FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: 
Sarah Chambless Federer
Gambel Communications
sarahc@gambelpr.com
985-373-5271

New Orleans, LA (September 19, 2016) - New Orleans Ballet Association's (NOBA) 2016-17 Main Stage Season kicks off with Olympic-style excitement and the long-awaited return of Brazil's Grupo Corpo on Saturday, October 15 at 8PM at the Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts. Founded in 1975 by two brothers, artistic director and designer Paulo Pederneiras and choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, this company of "arguably some of the best dancers on the planet" (The Globe and Mail) revolutionized contemporary dance with an exotic, vibrant fusion of ballet, modern and hip-swiveling Brazilian styles. Created especially for the company's 40th anniversary, the evening features two breathtaking new works that "ooze perfection" (Critical Dance), including Dança Sinfônica by Rodrigo Pederneiras and Suíte Branca created by former company member Cassi Abranches.

Single tickets for Grupo Corpo begin at $24 and can be purchased through the New Orleans Ballet Association Box Office at (504) 522-0996 or www.NOBAdance.com, and through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. Subscriptions for NOBA's 2016-17 Season and discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more, students and seniors are also available.

GRUPO CORPO PROGRAM
Dança Sinfônica
Choreography: Rodrigo Pederneiras
Music: Marco Antônio Guimarães
Set Design: Paulo Pederneiras
Costume Design: Freusa Zechmeister

Created for Grupo Corpo's 40th Anniversary, Dança Sinfônica has a memorialist theme crafted by artistic director Paulo Pederneiras and choreographed by Rodrigo Pederneiras. Over 1,000 photographic snapshots from the private collections of professionals who have collaborated with the company over the last four decades make up the grand and stunning backdrop. The choreography takes inspiration from sections of classic works from the company's full repertoire to shape this new work and celebrate this milestone anniversary. Marco Antônio Guimarães' original score is the first symphony composed especially for the company and samples music passages from soundtracks of other Grupo Corpo ballets.

Suíte Branca
Choreography: Cassi Abranches
Music: Samuel Rosa
Set Design: Paulo Pederneiras
Costume Design: Freusa Zechmeister

Gorgeously costumed and set in pure white against a background that reveals textured peaks and valleys like a giant glacier, Suite Branca is a companion piece to Dança Sinfônica and was also created for the company's 40th anniversary celebration. The work is the debut of two new creative collaborators with the company, choreographer and former Grupo Corpo dancer Cassi Abranches from São Paulo and musician Samuel Rosa from Minas Gerais. Abranches is only the second person to create a work for the company since Rodrigo Pederneiras took residence as the primary dance maker in 1981, representing a commitment to adding new choreographic voices to the company's repertoire. The instrumental score was written by Rosa, who is the vocalist, guitarist, composer and leader of one of Brazil's best-known rock bands Skank.

GRUPO CORPO IN THE COMMUNITY
From October 10 -14, Grupo Corpo will conduct a series of residency activities in New Orleans, including lecture demonstrations in schools, master classes and workshops.

Editor's Note: For additional information on residency activities and camera/media opportunities surrounding these activities, please contact Sarah Federer at sarahc@gambelpr.com or 985-373-5271.

ABOUT GRUPO CORPO (Translation: Body Group)
Founded in 1975 in Brazil's third largest city of Belo Horizonte, Grupo Corpo is the country's premier contemporary dance company. A family affair led by two brothers, artistic director and designer Paulo Pederneiras and choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, this globally renowned company of 22 dancers has a developed a signature look and style, featuring an exotic mix of classic ballet, modern, and Brazilian folk dances like samba and capoeira. The company embodies Brazil's cultural diversity by fusing all of these flavors and rhythms to create "a spicy, simmering stew of Brazil's African, Arabic and European influences" (The Times, London). As the company's primary choreographer since 1978, Rodrigo's works are internationally celebrated as a uniquely Brazilian form of contemporary dance. Artistic director Paulo is the visionary for the overall direction of the company as well creating the extraordinary lighting and set design for the ballets. "It's not just how they dance, but what they dance that sets the seal on this company's inimitable style and cultural identity" (Festival Theater, Edinburgh).

Photo Credits: Jose Luiz Pederneiras

NOBA is the Central Gulf region's premiere presenting and service organization dedicated solely to the art of dance. NOBA's dynamic Main Stage season annually features a diverse array of world-class companies and artists. Each year NOBA provides concerts, classes, workshops and lectures to more than 30,000 area dance enthusiasts of all ages. In addition, NOBA's nationally recognized award-winning education programs provide the youth of our community access to quality arts programs with over 5,500 free dance classes and workshops annually at ten sites throughout the Greater New Orleans area.

NOBA is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, and the NEA, a Federal agency; a Community Arts Grant made possible by the City of New Orleans and administered by the Arts Council New Orleans (ACNO); and a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered through ACNO. Grupo Corpo is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the NEA and the Louisiana Division of the Arts.

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