Pollock’s brush in choreographies

Choreographer Esther Weitzman has a keen eye for casting. After gathering female dancers of different generations in the feminist and feminine “Jogo de Damas” (2013), she has a significant stake in “Dançar (não) é preciso”, which shows five young performers bursting with energy and the task to convert Jackson Pollock’s explosive painting into the driving force of the dance piece.

Pollock’s artistic innovations that overwhelmed an entire generation from 1960 onwards take shape onstage, contributing to the atmosphere of such an intense and brief performance.

To start with, just as Pollock’s paintings ripped the edges of the immense canvases, thus establishing a new relationship between art, public and the world at large, Weitzman also reconfigures the choreographic space of the Cacilda Becker Theater, emulating a greater proximity to the audience.

The nuanced lighting design by José Geraldo Furtado insistently illuminates the performers as well as the audience, while the dance movements take place in a runway of sorts where Dandara Patroclo, Fagner Santos, João Mandarino, Julia Gil and Pedro Quaresma (who co-sign the piece along with Weitzman) embody brushes and paint in the hands of the choreographer for an impulsive writing of abrupt gestures that follow in different directions like Pollock’s paintings. It is pure explosion of movement in continuous flow.

Published in O Globo newspaper, on April 18th, 2016. Written by Adriana Pavlova.

Ficha Técnica / Credits

Concepção/composição /direção |concept/composition

Esther Weitzman

Bailarinos/Criadores  | Dancers/Creation

Dandara Pratoclo/Fagner Santos/João Mandarino/Julia Gil/Pedro Quaresma

Bailarina Participante da criação

Luisa Helena

Ensaiadora| rehearser

Miriam Weitzman

Desenho de luz|Lighting design

José Geraldo Furtado

Projeto Gráfico | Graphic design

Flavio Pereira

Figurino |  Costume design

Miriam Weitzman e Esther Weitzman

Fotos  | Photography

Renato Mangolin

Assessoria de imprensa e divulgação | Press Agent

Claudia Oliveira

Professores Oficineiros |Workshops

Marcela Levi e Thereza Rocha

Professores convidados |Guest teachers

Paulo Mantuano/Julia Gil/Maria Machado/Miriam Weitzman/Roberta Repetto/Luana Gutmacher

Redação de textos |Text

Thereza Rocha

 Tradução| Translation

André Bern

Operação de luz | Lightingboard operation

Raphael Cassou

Direção de produção  | Production management 

Sabrine Muller

Produção Executiva  |Executive production

Manuela Weitzman

Assistente  de Produção| Assistent Production

Magno Ribeiro

Produção  |Production

Abraço Produções

Realização| Realization

Esther Weitzman Companhia de Dança