Dance Week Festival

Masculine

direction & choreography: Paulo Ribeiro

texts: from the books Livro do Desassossego and Escritos Autobiográficos, Automáticos e de Reflexão Pessoal by Fernando Pessoa

choreography assistant: Leonor Keil

music: D. Shostakovich, Francesco Zappa, Frank Zappa

dancers: Miguel Borges, Peter Michael Dietz, Pedro Mendes, Romulus Neagu

light design: Nuno Meira

video: Paulo Américo

a co-production of: Companhia Paulo Ribeiro, Teatro Viriato, Teatro Nacional S. João, Teatro Maria Matos, Centro Cultural Vila Flor, Biarritz Culture – Festival Le Temps D’aimer

exacutive production: Companhia Paulo Ribeiro, Albino Moura

duration: 80′

Feminine

direction & choreography: Paulo Ribeiro

texts: from the Book of Disquiet, Ode Marítima and other works of Fernando Pessoa, with translation and advice of Richard Zenith

interpreters / dancers: Erika Guastamacchia, Leonor Keil, Margarida Gonçalves, Marta Silva, São Castro

music: Nuno Rebelo

poems by: Fernando Pessoa

voices: Richard Zenith, Cathrin Loerke

costumes design & production: Ana Luena

light design: Nuno Meira

choreography assistant: Peter Michael Dietz

promotional vídeo:Yann Thual

photos: José Alfredo

image & graphic design: Cathrin Loerke

graphic design & production: DPX / Nuno Rodrigues

a co-production of: Fundação Caixa Geral De Depósitos – Culturgest, Agadic – Centro Coreográfico Galego

production: Companhia Paulo

company supported by Ministério ca cultura – Direcção Geral das Artes, Câmara Municipal De Viseu

resident company at Teatro Viriato, Viseu

about the performances

One of Portugal’s best choreographers, once the Artistic Director of now defunct world acclaimed Gulbenkian Ballet, returns at the request of our audience, which was fascinated by the performance Malgré Nous, Nous Étions Là

This time he arrives with the dipthich Masculine / Feminine, in which he simultaneously investigates the masculinity and the femininity, and also the imaginative world of one of the greatest poets of the 20th century – Fernando Pessoa, also from Portugal.

Masculine and Feminine are  inspired by Pessoa’s texts, and researches the identity of the sexes and speaks about the stereotypes that usually define them. Thus four males in Masculine are entertained by male companionship, football and sex, while in Feminine four female dancers and one actress, in high hells, and are particular about their hairstyles, weight, glamour…

Using equally the virtuosity of dance movement and the text, by a poet of equal virtuosity, Paulo Ribeiro builds these pieces in an individual style which will both make us laugh and cry.

In Zagreb, the Feminine will be performed live, followed by a video presentation of Masculine (due to dancer injury).

about the choreographer

Paulo Ribeiro was born in Lisbon. Worked as a dancer in several companies in Belgium and in France before becoming known as a choreographer.

His first performance concerning choreographic creation, took place in 1984 in Paris, in the company Stridanse, in which he collaborated as a co-founder and which he took to several contests in the mentioned city, obtaining in 1984, the Humour Award, and in 1985, the 2^nd Award of contemporaneous dance, both in the Volinine contest.

In his return to Portugal, in 1988, he started collaborating with the Lisbon Dance Company and with Ballet Gulbenkian, for which he created Taquicárdia (Revelation Award of the Newspaper “Sete”, in 1988) and Ad Vitam, respectively. With the solo Modo de utilização, interpreted by himself, he comes to represent Portugal in the Europália 91 Festival, in Brussels.

His career as a choreographer expands in the international plan, from 1991 on, with the creation of works for renown companies, such as: Nederlands Dans Theater II (Encantados de servi-lo and Waiting for Volupia), Nederlands Dans Theater III (New Age); Ballet de Genève (Une Histoire de Passion); Centre Chorégraphique de Nevers, Bourgogne (Le Cygne Renversé). He still created for the Ballet Gulbenkian: Inquilinos, Quatro Árias de Ópera (in collaboration with Clara Andermatt, João Fiadeiro and Vera Mantero) and Comédia Off -1.

In the meanwhile, Paulo Ribeiro has been rewarded in 1994, with Acarte Award / Maria Madalena de Azeredo Perdigão due to his work Dançar Cabo Verde, a commend of Lisbon 94 - European Capital of Culture, conjointly produced with Clara Andermatt.

And, in 1995, he founds the Company Paulo Ribeiro, supported by the Ministry of Culture, for which he has been regularly creating choreographies, such as: Sábado 2, Rumor de Deuses, Azul Esmeralda, Memórias de Pedra – Tempo Caído, Orock, Ao Vivo, Comédia Off -2, Tristes Europeus – Jouissez Sans Entraves, Silicone Não and Memories of a Saturday with blue whispers.

Working with his own company allowed him to develop more effectively his personal language as a choreographer. The work Rumor de Deuses was distinguished, in 1996, with the awards: “Circulação Nacional”, attributed by the Instituto Português do Bailado e da Dança, and “Circulação Internacional”, attributed by the Centro Cultural de Courtrai, both concerning contest “Mudanças 96″.

Paulo Ribeiro has been receiving several other relevant awards: “Prix d’Auteur”, in the V Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de Seine Saint-Denis, (France); “New Coreography Award”, attributed by Bonnie Bird Fund-Laban Centre (Great-Britain), “Prix d’Interpretation Collective”, attributed by ADAMI (France); Bordalo Award by Casa da Imprensa (2001).

In accumulation with his work as a choreographer, Paulo Ribeiro held, between 1998 and 2003, the position of General and Artistic Director of Teatro Viriato / CRAE (Centro Regional das Artes do Espectáculo das Beiras), that obtained, in 1999, the Almada Award of the Instituto Português das Artes do Espectáculo, owed to the activity developed in the area of Dance.

Between 2003 and 2005 he was the Artistic Director of Ballet Gulbenkian for whom he created the works White and Organic Beat, Organic Spirit, Organic Cage. “He remounted the performance of White Feeling to the Lorraine Ballet, originally created for the Gulbenkian Ballet, presented in Nancy in October 2006.

In September 2006, he reassumed his functions as general and artistic director of the Viriato Theatre.

about the company

Paulo Ribeiro Company is a Portuguese dance company formed in 1995 as a logical continuation of long time collaboration between choreographer Paulo Ribeiro with some of the most prestigious European dance companies.

During the twelve years of existence (1995-2008) the Company has achieved a leading role among Portuguese dance companies, and has performed on major stages in Portugal, as well as across Europe, in Brazil and across the United States.

With 18 productions, all of which generate interest of both audiences and critics, and with a following that across the world reaches an impressive 75,000 people, the Company has also received numerous awards in recognition of its work.

Since 1998 the Company is based in Teatro Viriato in Vise. Alongside creation of own works and their presentation, the Company collaborates closely with the local community to develop an important educational project which involves regular classes in dance and theatre, and specific projects for schools – which now also take place in a new location in Vise – Lugar Presente.

Masculine

Feminine

http://www.pauloribeiro.com/