CARCAÇA is nothing short of extraordinary. Choreographed by Marco da Silva Ferreira, the show asks the questions ‘how do we build culture or heritage?’, ‘why do we dance?’ and ‘how can dance be a social movement?’. These are big questions – but CARCAÇA steps up to the challenge through a 75 minute explosion of high energy dance, live music and vocal performance.
Beyond the show itself, CARCAÇA yet again demonstrates the high calibre program curated by Perth Festival. It is clear that any and all Perth Festival productions are guaranteed to leave you in a standing ovation and with food for thought. CARCAÇA delivers on both.
The piece is deeply rooted in various dance forms and cultural expressions from Ferreira’s background and Portuguese culture more broadly. It’s no surprise to read the credits and discover Anthropological Studies and Portuguese Folk Dance specialists in the crew.
Photography by claudiacrespo
The folk and latin American influences throughout the choreography and music are overt and persistent. At the same time, the choreography and music rely heavily on street dance and club culture. This eclectic combination seamlessly blends the frenetic energy of street dance, the high energy footwork and hopping of club dancing and structured movements of folk traditions. The result is a performance that feels like it is obviously contemporary but also obviously traditional – which is easier said than done.
Ferraria’s choreography is unsurprisingly political in its messaging. The performance includes a powerful live performance of a Portuguese folk song about the oppression of women, sung by the dancers, coupled with symbolic choreography and costume which demonstrates the struggles of the working majority are still relevant in today’s gym-gear-clad community.
One of the most striking aspects of CARCAÇA is its execution. The nine dancers on stage delivered routines with incredible precision and passion. Their movements were jagged and violent, yet beautifully coordinated, creating a mesmerising set of movements that, when combined with the hypnotic and dynamic live music, kept the audience enthralled.
With only one show to go in Perth, I sincerely recommend you hop to it and buy a ticket to CARCAÇA immediately.