Created in 1991 for the Europalia festival, where Nova Dança Portuguesa [New Portuguese Dance] first gained international recognition, this solo, which is still being performed after almost three decades, is a core work in Vera Mantero’s choreographic oeuvre. 

In Talvez ela pudesse dançar primeiro e pensar depois [Perhaps she could dance first and think later], Mantero discovered a part of her choreographic identity, lexicon of movements, stage presence, and the instruments and elements with which she creates and performs: a body that does not disregard gestures, hands, face and expressions but includes them, recognising them as part of a “body-person” that is constantly trying to grapple with whatever is traversing it, exposing it to the responses of a vibrant body that clashes into the time-cadence and plays with it like a child with marbles. As improvisation, it provided her with the minutiae, speed and freedom that a choreographed dance could not.

As part of the dance not dance programme, this (re)performance is a rare intersection between the protagonists of Nova Dança Portuguesa [New Portuguese Dance] and the National Ballet of Portugal (CNB). In it, the improvisation-based solo is performed by Paulina Santos, the CNB’s soloist ballerina, to whom Mantero transmits it.

Within the same programme, Luís Guerra visits Almada Negreiros’ choreographic work with an original creation – Almada Negreiros, o bailarino [Almada Negreiros, the dancer] – which will be presented on the same day, followed by a talk with both artists and Paulina Santos, moderated by Alexandre Melo.

Image © José Fabião. O Rumo do Fumo

dance not dance

This event is included in the (re)performances, films and talks series which constitutes the first part of dance not dance – archaeologies of the new dance in Portugal. More info.