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A marvel of gritty physical energy
—SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
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So wonderful that it seems miraculous.
—THE NEW YORK TIMES
Companhia Urbana de Dança’s immensely talented young dancers from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro unleash an adrenaline-driven mix of urban street styles and thoughtprovoking contemporary dance that defies the limits of physicality while retaining the intense choreographic rigor of director Sonia Destri Lie
ABOUT THE COMPANY When Companhia Urbana de Dança / Sonia Destri Lie made its US debut at New York City Center in 2010, the eyes of even the most “been-there-saw-that” critics opened wide with amazement. Destri’s boldly original mix of contemporary Brazilian dance and hip-hop infused both forms with new vigor—meditative one moment, explosive the next. Locating the true heart of hip-hop, Destri strips it of its easy tricks, bringing it back to its original emotional depth, expressive range, and poetic integrity. Founded in Brazil in 2004 by dancer Tiago Sousa and choreographer and Artistic Director Sonia Destri Lie, Companhia Urbana de Dança is an ensemble of street performers working to foster appreciation of the human experience through dance. Destri’s experiences traveling through Europe for work in theater and films exposed her to hip-hop and b-boy techniques. Highly influenced by Brazilian street forms, she began to integrate these techniques into her already established contemporary movement sensibility. Pulling from the favelas of Rio, where many of Destri’s company members grew up, Companhia Urbana de Dança aims to transcend cultural boundaries while showcasing eclectic skill sets. The work of Companhia Urbana de Dança brings its dancers’ identities, testimonials, and attitudes to the stage, and it does that with a « carioca », AfroBrazilian accent, which is nevertheless universal. The group is firmly positioned in the most contemporary urban dance scene in Brazil and internationally. It highlights the talents of young black, and poor Brazilians in the modern world, from and affirming and pluralist stance.
Since its creation in 2004, the Company has performed throughout Brazil and abroad in many well-known festivals and theaters, including the world renowned Biennale de la Danse in Lyon, France, (2006, 2008), Fall for Dance at City Center in New York (2010), and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (2013). In 2014 the company embarked on its first major tour of the US, which included its debut at the Joyce Theater in New York, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; it also returned to Jacob’s Pillow for the world premiere of I. You We . . . All black (Nêgo). Highlights from 2015 included a residency and performances at the Biennial of the Americas and Newman Center for the Performing Arts in Denver and a return to the Fall for Dance festival; in the spring of 2016 the company performs in several cities in the US, including its Los Angeles debut at the Roy and Edna Disney (CalArts) Theater, a return to Miami, premieres in several other cities and its Canadian debut at DanceHouse in Vancouver and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. In addition to its performances, Sonia Destri Lie and the company strive to connect with children and young adults wherever the company travels, particularly in underprivileged and minority communities, with workshops and classes that joyfully celebrate dance as a means to develop self-confidence and awareness. Using dance as a medium, their goal is to instill in youngsters a sense that discipline, hard work and love can propel one forward in the direction of one’s dreams.
SONIA DESTRI LIE (Artistic Director/ Choreographer) is the artistic director and choreographer of Companhia Urbana de Dança. Having received degrees in both Psychology and Ballet, Destri has a unique perspective on human expression and human form. After completing her studies, she travelled throughout Brazil and Europe, working in dance, theatre, film, and musicals. It was then that she discovered hip-hop and b-boy dance. She defined her unique and refreshing interpretation of these styles by infusing them with the rich cultural influences of Brazil and the favelas from within. Her works creatively embrace elements of hiphop, b-boy, and contemporary dance, as well as Brazilian social dances. Destri’s choreography has been cited for making a significant contribution to the field of dance. She has created an entirely new genre that results in greater appreciation for existing dance styles and the significance of sociocultural influences. Reviews of her performances from both the media and her contemporaries have been nothing short of spectacular. She has received the Best Script Award from the Ford Foundation, the Staging Award from the State of Rio de Janeiro in 2011 for the show Eu Danço, the FADA Award from the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro (2012 and 2013), and the Best Choreography Award by Conseil International de la Danse.
INTERVIEW – DANCE MAGAZINE ( 2017) http://www.dancemagazine.com/10-minutes-with-soniadestri-lie-2314231507.html
Companhia Urbana de Dança is a unique dance group with roots in hip-hop, urban, and contemporary aesthetics from Brazil. The group consists of nine young dancers from Rio de Janeiro. The following are biographies or short excerpts of personal accounts from each of the dancers, describing their journeys of dancing all the way up from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the international concert stage.
ID: Entidades with Rodrigo Marçal’s music was indicated a 2010 Bessie Award and one of the 2010 top 10 according to TIME OUT NY and the NY TIMES.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/arts/dance/ companhia-urbana-de-danca-reflects-brazilscomplexities.html?mcubz=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/arts/dance/companhiaurbana-de-danca-from-brazil-review.html?mcubz=0 https://nyti.ms/2kGJNDG Dancing of the Streets, Stripped Down to Its Art Gia Kourlas – Sep 23, 2011 http://goo.gl/zmO0nL
(… )knocked the ball out of the park. Gia Kourlas – Oct 1, 2010 http://goo.gl/qAL4
Le Monde Sur des musiques percussives et pulsantes, souvent piochées dans la culture brésilienne, la Companhia Urbana de Dança impose un hip-hop contemporain magnétique. Résolu, chargé, impeccable. Rosita Boisseau – Télérama 04/04/2012 Financial Times Whether in solos or sudden waves of running or walking, they move with a softness I recognise from other Brazilian forms, such as capoeira. ID: Entidades has stripped hip-hop of its bravado and made it as eerie as breathing. Apollinaire Scherr – October 5, 2010
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