In the summer of 2018 I met several dancers who work in Lisbon. I was immediately attracted to the music scene and the dances performed in the street. I had the opportunity to approach two groups: Sankofa Black Gold, who perform daily in Rua Augusta, and Walkin’ Dance, who perform in Chiado. I also met Dino Luk, an Angolan Kuduro dancer. I was very interested in knowing more about the dancers, their practice and their lives, as it seemed to me that their experience could link to other matters such as the history of movement and migration, and the evolution of aesthetic forms derived from it.
The resulting pieces of this interaction are a series of portraits of each dancer. The portraits are small sequences of steps and gestures recorded using the method of Labanotation. I became interested in this method as it allows to record all human movement using a simple set of symbols, thus converting an ephemeral and unique action into an abstract geometrical representation. Even though this method is used to record authored dances, specially for copywriting and conservation purposes, I thought it would be an interesting tool to create a small collection of moments. Each portrait, or notation, relates to a specific movement, performed by a specific individual, in a specific time and place.
The dancers who collaborated with me are Janine Fernandes and Bruna from Sankofa Black Gold; who perform a mix of styles that could mostly fall under the umbrella of Afrohouse. André Gomes and Fabio Silva from Walkin' Dance, who dance in Chiado. They perform different styles: hip hop, breakdance, krump, popping and some heart stopping acrobatics. Both SBG and Walkin’ Dance are comprised of second generation immigrants who describe their practice as a way to elevate the spirit, to escape rough realities and to make a living doing what they love. Following the steps of Sankofa, I found Dino Luk, a kuduro dancer from Angola, who arrived in Lisbon in 2012. He has danced with a group, but he is currently single, and working in collaboration with different dancers.
Order of notations:
Dino, 29/08/2918, Parque das Nações.
Andre, 22/08/2018, Plaça Luís de Camões.
Fabio, 22/08/2018, Plaça Luís de Camões.
Bruna, 21/08/2018, Rua Augusta.
Janine, 21/08/2018, Rua Augusta.
