Companhia de Dança de São Paulo

Companhia de Dança de São Paulo
Name	Companhia de Dança de São Paulo
Founded	2008
Founder	Fernando Pinto
Location	São Paulo, Brazil
Genre	Contemporary dance, Ballet

Companhia de Dança de São Paulo Companhia de Dança de São Paulo is a professional contemporary ballet company based in São Paulo, Brazil, founded in 2008. The company has engaged with Brazilian cultural institutions such as the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, collaborated with international presenters like the Festival d'Avignon, and maintains ties with academic bodies including the Universidade de São Paulo and the Escola de Dança Maria Olenewa. Its work spans choreographic repertory, new commissions, and educational outreach across venues like the Teatro Alfa, Teatro Sérgio Cardoso, and festivals such as Sesc_Verso.

History

Founded in 2008 by director Fernando Pinto and a consortium of artists linked to the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo and the Secretaria de Cultura do Estado de São Paulo, the company emerged from a milieu that included the Balé da Cidade de São Paulo, the Balé Teatro Guaíra, and the legacy of Maguy Marin-influenced contemporary movements. Early seasons featured choreographers associated with the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro circuit and collaborations with institutions like the MASP, the Instituto Tomie Ohtake, and the Centro Cultural São Paulo. The ensemble's development paralleled national initiatives such as those by the Ministério da Cultura and state funding mechanisms like the ProAC program.

Artistic Direction and Repertoire

Under artistic directors influenced by figures such as Maurice Béjart, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, and Brazilian choreographers like Lidija Santos, the repertory balances neoclassical and contemporary vocabularies. The company has staged works by visiting choreographers from the Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as well as commissions from creators linked to the Staatsballett Berlin, Dutch National Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet. Repertoire seasons have included repertory evenings referencing scores by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Igor Stravinsky, John Cage, and contemporary composers linked to the OSESP and the Orquestra Filarmônica de São Paulo.

Dancers and Training

The company recruits dancers trained at institutions like the Escola Municipal de Bailados de São Paulo, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the Juilliard School, with alumni who previously danced with the Bayerisches Staatsballett, English National Ballet, and Het Nationale Ballet. Training integrates methods from teachers connected to Vaganova method, Balanchine technique, and contemporary pedagogy associated with studios such as the Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal school and the Limon Institute. The company runs trainee programs in partnership with the Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo and exchange residencies with institutions like the Mercury Workshop and the Ballets de Monte-Carlo.

Collaborations and Touring

Touring history includes national tours to the Festival de Inverno de Campos do Jordão, appearances at the Bienal de Dança de Lyon, participation in the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and South American exchanges with the Teatro Colón, Teatro Solís, and the Teatro Municipal de Santiago. Collaborative projects have linked the company with choreographers and institutions such as Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Ohad Naharin, Martha Graham School, and composers from the Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do SESC. Partnerships with presenters like APAP and the European Festivals Association have extended touring to venues in Paris, Berlin, New York City, Tokyo, and Lisbon.

Notable Productions and Commissions

Notable productions include world premieres choreographed by domestic and international figures, collaborations with visual artists from the MAC USP and set designers from the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. Commissioned works have used scores by Arnaldo Antunes, Gilberto Gil, Philip Glass, and experimental sound designers from O CAOS. The company has mounted full-length narrative works and mixed-bill evenings that reference repertory from the American Ballet Theatre and innovative contemporary pieces associated with the Hofesh Shechter Company.

Awards and Recognition

The ensemble and its productions have been recognized with national prizes such as awards from the Prêmio Governador do Estado de São Paulo and international commendations from festivals like the Festival Internacional de Dança Contemporânea de Montpellier and the Prix de Lausanne circuit for associated artists. Individual dancers and choreographers have received fellowships from institutions including the Fundação Vitae, the British Council, and grants from the Fundo Nacional de Cultura.

Venue and Administration

The company operates administrative offices in São Paulo with production support from the Secretaria Municipal de Cultura de São Paulo and rehearsal partnerships at studios like the Estação Pinacoteca and the Centro de Dança do Teatro Paulo Machado de Carvalho. Management structures have engaged executives with backgrounds at the Fundação Stickel and legal counsel familiar with frameworks of the Ministério do Turismo for cultural export. Venues for performance have included municipal stages such as the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, commercial houses like the Teatro Bradesco, and alternative spaces curated by the Sesc São Paulo network.

Category:Culture in São Paulo Category:Brazilian dance companies Category:Contemporary dance