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Dance NOW! Miami returned from Cascais, Portugal June 28th following a triumphant performance and cultural exchange, representing Miami Beach, Sister Cities and Miami Dade County. The first dance company to travel to Europe from Florida since the pandemic began, the 13 member troupe, under the Director of Hannah Baumgarten and Diego Salterini, was joined by Sister Cities delegate George Neary, also representing the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and the City of Miami Beach.
The incredible journey to Cascais began with a visit by the Miami Beach Sister Cities delegation (including Neary, Jerry Libbin, Miami Beach Chamber President, Moni Cohen, co-chair with Neary, Harvey Burstein, Vice Mayor Michael Gongora and others) in 2019. Neary, also on the Advisory Board of Dance NOW! Miami (DNM), introduced the idea of a cultural exchange with Cascais to the Directors after learning about DNM’s annual international partnership “Bridges NOT Walls,” sponsored by the Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.
The project was approved, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, all international travel to Portugal was suspended. After much uncertainty in May, Portuguese Cultural Tourism guru Ana Miranda of Arte Institute provided DNM an official invitation to headline the RHI Festival (Revolution/Hope/Imagination) and the troupe had to move quickly to secure flights and accommodations—DNM was allowed entry as cultural ambassadors just days before the borders opened up to US travelers. A kickoff of the project and sneak preview performance was held June 13 at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, with Libbin and Miami Beach Mayor Dance Gelber sanctioning the trip, supported by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Sister Cities International and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Ultimately, this project brought together artists from across borders,” says Baumgarten, of the performance at the Casino Estoril on June 24th. “Our piece, “Anusim, what is hidden is never lost,” inspired by the plight of the Jews of Portugal during the inquisition of 1497 incorporated Dance NOW! and our international partner, Dança Em Diálogós for an incredible show,” said Salterini of the trip. Portugal’s emerging contemporary ballet company, directed by Solange Melo and Fernando Duarte, former principals with the Portuguese National Ballet collaborated with DNM on the piece for over a year choreographing to original music by Federico Bonacossa with vocals from South Florida based Sephardic singer Susana Behar. The companies rehearsed via zoom and WhatsApp, exchanging videos and ideas, until finally they were dancing on stage together in the same piece, sharing the intimacy of the live performance experience and the power of dance as communication beyond borders beyond language. The evening of dance also included highlights of work from both companies and an appearance from Ent’artes – Escola da Dança youth ensemble. The show was attended by multiple dignitaries including the Mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras, Minister of Culture for Cascais Salvato Telles de Menezes, as well as the Acting US Ambassador Kristin M. Kane.
While in Portugal, DNM Directors traveled to schools in Lisbon and Alcobaça to teach contemporary dance classes to dozens of aspiring dance students ages 12 to 20. They introduced them to some of the dance themes from the work “Anusim,” and engaged in dialogue about cultural oppression and the importance of dance as a way to overcome boundaries and cultural barriers.
Dance NOW! is looking forward to welcoming Dança Em Diálogós to make its US debut in April 2021 when South Florida audiences will get a chance to see “Anusim, what is hidden is never lost, in its entirety, accompanied by an official Sister Cities delegation from Cascais. For more information on this and the upcoming season of dance visit www.dancenowmiami.org
Photographs. Above, Dance NOW! Miami, Dança Em Diálogos and Ent’artes – Escola da Dança Dancers preparing for performance at Casino Estoril. Below, DNM Artistic Co-Directos, Diego Salterini & Hannah Baumgarten, Minister of Culture for Cascais Salvato Telles de Menezes, Director of RHI Festival Ana Miranda, Mayor of Cascais Carlos Carreiras, DED Directors & George Neary Sister City Delegate; DNM dancer Renee Roberts & Anthony Velasquez in Cascais; DNM, Dança Em Diálogos and Ent’artes – Escola da Dança Dancers prior to performance at Casino Estoril, with Artistic Directors Solange Melo, Fernando Duarte, Hannah Baumgarten, Diego Salterini.
