Vibrant Brazilian Dance Company Returns to the Wex

“Brazil’s leading ambassadors of contemporary dance...arguably the best on the planet.”— Globe and Mail (Toronto)

The electrifying Brazilian dance company Grupo Corpo returns to the Wexner Center’s Mershon Auditorium on Saturday, March 22 at 8 pm with the U.S. premiere of a new work Breu. Known for its sexy physicality and dramatic visual flair, Grupo Corpo creates a vibrant and seamless blend of balletic grace and modern dance flavored with the hip- swiveling exuberance of Carnival sambas and their Afro- Brazilian roots. The group will perform the U.S. premiere of its newest work, Breu (“darkness”), set to the music of Brazilian singing sensation Lenine, and one other piece, Benguele. France’s Le Monde hails Grupo Corpo’s "striking power and originality," "impeccable delivery," and "searing sensuality elegantly under control."

Grupo Corpo: Breu Photo: José Luiz Pederneiras

The group was formed in Brazil in 1975 by the brothers Paulo and Rodrigo Paderneiras and has enjoyed international success. Following Grupo Corpo’s Columbus debut at the Wexner Center in 2002 with O Corpo and 21, the Columbus Dispatch wrote: “The crisp precision of the company is astonishing,” noting its “seemingly endless capacity to fascinate.” Visit www.grupocorpo.com.br for more.

A free pre-performance talk will be held in Mershon Auditorium at 7 pm featuring Lúcia Costigan, associate professor in Ohio State’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese, on how Benguele celebrates the deeply rooted African tradition within Brazilian culture.

CALENDAR INFORMATION for GRUPO CORPO: The dynamic Brazilian contemporary dance troupe will perform Saturday, March 22 at 8 pm in the Wexner Center’s Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St. Pre-show talk at 7 pm. Tickets are $26 for the general public, $20 for members and BalletMet subscribers, and $10 for students. $5 High 5 tickets are available for middle- and high-school students at least a day before the show at the Wexner Center Ticket Office. Call 292-3535, www.wexarts.org or www.ticketmaster.com.

Event and Season Support: Grupo Corpo is sponsored by Petrobras.

Presented by the Wexner Center in association with BalletMet Columbus.

Major support for the Wexner Center’s 2007–08 performing arts season is generously provided by Huntington Bank, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and The Columbus Foundation.

Significant contributions are also made by Morgan Stanley and Nationwide Foundation.

Additional season funding is provided by the Ohio Arts Council, the Corporate Annual Fund of the Wexner Center Foundation, and Wexner Center members.

Preferred accommodations: The Blackwell Inn.