LATIN SPIRIT HITS 'THE FESTIVAL'

There will be only two shows at Bangkok's 13th International Festival of Dance and Music this week, leaving the weekend free for the setting-up of three productions by the Mariinsky Theatre. But if you were thinking of bypassing this week's programme and waiting until one of the world's best ballet companies arrives, please read this and reconsider.

Tonight, the Embassy of Brazil hosts the Asian premiere of "Bale de Rua", a Brazilian dance and percussion show that goes back to the country's African roots and ties in modern realities.

After receiving the Herald Angel Award from the Edinburgh Festival in 2008, this show has travelled to world-class festivals, among them Biennale de la Danse in Lyon, France and Sydney Festival and performed at London's Barbican and Sadler's Wells.

After touring around the world for the past two years, this would normally be the year when the company spends most of its time back home. But producer Pierre Morand says, "We made this exception to fly all the way here on Sunday and go back on Wednesday because this is such a prestigious festival."

The show is truly Brazilian in spirit and form. Co-founder, co-director, dancer and musician Jos้ Marciel Silva explains: "There are rhythms that are specific to Brazil, like congado, capoeira and samba. These are mixed with the hip-hop culture that's the technical basis of the company. For the past 20 years, the company has created its own unique style, which is based on the popular culture of Brazil — Afro-Brazilian and street cultures.

"At our cultural centre, we have a school where we train about 200 young people in the 'New Talents' programme, which explains the company's philosophy and techniques," Silva continues. "While we audition singers and musicians, our dancers are selected from this programme. The spirit of the company is family based with much respect for one another. The members are proud of where they come from and they don't need to be ashamed of their poor neighbourhood."

In previous versions, "Bale de Rua", which is also the name of the company, had more narrative but the creators now want to leave more space for the audience's "dreams and imaginations".

A show like "Bale de Rua" is often criticised as a hodgepodge of cultural stereotypes. To that, Silva says, "Apart from day-to-day life in Brazil, there are very spiritual moments in the show. The audience knows that the show is very sincere and its message can touch many people, as it speaks about how poor people use popular art, which is often looked down upon in many countries, to make other people dream, including people from different cultures. When we performed at the Sydney Opera House, many Brazilians attended the show and they're very proud of it. When we're back home in Brazil, people know that it's true soul of Brazil. But in the UK, a few critics thought that we were presenting cultural clich้s. I think their images of Brazil are clich้s."

On Thursday, the Embassy of Germany and the Goethe Institut bring Donlon Dance Company to Bangkok - Southeast Asia in fact - for the first time.

The company's artistic director Marguerite Donlon says her dancers are "excellent movers, passionate about their work, generous in the creative process and open and respectful to one another."

As for the process of transforming Mexican icon Frida Kahlo's artistic works and journal entries into "Casa Azul" - contemporary dance with installation art and live music - Donlon says, "I simply allowed myself to be inspired by Frida Kahlo as an artist, a writer and a woman. What comes out is a personal interpretation. I tried to imagine the connection between her real life and that of her paintings weaving from one to the other seamlessly and creating new images."

Donlan liked Julie Taymor's acclaimed film "Frida", saying that, "I believe that a man could be just as passionate as a women in telling this story, but the man would have to be inspired as much as Julie Taymor and myself."

Donlon says that the company performed two pieces at the Seoul Arts Festival seven years ago and both were well received. "We were very impressed with how so many young people showed up."

She returned to work with the Korean National Opera last June and notes, "It's a wonderful and enriching experience to have the honour of working in another country with a different culture and to bring our ideas together."

Little surprise that Tanz-Ballet magazine wrote, "Her work is far from all artistic ideology and simply incapable of boring her audience."

The rain seems to switch on automatically at 5pm on weekdays now and that makes Bangkok traffic worse than ever. Despite this, I guarantee that both shows are worth your trip to the Thailand Cultural Centre.

Special thanks to Jenjira Van Der Linden, the festival's executive director.

  MOVE IT!

-"Bale de Rua" is staged tonight and "Casa Azul" on Thursday, both at 7:30 at the Thailand Cultural Centre.

-There's a complimentary shuttle bus from the Thailand Cultural Centre subway station.

- Tickets are Bt700 to Bt2,200. Call (02) 262 3191 or visit www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

- For more information, see www.BangkokFestivals.com, www.BaleDeRua.LeSpectacle.fr and www.Donlon.de.

 PAWIT MAHASARINAND

SPECIAL TO THE NATION