Jacob's Pillow Welcomes Brazilian Hip-Hop Ensemble Companhia Urbana de Danca, Now thru 7/14

Companhia Urbana de Danca, a dynamic company from Brazil performs acclaimed works Chapa Quente and ID: ENTIDADES in the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival today, July 10-14.

Co-founded in 2004 by Artistic Director and choreographer Sonia Destri Lie and dancer Tiago Sousa, the company was ranked as one of Time Out New York's "Top Ten" dance performances following their U.S. premiere in 2010. From the streets of Rio de Janeiro, they fuse hip-hop, contemporary, and Brazilian social dance movement vocabularies into one high-energy performance. Investigating dance as a universal condition of being, Companhia Urbana de Dan?a presents a show that is not only full of fun, but smart and artistic as well.

The vibrant company is known for their eclectic mix of hip-hop dance and athletic acrobatics, and as Robert Gottlieb of The New York Observer commented on their New York debut, Companhia Urbana de Dan?a is simply a group of, "...terrific guys mixing hip-hop and modern-dance moves in a totally satisfying work...For once, hip-hop was used to an artistic end and not merely as exhibitionism, however exciting."

Set to Brazilian composer Rodrigo Mar?al's electronic score of distinctive sounds and driving rhythms, ID: ENTIDADES (2008) offers an introspective look into each dancer's life story and way of moving. Rather than putting the familiar element of street competition on display, these men share in one community, offering softness to the traditionally aggressive form of hip-hop dance. This particular work showcases Destri's knack for subtlety as an innovative choreographer of complex works, incorporating cultural diversity and explorations of the human experience alike.

Literally translated as "hot plate" in Portuguese, Chapa Quente (2010) interweaves samba and hip-hop techniques into one high-intensity work. As Gia Kourlas of The New York Times describes, "The slang phrase, which originated in the favelas, Rio de Janeiro's slums, can refer to an imminent confrontation or, perversely, to a party that is going strong. It's really about adrenaline." For many of the dancers, Chapa Quente treads the line between performance and reality.

Companhia Urbana de Dan?a is composed of eight performers, most of whom grew up dancing in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Having to either walk several miles or sneak onto the community bus just to get to class each week, many of the dancers found themselves aggressively pursuing their passion for dance in an otherwise unsupportive community. Using dance as a way of escaping the everyday challenges of life in Rio, the members of Companhia Urbana maintain a sense of ferocity in their repertory, using it as inspiration for their performances.

In addition to the six performances, Companhia Urbana de Dan?a will participate in a PillowTalk on Saturday, July 13 at 4pm. B-Girl Looks at B-Boys will feature Artistic Director Sonia Destri Lie discussing her dynamic work, as informed by her love for hip-hop and b-boy dance styles.

Company History: Founded in Brazil in 2004 by dancer Tiago Sousa and choreographer and Artistic Director Sonia Destri Lie, Companhia Urbana de Dan?a is an ensemble of street performers working to foster the human experience through dance. Destri's experiences traveling through Europe for work in theater, dance, and films exposed her to hip-hop and b-boy techniques. Highly influenced by Brazilian street forms, she began to integrate these techniques into her already established contemporary movement sensibility. Pulling from the favelas of Rio where many of her company members grew up, Companhia Urbana de Dan?a aims to transcend cultural boundaries, while showcasing eclectic skill sets.

Companhia Urbana de Danca will perform at the Ted Shawn Theatre, today, July 10 through Saturday, July 13 at 8pm and Saturday, July 13 and Sunday, July 14 at 2pm.

• Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered in Blake's Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
• A Post-Show Q&A with artistic personnel from Companhia Urbana de Dan?a and Scholar-in-Residence Philip Szporer will take place onstage onFriday, July 12.
• Tickets $39-$69. $10 Youth Tickets, sponsored by ALEX, are available for Friday, July 5 at 8pm, Saturday, July 6 at 2pm, and Sunday, July 7 at 2pm (must be accompanied by an adult ticket).
• Under 35 Friday Tickets are available by phone or in person for $19 on Friday, July 5 (ages 18-35), two per person, must show I.D. when picking up tickets.
• Now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at the Jacob's Pillow Box Office.
• Box Office Hours: Sunday through Tuesday, 11am-5pm, Wednesday through Saturday 11am-8pm.
• Jacob's Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket, MA, 01223 (10 minutes east on Route 20 from Mass Pike Exit 2). The Jacob's Pillow campus and theatres are handicapped-accessible.

Jacob's Pillow, marking its 81st Festival in 2013, is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and home to America's longest running international dance festival. TheFestival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and 350 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, and events. The School at Jacob's Pillow, one of the most prestigious professional dance training centers in the U.S., encompasses the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various disciplines of arts administration, design, video, and production. The Pillow's extensive Archives, open year-round to the public, chronicle more than 80 years of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and video. Year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults through public classes, residencies in area schools, and more than 200 free public events. Through Jacob's Pillow Curriculum in Motion, a nationally-recognized program, artist-educators work with Berkshire County teachers and students grades K-12, transforming curricula such as biology, literature, and history into kinesthetic and creative learning experiences. Creative Development Residencies, in which dance companies are invited to live and work at the Pillow and enjoy unlimited studio time; choreography commissions; and the annual $25,000 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award all support visionary dance artists and choreographers. Virtual Pillow is aimed at expanding global audiences for dance and offers the opportunity to experience dance and Jacob's Pillow from anywhere in the world via online interactive exhibits, global video networks, and social media. As part of the Virtual Pillow initiative, Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive is a curated online video collection of dance highlights from 1936 to today. On March 2, 2011, President Obama honored Jacob's Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government. Jacob's Pillow is the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award. For more information, visit www.jacobspillow.org.