Marcelo Evelin / Demolition Incorporada UIRAPURU

According to the Amazon legend of the Tupi-Guarani, the Uirapuru – a small endangered wood bird – is actually a young warrior-turned-bird by the god Tupa, who gave him a beautiful birdsong to help him through his heartbreak. With this title, the choreographer and performer Marcelo Evelin summons the whole imaginary world of indigenous peoples. Living between Amsterdam and Teresina in the Nordeste region where he was born, he created the piece on site during the ecologically devastating term of president Bolsonaro. The 4 performers do not meet a uniform aesthetic standard but display a wide range of body types just like the people of Brazil. Their almost naked bodies – they are only wearing black shorts – conjure those of Native Americans. Accompanied by the birdsongs, this inspired sextet moves around in a series of hypnotic movements drawn from folklore and ancestral rites. The only piece of scenery is a dome handmade from branches, hanging above the stage. It has a beauty and sparseness that speaks to the richness of the forest’s natural resources as well as the precarious circumstances of their inhabitants. An engaging work. 

Isabelle Calabre