Sylphs and ghost maidens glide across the stage in their flowing skirts, the romantic tutus that symbolize the so-called “white ballets”—the name came from the color of the costumes.
They are dancers from São Paulo Companhia de Dança, in the two premieres of this season, “Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)” and the second act of “Giselle.” Five of the 11 dancers hired at the company's last audition are Black.
“There was no quota. All were chosen for their technical and artistic capacity,” says Inês Bogéa, director of the company. But there are still, in Brazil, very few Black women dancing repertoire classics in large groups. “Brazilian choreographers understand that it is time to give more voice to this diversity,” says Bogéa.
In the case of São Paulo Companhia de Dança, the pandemic helped people from outside of city centers to participate. As the auditions were carried out by Zoom, more people from outside the large centers were able to participate at a lower financial cost.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon