3 photos of one of the dances to be presented at the Winchester Theatre on July 22, 23, 24, at 8pm and July 25 at 2pm. The dancer is Newton Moraes, the dance "Ihu."Cylla von Tiedemann
Newton Moraes Dance Theatre
- At Winchester Street Theatre
- In Toronto on Thursday
Brazilian-born choreographer Newton Moraes puts his heart on the stage. His rambling works are infused with sentiment and emotion that collectively follow a stream of consciousness to the point of vulnerability.
Some might see his choreography as raw and unformed, but Moraes seems undaunted by what he puts into his dances. He holds nothing back. He creates choreography that says what he wants it to say, no matter how strange or bizarre it ends up looking.
As a result, Moraes's symbolism and metaphors have their own puzzling logic. Take, for example, his solo Ihu, in which the stage is festooned with a forest of balloons attached to strings that anchor them to the floor.
His program notes tell us that the meaning of ihu, in the language of the Kamayura people of Brazil, is everything that can be heard, which includes both the sounds of the real world and the spirits of the supernatural one. He further points out that this dance is a journey of self-discovery and the acceptance of all aspects of his spirit.
And so the penny drops: The key word is "spirit." Moraes is celebrating the finding of his spiritual self, both in his physical body (that can be seen), and his inner being (that cannot), just as the Kamayura have their own duality. As for all those balloons, they mirror the forests of the Kamayura, while providing a festive background for the dance.
For Moraes, samba is bred in the bone. In Ihu, the samba is the signature move that drives the choreography, which is set to a pastiche of modern Brazilian songs and indigenous chanting. Moraes may exaggerate the samba steps, or take them down to their quiet essence, but the seductive beat remains a constant, no matter the mood.
Toward the end of the piece, Moraes takes off his black Western jacket, which he wears over briefs, and dons a red skirt, red cloak and facemask. He becomes a Kamayura shaman, now using the samba as a primitive dance form.
This, however, is not really the end of Ihu. The final image is of Moraes rolling wildly back and forth on the floor, holding a fistful of balloons which he bangs against his body. This odd finale is typical of Moraes, muddying what the audience thought were clear waters.
Saudades Do Brasil ( Homesick for Brazil) is performed by seven dancers.
Moraes's metaphor, which speaks to the zeitgeist of the Brazil of his memory, is the jungle - and I'm talking graphic animal imagery replete with deafening vocal effects. At times, this piece makes you feel as if you're in the middle of a menagerie.
The overall choreography is energetic and highly physical. The group movement grows in sophistication, from animal/native to more urban relationships. Moraes tries to inject verbal thoughts into the work, although it can be distracting when he stands in front of a microphone uttering words. Still, his role is interesting. Moraes arrives on the scene with a bow and arrow, costumed like a tribesman. This separates him from the monkey animal pack that is running wild through the theatre. Throughout the piece, he is always the outsider.
Many ex-pat Brazilians probably get homesick for Carnival and Carmen Miranda. Not Moraes. His animalistic vision of Brazil is uniquely his own.
Newton Moraes Dance Theatre continues until July 25.