Testosterone

Testosterone envisaged by Brazilian-born choreographer Newton Moraes is uniquely collaborative. Within this theatrical laboratory, the dancers move beyond socially expected responses to the pressing issues of sexual politics playfully expressing the myriad kinetic possibilities of hybrid humanity in a post-gender world. 

Newton Moraes Dance Theatre is celebrating its 19th Anniversary with the world premiere of TESTOSTERONE from April 28 to May 01 at 8 p.m. at the Dancemakers Theatre.

Dancemakers Centre for Creation, 9 Trinity St. # 313, Distillery District, Toronto.

As part of Danceworks/Co-works Series Events

Tickets:  $25 General Admission; $20 Seniors, CADA Members and Students

INFO: (647) 920-2883

Buy your tickets here: http://www.newtonmoraesdancetheatre.com/upcoming.html

Choreographer: Newton Moraes. Performers: Emilio Colalillo, Falciony Patino Cruz, Jason Martin, Marco Placencio and Shakeil Rollock. Lighting Designer: Gabriel Cropley. Photographer: Cylla von Tiedemann.

Testosterone was created with the support of Ontario Arts Council. Many thanks to our fabulous performers, Gabriel Cropley, Danceworks and Mimi Beck, Dance Ontario Association and Rosslyn Jacobs, Dance Collection Danse, Toronto Dance Theatre and Christopher House, COBA-Collective of Black Artists, Bakari Lindsay, Charmaine Headley, Patricia Marcoccia, Maziar Ghaderi, Geary Lane, Julie Hanson and Kent Weddington.

Media Support: Dance Collection Danse, Dance Current, Brasil News and Tania Nuttall, Brazilian Wave Magazine, Discover Brazil Magazine and Leila Monteiro, Fala Brasil and Jose Francisco Schuster, K Buena Radio and Martha Cecilia Checa, Oi Toronto, Now Magazine. Photo Credit: Cylla von Tiedemann.

Newton Moraes Dance Theatre is a company dedicated to the creation, performance and production of contemporary dance works to explore, maintain and develop the links between the arts from Canada and Latin America through the artistic vision and knowledge of its founder and artistic director: Newton Moraes. This includes the examination of Brazilian culture and the development of new forms of contemporary artistic expression.

Lecture: Orixás Dance: Afro-Brazilian Religion and Rituals by Newton Moraes

Iansã by Carybé

The Orixás Dance usually occurs in a church-type space, called terreiro. During these ceremonies we dance. In general, it is mostly for the underprivileged. Even before the abolition of slavery, this was a taboo form, but it is becoming much more open. I come from a lineage of Batuque that was called Cambinda. In Cambinda, when you’re dancing, you dance for the living but you also dance for the dead. So the dead we call eguns – a spirit of the dead person for whom we have great respect. Also, we arrange a table with all kinds of amazing food and things that this person loved, as well as a doll that represents the person. Then we start dancing counter-clockwise around the table. The drums are loose and strong and it can brings very powerful feelings. These feelings can generate in some Christians fear, because our rituals are misunderstood. Sometimes, is is considered evil simply because there is drumming.  However, the Candomblé is nothing more than a fusion of Christian and African divinities.


Date: Tuesday, October 6th
Time: 3:00pm
Local: TF 102 (Teefy Hall - 57 Queen's Park Crescent East)
Free Admission

Newton Moraes

Newton Moraes was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil. At an early age he started dancing samba, and then studied physical education at the Unisinos University in Porto Alegre. Later, he studied Afro-Brazilian dance, jazz and street dancing. In 1991, he moved to Toronto where he studied modern and contemporary dance in The School of Toronto Dance Theatre's Professional Training Program. Since his arrival in Canada in 1991, Moraes has choreographed more than fifty works, both for himself and other dancers. Moraes has collaborated with several choreographers, including Patrick Parson in "Orixás Voice" (2003) and "Dancing Spirits" (2004) created for the Ballet Creole. In 1997, he founded Newton Moraes Dance Theatre, which has toured in Brazil, Colombia, the U.S. and Germany. Some of Moraes' mentors include Jean Sasportes, Fred Traugth, David Earle, Patricia Beatty, Danny Grossman, Patrick Parson, Marcelo do Nascimento and José do Nascimento (Brazil). Moraes was a board member of Dance Ontario for more than six years and is a member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists (C.A.D.A.).

Further Readings:
Faith and Freedom [African heritage of Brazil] by Robert W. Shirley
Umbanda by Peter Fry

Newton Moraes Dance Theatre: New Performances on February 04 to 07 @ 8pm

New performances at Winchester Theatre, February 04 to 07 at 8pm.
Unique performance at the Four Seasons for the Performing Arts on January 06, 2015 at noon. It is a free performance of Brazil, The Land of Tears and Soul.  This is a very beautiful, passionate dance created in collaboration with company’s dancers that included African-Brazilian culture and many emotions and feelings from Brazil’s cultural pot.

Photos by Cylla von Tiedermann.