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, founded in 1984, is one of Calgary’s most successful performing arts companies.
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, founded in 1984, is one of Calgary's most successful performing arts companies, with an artistic director, Kimberley Cooper, known for adventurous programming. For DJD's spring showcase, she has invited Brazilian company Cia Vata to share the stage.
Based in Fortaleza, Cia Vata is celebrating its 20th anniversary under founder Valeria Pinheiro and offers a fusion of dance, music, theatre and circus. The dance element is a unique combination of tap and contemporary. When Pinheiro was a child, her father gave her a record album to learn how to tap dance: She had sound, but no images to follow. "The voice would announce the step – shuffle, riff, flap – and I'd hear what the shoe did. I made up my own steps based on the sound and rhythm," Pinheiro recalls.
For its first Canadian visit, Cia Vata is performing Compilation, weaving together excerpts from her 20 years of choreography. DJD is performing a new work by Cooper inspired by the concept of cool. Dancers from both troupes present a joint finale. The title of the show, Ziriguidum, is a Brazilian-Portuguese word meaning panache, charisma or mojo, capturing the vibrant tone of the evening.
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks/Cia Vata perform at Theatre Junction Grand in Calgary, April 24 to May 2.