Pamela Stephenson Connolly and Arlene Phillips present World Premiere of BRAZOUKA at Edinburgh Fringe from 31 July
PAMELA STEPHENSON CONNOLLY, ARLENE PHILLIPS AND BURN THE FLOOR’S FOUNDER HARLEY MEDCALF PRESENT
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF BRAZ DOS SANTOS’
BRAZOUKA
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| cJohnny van Bergen |
DIRECTED BY ARLENE PHILLIPS
WRITTEN BY PAMELA STEPHENSON CONNOLLY
The sensational dance story from the toughest streets of BRAZIL, taking the streets of Edinburgh by storm in 2014!
A journey of intense passion, pulsing music and explosive energy, with Brazil's most thrilling new dance company.
VENUE: MAIN HALL, Assembly Hall, Mound Place, EH1 2LU (Main Hall)
31 July – 26 AUGUST 2014 @ 5.30PM (75 MINS)
Pamela Stephenson Connolly, Arlene Phillips and Harley Medcalf, founder of Burn the Floor, are proud to announce that they will be bringing the world premiere production of Braz Dos Santos' BRAZOUKA to the Edinburgh Festival in 2014. This unique dance-drama, directed by world-famous choreographer Arlene Phillips, is performed by Brazil's most thrilling new troupe, who introduce the sensational dance language of lambazouk and other authentic Afro-Brazilian dances in a stunning variety of styles.
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| Braz dos Santos, Pamela Stephenson Connolly, Gilson Damasco - cJohnny van Bergen |
Braz Dos Santos is widely acknowledged to be the very best freestyle lambazouk dancer in the world. It is his personal story of a struggle to scramble onto the world’s stage from the toughest streets of Brazil that has inspired ‘Brazouka’. From modest beginnings as teenage fishermen, Dos Santos and his brother Didi witnessed the birth of the lambada dance form by peeking through the door of the local bordello. Discovered dancing in flip flops in a beach bar, Dos Santos and his brother were asked to come to Paris (a place they had never heard of) to dance the lambada, which had become known as the ‘’Forbidden Dance”. The boys’ father, a shaman in the Candomblé religion, forbade them but the choice for Braz was clear; with truly precarious fishing the only other option, it was a case of ‘dance or die…’.
Pamela Stephenson Connolly is the driving force, writer and inspiration behind Brazouka. Shortly after her stint in the final of BBC’s mega-hit Strictly Come Dancing, her pursuit to find the real passion in dancing led her to Brazil, where she was able to open her senses to a whole new world, studying lambazouk, samba de gaffiera, samba nu pe, and forro - as she says: ‘the most fabulous Brazilian dances you’ve never seen!’. In partnership with the Dos Santos brothers she founded ‘The Brazilliant Dance Company’ and BRAZOUKA was born.
Arlene Phillips is a highly celebrated choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, TV presenter, TV judge and former dancer, who found success in many fields of entertainment. She is a most noted choreographer of numerous West End and Broadway musicals, films and television shows, and has since achieved mainstream fame as a judge on television talent shows including Strictly Come Dancing and So You Think You Can Dance.
Pamela Stephenson Connolly is the driving force, writer and inspiration behind Brazouka. Shortly after her stint in the final of BBC’s mega-hit Strictly Come Dancing, her pursuit to find the real passion in dancing led her to Brazil, where she was able to open her senses to a whole new world, studying lambazouk, samba de gaffiera, samba nu pe, and forro - as she says: ‘the most fabulous Brazilian dances you’ve never seen!’. In partnership with the Dos Santos brothers she founded ‘The Brazilliant Dance Company’ and BRAZOUKA was born.
Arlene Phillips is a highly celebrated choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, TV presenter, TV judge and former dancer, who found success in many fields of entertainment. She is a most noted choreographer of numerous West End and Broadway musicals, films and television shows, and has since achieved mainstream fame as a judge on television talent shows including Strictly Come Dancing and So You Think You Can Dance.
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| Arlene Phillips - cJohnny van Bergen |
The Brazouka company are: Braz dos Santos and Romina Hidalgo; Gilson Damasco and Natasha Terekhina; Bebe Duarte and Sarita Piotrowski; Carlos Da Silva and Fernanda Da Silva ; Anderson Mendes da Rocha and Brenda de Carvalho ; Zulu and Adriana da Silveira; Rodrigo de Oliveira and Josta O’Niel; and Wellington Dos Santos and Josy Borges de Souza.
Following the inaugural season at the Fringe, Brazouka will then go worldwide, moving to the Mandela Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 3 to 19 October 2014, before a tour of Australia visiting Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, with further dates to be announced in May 2014.
Brazouka is produced by Harley Medcalf, with Arlene Phillips and Pamela Stephenson-Connolly.
LISTINGS
VENUE: Main Hall, Assembly Hall
TIME: 5.30pm (1 hour 15)
DATES 31 July, 1 August (Previews) 2 – 25 August, except 11 & 18 August
TICKETS: Preview price £12
£18 (£15 concs) 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25 August
£19 (£16 concs) 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24 August
Tickets now on sale via www.edfringe.com
BOX OFFICE: Assembly - 0131 623 3030 (live no later than 27 May) Ed Fringe - 0131 226 0000 (live 5 June)
BOOKINGS: http://www.assemblyfestival.com/
Following the inaugural season at the Fringe, Brazouka will then go worldwide, moving to the Mandela Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 3 to 19 October 2014, before a tour of Australia visiting Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, with further dates to be announced in May 2014.
Brazouka is produced by Harley Medcalf, with Arlene Phillips and Pamela Stephenson-Connolly.
LISTINGS
VENUE: Main Hall, Assembly Hall
TIME: 5.30pm (1 hour 15)
DATES 31 July, 1 August (Previews) 2 – 25 August, except 11 & 18 August
TICKETS: Preview price £12
£18 (£15 concs) 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25 August
£19 (£16 concs) 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24 August
Tickets now on sale via www.edfringe.com
BOX OFFICE: Assembly - 0131 623 3030 (live no later than 27 May) Ed Fringe - 0131 226 0000 (live 5 June)
BOOKINGS: http://www.assemblyfestival.com/
