Rhythm
of the streets
Bruno Beltrao talks to Kelly Apter about the fusion of contemporary dance and hip hop that informs his Festival programme.
runo Beltrao set off on a learning curve
and found himself coming full circle.
The 26-year-old Brazilian choreographer has heen exploring the language of hip hop for l3 years. studying it from every angle. l’or the impressionahle teenager it was love at first sight — the strength and power of top rock. headspins and windmills capturing his imagination. Forming his own company. (irupo de Rua de Niteroi at lo. Beltrao went on to win competitions throughout Brazil. Then. in 2000. as his thirst for knowledge grew. Beltrao turned his hack on what he terms ‘the tricks~ of hreakdance.
linrolling at university in Rio de Janeiro. he discovered that life outside the hreakdance fraternity had much to offer. ‘I was thrown into the arts world where I was in contact with contemporary dance. philosophy and history — and that was the turning point.‘ explains Beltrao. ‘I learned to take a step back from hip hop. to analyse the structure and process and explore how it could he transformed.‘
Taking this new found knowledge hack to his dance company. Beltrao met with resistance. Breakdancers. he discovered. want to dance. not sit around for hours philosophising. liventually his chance came. when an invitation to perform at a contemporary dance festival gave Beltrao the theatrical platform he craved. ‘They wanted us to do a duet.' he explains. ‘.»'\nd l was shocked. because in Bra/ll at that time there were never less than 25 people on stage during a hip hop show. You had to he spectacular not virtuoso.‘
The result was From Popping to Pop or lice-
38 TIIE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 10—1 7 Aug 2006
Beltrao duets in From Popping to Pop; and scenes from his other piece H2 (below)
t'(’l‘.\'(l which. along with ’lk'les‘quur. will form the first half of Beltrao‘s International Festival programme. lixploring how television changes our perception of live theatre. 72'lqu11uf will he performed over six nights with either the aforementioned duet. solo work lie and my t'lmrmgrap/IN in ()3 or the slightly tongue in cheek 'Iim Legit to Quit.
From there. (irupo de Rua de Niteroi moves to the rather more spacious lidinhurgh
‘I WAS THROWN INTO THE ARTS WORLD'
Playhouse for [12. ('reated in 2005. the show features I) of Brazil's fittest streetdancers. all of whom were tracked down personally by Beltrao during a country-wide search. llaving turned his hack on large-scale hip hop shows. Beltrao had spent five years creating works with no more than a handful of dancers. [/2 signalled his return hack to the fold. an
acceptance of hip hop as a \ iahle artform once again.
Taking the four standard elements of any hip hop show l).ling. .\l('ing trapperi. hreakdancing and graffiti Beltrao has added a fifth dimension. space. The ordinarily fixed area of a hip hop performance has heen opened out to incorporate the entire stage. The words ‘hip hop loves the heat of the mosic‘ appear on a large screen. and as the dance progresses the phrase disappears one word at the time.
'11.” is more maturef says Beltrao. ‘\\'L"\e come hack to the physicality of hip hop and no longer deny its strength and power. (‘ontemporary dance has a lot to teach hip hop and hip hop has a lot to teach contemporary dance. They're different worlds with different ideas and y'alucs. and I'm completely comfortahle with that.‘
Telesquat, The Hub, 473 2000, 14-19 Aug, 8pm, £15. H2, Edinburgh Playhouse, 22 & 23 Aug, 8pm, £6.50—£17.50.
73:1,} ~v