Choreography by São Castro
2016 Season program, premiered on September 29, at Teatro Municipal Joaquim Benite, Almada

Photo by Susana Pereira

“The art of losing isn’t hard to master”. So begins one of the most profound and melancholic poems written in 1976 by Elizabeth Bishop, one of the most important North American poets of the twentieth century.

This idea of a special skill in dealing with loss calls for reflection on our relationship with the world and with experience, with mutability and the inevitability of change

The poetic description of the reality of losing something or someone, happens in Bishop’s poem as scars in a visual alphabet emphasizing the practice of loss through wisdom gained in these small or large disasters.

I believe that there is something physically intrinsic about loss: every fall is a lesson for any impulse.

Memory and body are the recipients for these small or large teachings brought about by all loss and it serves as the study material for the construction of this piece. Simple gestures, action, reaction, emotion and all the physical capacity of the body to be understood without an obvious narrative. São Castro

About the author

São Castro began studying dance in Balleteatro Escola Profissional de Dança e Teatro, (Professional dance and theater school) in Porto and has a degree from Escola Superior de Dança in Lisbon. She was part of Balleteatro Companhia, Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo and Ballet Gulbenkian. As a freelance dancer worked with Companhia Paulo Ribeiro, Companhia Olga Roriz, Companhia Clara Andermatt, Rui Lopes Graça, Sofia Silva, Benvindo Fonseca, Vasco Wellenkamp, Quorum Ballet / Daniel Cardoso, Tok'Art / André Mesquita, Ka Fai Choy, Tânia Carvalho, Luis Marrafa and Hofesh Shechter / Companhia Instável. She has created choreographies for the Companhia de Dança do Algarve, Escola de Dança do Conservatório Nacional and recently for the Projecto Quorum. Since 2011, in partnership with António Cabrita, she’s been developing projet | ACSC |, of which 'Play False' premiered in 2014, receiving the Prémio Autores 2015 in the Dança – Melhor Coreografia, (Dance – best choreography), category, awarded by Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores. In a co-production between Companhia Nacional de Bailado and Vo’Arte, she is the co-creater and performer of ‘Tábua Rasa’, along with António Cabrita, Henriett Ventura and Xavier Carmo. São Castro frequently gives lessons and leads workshops in contemporary dance.

Artistic overview

Choreography: São Castro
Performance (original cast): Beatriz Rousseau, Bruno Duarte, Joana Puntel, Luís Malaquias, Mariana Romão, Miguel SantosWardrobe: Nuno Nogueira
Original music: São Castro
Additional music: Prelude in C minor BWV 999, J.S. Bach, interpretado por / Performed by António Cabrita
Lighting design: Cláudia Rodrigues
Rehearsal supervisor: Maria João Lopes
Art consulting: António Cabrita 

Tour

Kunstzentrum Wachsfabrik, Colónia - Germany, August 2, 2020
Cineteatro Municipal João Mota, Sesimbra - Portugal, October 28, 2017
Teatro de Vila Real, Vila Real - Portugal, September 13, 2017
Teatro Municipal de Bragança, Bragança - Portugal, September 9, 2017
Forum Cultural José Manuel Figueiredo, Moita - Portugal, April 29, 2017
Cine-Teatro Avenida, Castelo Branco - Portugal, March 4, 2016
Teatro Sesi, Goiânia - Brazil, October 13, 2016
Teatro Municipal Jaoquim Benite, Almada - Portugal, September 30, 2016

Photos

Video

The project The Art of Losing is supported by

60' | ages 12 and over