Batuke (New York Premier) is Artistic Director Jelon Vieira’s new work for the company’s 34th season. Batuke in Africa means drum playing; in Brazil, it means anything that can make a good sound. The driving force behind this piece will be the rhythms created by the human body movements, by smooth samba steps, Capoeira lethal kicks and the stick dance Maculelé. From lethal kicks to sensuous samba, in Batuke, DanceBrazil does it all and more.

A Jornada (The Path), is a collaborative work created by DanceBrazil’s Artistic Director and Choreographer Jelon Vieira and composer Marcelo Zarvos. The dance, which premiered at the Joyce Theater in New York City in May, 2001, follows the path of Africans to Brazil in a contemporary way. Within this work, the Afro-Brazilian traditional art form of Capoeira is the base, the link to, and an expression of the struggle and liberation of Afro-Brazilian culture. It is considered one of the company’s signature pieces. Generous funding for this work has been given by the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces and by the American Express Foundation.

Memórias (2010) celebrates the roots of African culture growing deep within Brazilian culture. The dancers’ movements reflect the rituals of Afro-Brazilian culture in a specifically contemporary context. Musically, the rich rhythmic diversity of the accompanying music is inspired by Afro Brazilian rhythms of Northern Brazil and the work of renowned composer and percussionist, Nana Vasconcelos and perhaps the most significant Latin-American composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos.