Arrivals: rio | WORLD PREMIERE
FEATURED guest artists
Pre-Show Artist: Samba Ja
Eugene’s own Afro-Brazilian percussion group specializing in danceable street music from Salvador, Bahia in Brazil. They have been performing in our community for 20+ years!
“We are a community based group. We love to play, we love to dance. Music is how we share our friendship and joy and give our appreciation to all the wonderful people that make Eugene so rad!”
Valéria da Costa Ball (1967-2016) - Choreographer/visionary (RIO de janeiro, brasil)
ARRIVALS: RIO features two works created by our dear friend and choreographer-visionary Valéria da Costa Ball: "Amazon Awakenings" and "Walls."
Valéria was born in Rio de Janeiro. Perhaps one word best described Valéria: Passion. Valéria felt things deeply, like a volcano of emotions—words alone were not enough. As a prolific choreographer and incredible artist, dance was how she shared her immeasurable creativity, her passion, and her Brazilian heritage.
We first collaborated with Valéria in 2005. Valéria believed that performances should be an experience: mesmerizing, accessible. Valéria wasn’t afraid to break rules. Collaborating with this incredible woman and artist forever changed us as art-makers.
Set to a score of rainforest sound, Valéria’s “Amazon Awakenings” is evocative, abstract, and vibrant. Set to two iconic pieces of Brazilian music, Valéria's "Walls" is alluring and unusual, weaving moments of independence and connection between the artists and her unique set pieces (new visual arts commission for the performance of this work in 2021: visual artist Milla Oliviera). We’re profoundly grateful and honored to share it with you.
Great art—like Valéria’s—brings us together, transforms, and endures. Our world needs art, now more than ever.
Ballet Fantastique wishes to express gratitude to Jeff Ball for his continuing and profound support of sharing Valéria’s art, and to Juliana Renno (original cast) for her artistic insight in remounting these works in 2021.
Juan cruz luqui: ronroco, guitar, compositions (Buenos Aires, argentina)
Juan Luqui is an Argentinean composer, music producer and artist. His work encompasses a wide variety of genres and mediums. His collaborations with Academy-Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla led him to write original music for blockbuster movies, TV shows and video games such as Finch, Narcos, Monsterland, and Playstation’s: The Last Of Us 2, among many others. Juan has performed and written orchestrations for prestigious ensembles around the world such as the LA Philharmonic, the philharmonic orchestras of Pecs (Hungary), Madrid and Malaga, and Eric Clapton’s: Crossroads Guitar Festival 2019. As a producer, Juan is involved with a wide range of emerging artists from the Los Angeles and Buenos Aires scene. His own personal project, Cacique Torcido, is the ultimate playground for Juan to combine all the elements of his journey to create a highly visual and emotional sonic landscape.
This collaboration with Ballet Fantastique is Juan's first performance in the Pacific NW.
Milla Oliveira: visual artist/Scenic Painter (RIO DE JANEIRO, brasil)
Milla Oliveira is a socially-engaged artist whose chosen media includes painting, sculpting, movement and site-specific creative laboratories. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, she has learned and taught in various institutions, ranging from informal settings in public and domestic spaces to university classrooms. She received her BFA degree in Painting from Oregon State University, and was the recipient of numerous honorary grants and scholarships, including OSU’s Hellen Plinckiewich scholarship.
Milla regularly facilitates artistic laboratories that stimulate public connection to contemporary art. She works with individuals of all ages who perform in diverse professional fields. In both studio and social practice, Milla’s work aims to provoke sensations of vitality and cultivate the sensorial. Her work calls attention to sensory forces operating in our bodies and the systems that engage us.
Milla is working in residency with the BFan artists in December 2021 to create new custom designs for the 2021 performance of Valéria da Costa Ball’s “Walls” piece.
Photo: gustavo ramirez
GABRIEL RITZMANN SARMENTO: CHOREOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTIONS, PROJECTIOn/GRAPHIC DESIGN SUPPORT (Florianópolis, sc, BRASIL)
Gabriel began his training at Ballet Juvenil de Florianópolis (Brazil), where his extensive studies included classical ballet, modern, and contemporary. Gabriel’s international training resume includes being one of five dancers internationally invited to continue studies in Lisbon, Portugal; Pacific DanceArts in Canada (full merit scholarship); and Atlanta Ballet. Gabriel has been awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals as well as myriad international merit scholarships in numerous national and international competitions in South America.
During his work as a Soloist with Ballet Fantastique (2018–2020), Gabriel performed many lead roles to critical acclaim, including Odysseus in The Odyssey (2019), originating the role of Barnaby Barnacle in the world premier of Babes in Toyland (2018, 2019), the Dragon in Dragon & the Night Queen (2020), Julius Caesar in the world premiere of Cleopatra: The Ballet (2019), and The Poet in Nevermore: Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (2019).
Gabriel's performance resume also including work as a principal guest artist across Canada, the United States, and Brasil.
Enjoy Gabriel’s choreographic contributions in the world premiere of Arrivals: Rio— “Magalenha,” “Sambando,” and “Pa’ Bailar.”
gustavo ramirez ROJAS: PROJECTIOn DESIGN lead, CHOREOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTIONS, principal dancer, dj (CALI, COLOMBIA)
Gustavo Ramirez Rojas originally began his training in Cali, Colombia at the prestigious Colombian Institute for Classical Ballet (Incolballet). During his eight years at Incolballet, Gustavo’s studies included extensive work in ballet, modern, folklore and character dance. At the age of 17, Gustavo joined the professional company of Instituto Colombiano de Ballet Clasico (Incolballet). He then moved to NYC to complete his ballet training at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy (GKA) as a full scholarship student; and on scholarship for summer programs at American Academy of Ballet and Nashville Ballet. After graduating from GKA, Gustavo danced soloist and principal roles in the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet.
Gustavo joined Ballet Fantastique as a principal artist in 2016. With Ballet Fantastique, Gustavo has performed at home at the Hult Center and on tour in a range of critically acclaimed roles, including (selected list): Marcus Antonius/Mark Antony in the world premiere of Cleopatra with Beats Antique; Ebenezer Scrooge in American Christmas Carol with Grammy-nominated jazz singer Hallie Loren; Diego de la Vega/Zorro in Zorro® with the LA-based band Incendio; Brom Bones/Headless Horseman in the world premiere of Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and many others.
Gustavo is also a gifted, entirely self-taught videographer, photographer and designer. See his vibrant, evocative projection designs in the world premiere of ARRIVALS: RIO.
PHOTO: ernesto camilo linnemann/new religion
DAVEY JACKSON/professor BRUcutu: capoeira residency (eugene capoeira/ct capoeira oregon)
Davey Jackson leads Eugene Capoeira, an academy of CT Capoeira Oregon supervised by Mestre Dilaho (Itabuna, Bahia Brazil), a tireless advocate for community-building through capoeira and cultural education.
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art combining elements of dance, acrobatics and music. It was developed in Brazil at the beginning of the 16th century. It is known for its quick and complex maneuvers, predominantly using power, speed, and leverage across a wide variety of kicks, spins and techniques. The most widely accepted origin of the word capoeira comes from the Tupi words ka’a (“jungle”) e pûer (“it was”), referring to the areas of low vegetation in the Brazilian interior where fugitive slaves would hide. A practitioner of the art is called a capoeirista (pronunciation: KAH-PO-Air-EE-STA). In 2014, capoeira was granted a special protected status as “intangible cultural heritage” by UNESCO.
CT Capoeira Oregon is an American Capoeira association. CT Capoeira Oregon is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Eugene Capoeira is lead by Mestre Dilaho’s first American student granted a teaching rank, Professor Brucutu (Davey Jackson).
Ballet Fantastique’s artists have been honored to participate in an in-studio capoeira residency and learning sessions with Professor Brucutu/Davey as part of the development of choreographic movement for the world premiere of ARRIVALS: RIO.