10th Anniversary

Patuá Dance celebrating

Patuá Dance celebrated its tenth anniversary with a cultural exchange between Wales and Brazil. This was the starting point for further collaborations with Brazil. For its second decade the company envisages expanding its work into new and varied fields.

For the first part of the cultural exchange the company brought Cupuaçu, a folk dance and music group from Maranhão Brazil, to work in Wales in September/October 2003. Following Patuá Dance went to Brazil in February/March 2004 to perform at 10 open air parks in Saō Paulo and Santos as well as delivering workshops. Patuá Dance as very well received in Brazil by a number of different audiences and the national media.

Patuá Dance aimed to reach and benefit as many people as possible with its project. The cultural exchange project was wide-ranging with Cupuaçu and Patuá Dance visiting many primary and secondary schools around Wales working with both children and teachers. They also delivered a series of open workshops and performances at several venues in Wales. All the workshops were delivered in Portuguese and translated to English or Welsh, which brought a different and interesting aspect to the sessions. Workshops and shows were attended by a wide variety of audiences including multicultural schools, Welsh-medium schools, young people with behavioural problems, young people in dance training and Inset training for teachers. In Brazil, Patuá Dance's shows also attracted diverse audiences including lots of young people, adults, eldery from a wider sector of society. It was possible to see a respectable lady next to a prostitute next to a homeless next to a poor child next to university teachers all watching and enjoying Patuá Dance performance. The company also performed and gave a workshop and a talk at a “Favela” (slum) in Saō Paulo and is now working in further exchanges with them.

Comments from participants:
“I learned lots.”
“Great for lifting your mood!”
“Fantastic fun! Very professional.”
“Brilliant, enjoyable experience of other cultures.”
“It gave lots of ideas of things to do with my pupils.”
“It gave me lots of ideas of things to do with my pupils.”
“I was very interested in hearing about Brazilian culture first hand.”
“That life is very diverse.”

This project was made possible with the support of The Arts Council of Wales and KLM airline and the essential volunteer help from Patuá Dance members, the board of directors and friends of the company.