ARTS San Antonio presents Balé Folclórico da Bahia, Sacred Heritage (Salvador, Brazil)

ARTS San Antonio presents Balé Folclórico da Bahia, Sacred Heritage (Salvador, Brazil)

Summary:
ARTS San Antonio proudly presents Balé Folclórico da Bahia, Sacred Heritage. The only professional folk dance company in Brazil, Balé Folclórico da Bahia was formed in 1988 by Walson Botelho and Ninho Reis and has achieved considerable success in its short history.

Under the artistic direction of José Carlos Arandiba, the company’s many national and international tours have earned it a prestigious reputation throughout the country and abroad that is reflected in the response of the public and the critics.

This troupe of dancers, musicians and singers exemplifies the exuberant cultural traditions and vibrancy of Brazil. Thirty-eight dancers, musicians, and singers perform "Bahian" folkloric dances of African origin including slave dances, Brazilian martial arts, samba and dances celebrating Carnival. The company presents the region’s most important cultural traditions.

This performance supports the nonprofit mission of ARTS San Antonio to entertain, enrich and educate the people of San Antonio and South Texas.


Additional Information/Quotes:

The Boston Globe --“A bracing Balé Folclórico bursts into town. You could call it the Brazilian "Blast" or the Bahian "Riverdance". With them one speaks in superlatives: the operative tempos are frenetic, the dynamics numbingly loud, the movement furious, the colors hallucinogenic…"

The New York Times -- “Bodies clash and spirits soar. These dancers made a spectacle of themselves in the very best sense...”

San Francisco Chronicle-- “Something happened in Brazil that was like nothing else, a particularly happy meeting of the Latin sensibility’s long melodic impulse and the propulsive energy of African music. These dancers move to the heartbeat of a nation. The exuberant pulse of samba spilled over across the footlights and got the audience up and dancing in the aisles...”