The Brazilian dance company Grupo Corpo, which literally means “Body Group,” began as a family affair. In 1975, in the city of Belo Horizonte, brothers Paulo and Rodrigo Pederneiras established a dance school in the home of their parents. With dreams of creating a dance company, Paulo and Rodrigo enlisted their sister Miriam as a dancer and brother Pedro as stage manager. Three of their closest friends also joined, making up the rest of the company. Paulo became the company’s artistic director while Rodrigo choreographed all the dances. The company shows through demonstration and performance how the dance forms and music of Brazil are combined with the classical dance tradition. Fusing Brazilian spirit with African rhythm and the grace of classical ballet, the company explains and demonstrates these cultural influences and performs excerpts from the company's repertoire, including excerpts from two of the company’s most well-known works, Parabelo and Benguelê (recorded in 2002 at C. D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, VA).
Grupo Corpo Brazilian Dance Theater (Performance / Lecture)