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2009/10 Original Dance Notes
The Journey Home
Theme: Brazil
Afro-Brazilian Culture
PROGRAM NOTES
Ice Dancers: Kim Navarro and Bent Bommentre
Afro-Brazilian Choreography: Jeannine Osayande, Dunya Performing Arts Company
Ice Dancing Elements Choreography: Renee Roca
Head Coach: Robbie Kaine
Assistant Coach: Cheryl Snyder
Commissioned Brazilian Music: Alex Shaw, Dunya Performing Arts Company
Sound Engineer: Steve Goodsell
Costume Design, accessories: Fatima Lavor-Peters
Costume Assistant: Ms. Bella Kogan
Overview
Brazil has the largest number of African descendents in the world -outside of Nigeria, Africa.
Africa's spirit dances through the cobblestone and dirt streets of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. African-rooted traditions have so shaped Bahia's culture that the northeastern Brazilian State has earned the name "Africa in the Americas." Born of this spirit, the soul-invigorating pulse of Afro-Brazilian music has ignited the rest of the world.
Original Ice Dancing Choreographic Story
The Journey Home is an Afro-Brazilian reflective soul invigorating pulse uniting people across the oceans in their quest to return to that which is good.
Quero Voltar Pra Angola
I Want to Return to Angola
Notes for song (in Portuguese) with English translation:
(Alex Shaw 2009)
Chorus:
Ai ai ai ai Ai ai ai ai
Quero voltar pra Angola I want to return to Angola
Ai ai ai ai Ai ai ai ai
Pra morrer em Luanda To die in Luanda (capital of Angola)
Verse 1:
Quero voltar pra Angola I want to return to Angola
pra lá mesmo que eu vou That's where I will go
Angola é a minha terra Angola is my land
onde bem querido eu sou Where I am dearly wanted
Meu pai vive em Luanda My father lives in Luanda
minha mãe também avô My mother and my grandfather as well
nessa terra bem bonita In this very beautiful land
que tem muito mais amor Where there is much more love
Verse 2: (extended version)
Quando eu voltar pra Angola When I return to Angola
As crianças vão cantar The children will sing
Os tambores estão chamando The drums are calling
Todo mundo vai dançar Everyone is going to dance
A energia cria as ondas The energy creates the waves
Uma festa vai montar A celebration will mount
Alegria enche o povo Happiness fills the people
Pois alí eu vou ficar As right there is where I'll stay
Section I
Section 1 opens with a reference to the (Amazon) rainforest and some of the sounds that one might hear there. Then the rest of the section is based on the music of capoeira, the afro-brasilian martial art originating from Congo-Angola region, featuring a group of berimbaus, the ancient African musical bow used in capoeira. The above song is sung in this section...
Capoeira Angola is a dance fight, a playful sparring involving style, wit, flexibility and strategy. Capoeira weaves intricate movements, spirituality, mental and physical discipline, fight, and philosophy into a unique "game".
As an African-Brazilian art form, Capoeira has roots in the Bantu tradition and was used by enslaved Africans to combat the colonial oppression of the Portuguese rulers. Its practitioners used this powerful weapon of resistance during revolts and in defense of the Quilombos, communities/nations of formally enslaved Africans who organized according to African cultural forms. Hundreds of years old, Capoeira was trained in secrecy for much of its history and was illegal to practice or teach until the late 1930s—almost fifty years after the abolition of slavery in Brazil. Capoeira Angola has remained very rhythmic and ritualistic, and like many other African based traditions, is still orally transmitted from master to student.
To fit the rules of ice dancing, we cleverly inverted the movements so that the arms and upper body reflect what the legs and feet would traditionally in executing specific capoeira movements.
Section II
Section 2 is the musical break down with the drums, tamani (a talking drum) and vocal harmonies... this section is a little tribute to Africa (the roots of much Brazilian culture)... the music opens up at the end of this section keeping only the heartbeat (djembe), vocals, and tamani...
The hand gestures feature in this section are inspired from the sacred orixas (pronounced or-i-sha) dances from the Candomblé religion. The movements originated to honor the Brazilian deities or orixas who represent aspects of life and nature to Candomblé practices.
Candomblé is a spiritual way of life based on traditions of ancestor and nature reverence practiced by the West African slaves and the indigenous people of Brazil. An estimated 80 percent of the people living in Bahia can claim African heritage. Many, including devoted Catholics, still hold religious beliefs from the Yoruba culture of West Africa.
Section III
In Section 3, we head back to Brazil, ending with the samba batucada (Carnaval feel) and we bring back the berimbaus and the vocal melodies/harmonies that were sung in the earlier sections to create a finale... The music colors the air with fun celebrating The Journey Home.
Here Kim and Brent incorporate a blend of traditional Brazilian carnival movements for the arms and upper body with symbolic hand gestures such as the Figa, a traditional Brazilian “good luck” charm with African roots, where the hand is fisted with the thumb between the index and middle fingers. Other dance movements reflect a montage of traditional African and Brazilian inspired dance observing the connection of our communal, individual, spiritual, physical and emotional selves that magnify our greater good.
Costume Design Inspiration
The Costumes are based on designs of Brazil and Angola, Luanda.
Zumbi dos Palmares the King of Angola Janga, a brave slave from Brazil and, Yemonja and Olokun.
The focus is on a Brazilian/African true them, simple, elegant, yet rustic showing Kim and Brent’s nice athletic body figures. The use of cowry shells, which are considered the mouthpieces of the Orixás (spiritual gods) – divination is significant to this form of dance.
Brent’s belt will have shell rings all around as well as the warrior breastplate. The belt will have cowry shells hanging but not too long so we don’t have problems with them breaking and falling. On Brent’s pants, elastic gatherings will have blue fish scale details and cowry shells as well.
Kim’s suit has waves of the sea, fish scale fabric texture, some glitter, some silver, cowry shells appliqués. Her tribal belt has a cowry shell ring and “flaps” made of the fish scale fabric. Her blue and green fabric represents the spirit of water, the medium in which Brent and Kim have dedicated their artistic and creative selves.
In his journey from BRAZIL to ANGOLA, Zumbi prays to Iemanjá and Olokun to bring him back to Angola/ Luanda so he can rest his soul. Alex’s song can be also interpreted as one finding his own true identity by going inside of oneself.
Luanda is by the sea, guarded by Olokun, god of the deep seas and Iemanjá, the divinity of the sea and loving mother of mankind. The same ocean unites Brazil and Angola. Kim and Brent exemplify the power of these two amazing Orixás (Orishas), which are referred to
as one kindred energy.
A Prayer to Olokun
Iba Olokun fe mi lo're. Iba Olokun omo re wa se fun oyi o.
I praise the Spirit of the vast Ocean. I praise the Spirit of the Ocean who is beyond understanding.
Olokun nu ni o si o ki e lu re ye toray. B'omi ta'afi. B'emi ta'afi.
Spirit of the Ocean, I will worship you, as long as there is water in the Sea.
Let there be peace in the ocean. Let there be peace in my soul.
Olokun ni'ka le. Mo juba. Ase.
The Spirit of the Ocean, the ageless one, I give respect. May it be so. |