Stay in the Loop
BSR publishes on a weekly schedule, with an email newsletter every Wednesday and Thursday morning. There’s no paywall, and subscribing is always free.
'Ascab Capoeira' at Live Arts/Philly Fringe
Under Capoeira's spell
LEWIS WHITTINGTON
After several shows at the Philadelphia Live Arts/Fringe Festival failed to live up to their highlighted status, it was a real treat to see Ascab Capoeira in a modest studio performance to a lustily appreciative crowd.
Capoeira is a Brazilian dance-pugilism that features breakneck dance challenges and mock kick-boxing. It’s a dance-spell achieved by musical incantation and communal spirit. Capoeira’s signature moves have been lifted by several modern dance practitioners, who who use it to beef up stale choreography. But Capoeira is best seen when performed by the real practitioners of this 400-year-old Brazilian art form.
Capoeira techniques— rightly called “interdisciplinary” by the Fringe publicists— push body physics seemingly to their limit. Handstand jumps, skull pirouettes, horizontal dives, punch-front kicks, forward barrel-rolls and crouching kicks, are some of the standard steps.
“Maculele,” in which a troupe of eight dancers wielded canes, with tribal markings in day-glo paint and illuminated in black-light, flanked by musicians with authentic percussion and bush instruments— tells the tale of a tribal massacre by a vengeful chieftain.
Next is the “Challenge,” in which dance-fighters pair off for bouts, upping the ante each time with high-velocity back-flips, aerial layouts and intertwined oscillating bodies. No one demonstrated more greater natural facility than 13- year- old Patrick Soares, whose speed and precision could have slain both the crouching tiger and the hidden dragon without any special effects required.
LEWIS WHITTINGTON
After several shows at the Philadelphia Live Arts/Fringe Festival failed to live up to their highlighted status, it was a real treat to see Ascab Capoeira in a modest studio performance to a lustily appreciative crowd.
Capoeira is a Brazilian dance-pugilism that features breakneck dance challenges and mock kick-boxing. It’s a dance-spell achieved by musical incantation and communal spirit. Capoeira’s signature moves have been lifted by several modern dance practitioners, who who use it to beef up stale choreography. But Capoeira is best seen when performed by the real practitioners of this 400-year-old Brazilian art form.
Capoeira techniques— rightly called “interdisciplinary” by the Fringe publicists— push body physics seemingly to their limit. Handstand jumps, skull pirouettes, horizontal dives, punch-front kicks, forward barrel-rolls and crouching kicks, are some of the standard steps.
“Maculele,” in which a troupe of eight dancers wielded canes, with tribal markings in day-glo paint and illuminated in black-light, flanked by musicians with authentic percussion and bush instruments— tells the tale of a tribal massacre by a vengeful chieftain.
Next is the “Challenge,” in which dance-fighters pair off for bouts, upping the ante each time with high-velocity back-flips, aerial layouts and intertwined oscillating bodies. No one demonstrated more greater natural facility than 13- year- old Patrick Soares, whose speed and precision could have slain both the crouching tiger and the hidden dragon without any special effects required.
Sign up for our newsletter
All of the week's new articles, all in one place. Sign up for the free weekly BSR newsletters, and don't miss a conversation.
