World Premiere of BLUE PENCIL From Dance NOW! Miami Comes to the Miami Theater Center

Challenging political and social moments often lead to creative artistic responses. With the world premiere of Blue Pencil as part of Dance NOW! Miami's (DNM) upcoming Program II, one of Florida's leading contemporary ensembles tackles the issues of censorship and repression head-on. Created in collaboration with Portugal's Dança em Diálogos, the public will have its first chance to see this new work Friday, February 28, at 8 pm at Miami Theater Center in Miami Shores.

The politically charged ballet is based on the story of Portugal's official “Blue Pencil” censorship under the Portuguese Salazar dictatorship from 1933 to 1974. The original work, choreographed by DNM Co-Artistic Directors Diego Salterini and Hannah Baumgarten, along with Dança em Diálogos' Artistic Director Solange Melo, will use this historical story to highlight the power of the arts to resist illegitimate authority. 

Blue Pencil is a cautionary tale about government interference in the arts, against journalists, and in all aspects of life. This subject is made even more relevant this year after the near zeroing out to Florida arts funding and the current political climate. This performance will feature the DNM portion of the ballet – the company will then travel to Portugal in March for a residency where the full piece will be performed in Cascais by both ensembles in a blended cast. A Sister Cities delegation from Miami Beach will accompany DNM.

“Our multiyear collaboration with Dança em Diálogos has made us much more familiar with the residue of Portugal's fascist years,” said Baumgarten. “In these harrowing times for artists and whole societies, we have found resonance and insight into our own present day by looking back at the historical stories of Portugal's suffering and resistance in the 20th century.”

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