Sonia Destri Lie CHOREOGRAPHER
DANCING DESIGNER
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
(…) "Yet even though this is a company of soloists, both works exhibit an all-for-one mentality. Watching dancers hold onto their material too tightly is usually the uncomfortable norm, especially in hip-hop, but with Companhia Urbana de Dança, that’s just not how it’s done. I suppose the reason is Ms. Destri. The men can dance, but they are also lucky: she is their eye. " The New York Times / Gia Kourlas (…) “From the beginning, I was struck by the sheer intelligence of the choreography,” Ella Baff, artistic director of Jacob’s Pillow. (…) Many elements that would come to define her style were already in evidence: a strong but fluid structure; pared-down movement sequences that stress transitions rather than showstopping feats; and a dialogue among ensembles, introspective solos and passages of ambiguous partnering. The New York Times / Marina Harss
(…) Destri has a subtle touch. She maneuvers her dancers on a line that skirts darkness — the presence of that one woman is sometimes rife with sexual portents, violence a near possibility — with constantly evolving moods. The dancers likewise morph; they can land from jumps with an aggressive stomp or with catlike feather-feet. They are ever immediate, capitulating themselves into sideways hurtles, not quite knowing where on the stage or on their axes they’ll land, or into another’s body. The riskiness is real, and they are fearless. It’s thrilling. Boston Globe
(‌) Ms. Destri Lie, with her artistry, never stresses the obstacles that her dancers have to overcome. But that, too, is under the surface. You want to root for them, and you want them to return soon. The New York Times/ Brian SEIBERT


There's something about dancing without music that still makes a powerful statement. Choreographer Paul Taylor famously made a piece in 1957 with no music - or movement. Trisha Brown was a master at creating masterpieces without music. What makes dance works without music work mainly stems from the fact that we expect to hear music when we see dancing. Silence can speak volumes. That might explain why the opening of "ID: Entidades," the first piece on the program for Companhia Urbana de Danca, packs such a powerful punch. Mrs Destri knows what she us doing ! Ken Ross / The Republican