Abstract
In this study, I aim to think aesthetically and politically about Afro-Brazilian performance. To do this, I take into consideration the rehearsals and parades of the “Acadêmicos do Salgueiro” samba school in Rio de Janeiro. The school is built in the Salgueiro community and, like most of Rio’s famous schools, includes a large number of “wings” (alas in Portuguese): In addition to alas comprised of baianas, representatives of the Velha Guarda, passistas, and drums, there are three Masters of Ceremony paired with three flag bearers, a wing dedicated to telling the story and plot-theme that accompanies allegorical floats in Carnaval, and the Sound Car Team, formed by musicians, singers and directors of harmony. Based on my experience as a dancer and as a member of Salgueiro—and through the use of semi-structured interviews—I aim to evoke the movement of bodies inside the community. In this way, this essay presents an analysis of how bodies connect to the ground, to other bodies, and to the cosmos—all within the expansive confines of Salgueiro.
Resumo
Abstract
In this study, I aim to think aesthetically and politically about Afro-Brazilian performance. To do this, I take into consideration the rehearsals and parades of the “Acadêmicos do Salgueiro” samba school in Rio de Janeiro. The school is built in the Salgueiro community and, like most of Rio’s famous schools, includes a large number of “wings” (alas in Portuguese): In addition to alas comprised of baianas, representatives of the Velha Guarda, passistas, and drums, there are three Masters of Ceremony paired with three flag bearers, a wing dedicated to telling the story and plot-theme that accompanies allegorical floats in Carnaval, and the Sound Car Team, formed by musicians, singers and directors of harmony. Based on my experience as a dancer and as a member of Salgueiro—and through the use of semi-structured interviews—I aim to evoke the movement of bodies inside the community. In this way, this essay presents an analysis of how bodies connect to the ground, to other bodies, and to the cosmos—all within the expansive confines of Salgueiro.
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