“Lethes em Bruto - Dancing Memorial” is a Site Specific Festival, totally free and open to the community, which will have its first edition on September 9, 10 and 11, 2021, in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
“Lethes em Bruto - Dancing Memorial” is a Site Specific Festival, totally free and open to the community, which will have its first edition on September 9, 10 and 11, 2021, in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. It is a project supported by the Municipality of Viana do Castelo, having been the winner of the competition Viana Jovens Com Talento 2020.
Lethes arises from the urgency in dynamism and movement shared by two artists from Viana, who come together in a union of efforts and creativity, in the search to empower Viana do Castelo. A festival made by "Vianenses", for Viana and everyone who passes by.
The initial question that was posed was how to unite the potential of a city with history to the practice of dance, and other performing arts, to which the answer became evident: performances in site specific format.
Thus, and succinctly, the aim of this festival is to use different places in the city, drawing inspiration from its history and specific characteristics, giving them life through bodies and, ultimately, art.
This festival has as its main moment this performative part, in which the audience will be led, through the day trip «Entre Marés e Rio» and the night trip «Ana Enamorada». These performances feature a cast of 12 young "Vianenses" artists.
It also includes a training part, through workshops:
- Dance, Theater and site specific – from 6 to 10 years old by Carolina Sendim and Inês Fernandes
- Contemporary dance and site specific – from 11 to 14 by Victor Gomes
- Contemporary dance and site specific – from 15 years old by Victor Gomes
- Dance and site specific for families – Juliana Fernandes and Mariana Pombal
It is also intended to create moments of sharing and coexistence with the artists, through informal conversations, and also a photography exhibition with records of the artistic residency that will take place between the 23rd of August and the 7th of September.
Although the Festival already has some monetary support, we have the desire to achieve excellence and be able to access a higher quality of materials, and still contribute as deserved with fees from our wonderful team, who are working to make everything possible since September 2020.
About the author
Both graduated in dance from the Escola Superior de Dança and emerging artists in their hometown, Mariana and Juliana, aged 26 and 25, join together in the production and direction of the Lethes em Bruto Festival.
Juliana Fernandes finishes her training at Performact in 2020, and has developed her work in the area of creation highlighting the following pieces: "to the right where the sun rises, in front","When the bells don't chime", " Ever yours, faded love". She also co-created, with Victor Gomes, the duet «In the absence of Tenderness, on tour. She has also developed work in the field of teaching, whether classical, contemporary or creative dance for children and young people between Viana do Castelo and Torres Vedras, also having a workshop on «Improvisation in a scenic context». He taught research and improvisation in the 2021/22 school year in the Intensive Course of Contemporary Dance Performact, where he created the piece "Sonata for vacuum and H. strings" for students.
Mariana finishes her training as a registered teacher at the Royal Academy of Dance (London) – Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies, in 2018. Since 2015 until now, she has been a teacher of classical ballet and contemporary dance. As a creator, the play “ANYWAY...ACIDS!”, in 2015, presented at the Auditorium of Escola Superior de Dança. In 2018, the play “A Pequena Caixinha” premieres at the ACEP Auditorium and, in 2019, it is presented at the Café Concerto at Teatro Municipal Sá de Miranda, in Viana do Castelo. From 2018 to the present, he has been working as a choreographic assistant with Companhia de Teatro do Noroeste – Centro Dramático de Viana. She developed her work as an interpreter and co-creator in the project and performance Zoodificação, presented at the Guimarães Noc Noc Performing Arts Festival, in October 2018. More recently, in March 2021, she participated as a dancer and actress in the play by Teatro do Noroeste - Centro Dramático de Viana, “O Palhaço Verde”.
The Lethes em Bruto team also has:
- area of communication and image, developed by transmedia artist Gil Monteverde and designer Inês Costa
- choreographers and guest artists, including the dancer and creator Victor Gomes, and the Viennese artists Carolina Sendim (dancer) and Inês Fernandes (actress)
- responsible for image and sound – Wallace Wong
- cast of dancers (from Viana) Andreia Alpuim, Catarina Marques, Cristiana Neto, Inês Moutinho, Juliana Torres, Mar, Marta Cardoso, Maria Carmo, Miguel Soares, Luísa Gonçalves
- support and musical accompaniment of the musicians and students of ARTEAM – Escola Profissional Artística do Alto Minho
