Grupo Corpo Returns To The Music Center in May

Grupo Corpo, one of Brazil's most renowned contemporary dance companies, will grace the stage at The Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre for three performances, from May 2–4, 2025, celebrating the vivacity and diverse heritage of South America's largest country. As the next dance troupe presented in The Music Center's exhilarating 2024/2025 season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, Grupo Corpo—whose name means “body group” in Portuguese—returns to L.A.'s performing arts center for the first time since 2011 and promises to captivate Angelenos with two intoxicating works, 21 and Gira, which blend classical ballet, folk traditions and bold choreography. “Grupo Corpo gives off high heat,” exclaims Los Angeles Times.

Rodrigo Pederneiras' groundbreaking work 21 (1992) is a ballet divided into three movements that weaves the company's 22 dancers into rhythmic and timbral combinations around the number 21. Featuring a captivating score by Marco Antônio Guimarães, the choreography pulses with mathematical precision, progressing through a series of mesmerizing movements that blend the energy of Brazilian folk dances with the formality of classical ballet. The 40-minute piece, which amplifies the unique sounds emanating from Guimarães' unusual instrumental creations, culminates in a dynamic and colorful finale, transporting audiences into a celebration of Brazilian cultural vibrancy.

In contrast, Pederneiras' other creation Gira (2017) draws its inspiration from the Afro-Brazilian religious rituals of Umbanda, one of the most prevalant sects in Brazil. His choreography reconstructs the powerful gestures of Umbanda and Candomblé ceremonies, capturing the raw and dizzying energy of these sacred rites. Set to 11 musical themes created especially for the company by the Brazilian fusion group Metá Metá, the spectacular Gira offers a primal, ritualistic energy that pulses through this mesmerizing 40-minute piece.

“Grupo Corpo has the unparalleled ability to fuse cultural traditions with innovative dance techniques, making the company an extraordinary force in the dance world,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “A beautiful reflection of Brazil's rich cultural heritage, Grupo Corpo's performances will undoubtedly leave an indelible impression on Angelenos, who will be transported by the dancers into the heart of their vibrant, diverse country. We are thrilled to welcome Grupo Corpo back to L.A.'s performing arts center after 14 years. Don't miss this rare opportunity to experience a world-class company that melds exquisite movement and fantastic rhythms!”

Founded in 1975 by artistic director Paulo Pederneiras, who brought along his brothers and sisters, including choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, Grupo Corpo has gained international acclaim for its distinctive style, seamlessly combining classical ballet with the rhythms and movements of Brazilian folk dance. Between 1996–1999, Grupo Corpo was the resident dance company of the Maison de la Danse in Lyon, France. Today, having created more than 40 works, the company, which has redefined the landscape of contemporary dance, performs in places as distinctive as Iceland and South Korea, the United States and Lebanon, Italy and Singapore, the Netherlands and Israel, France and Japan, Canada and Mexico. “Grupo Corpo is remarkable for the disciplined, uniform precision of its spectacular dancing,” gushes The New York Times, “performed by virtuoso dancers who seamlessly integrate disparate influences into their ever-malleable, apparently tireless bodies.”

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