They even created a group together with friends from the street called Power Dance, in San Francisco, where they were neighbors and rehearsed steps to perform at Scaffo on weekends, at Clube Naval.
From matinees in Niterói to international stages, Grupo de Rua's journey is inseparable from its roots. In this microsite, we go back in time to discover the entire journey from its beginnings to the present day.
GRN/DOC
From matinees in Niterói to international stages, Grupo de Rua's journey is inseparable from its roots. In this microsite, we go back in time to discover the entire journey from its beginnings to the present day.
SCAFFO
Early 90s
In early 1993, Bruno and his friends explored the dance scene in the city of Niterói, attending the Scaffo nightclub, a popular place among young dance lovers. Influenced by the movements of MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, Michael Jackson in addition to R&B and New Wave that echoed in the club, Bruno, initially reticent, gradually became enchanted with the practice. Observing his friends Rodrigo, Nathan, Allan from afar, he developed a passion for dancing that would eventually shape his future career.
Airport
The batucada that brought Bruno and Rodrigo together
They even created a group together with friends from the street called Power Dance, in San Francisco, where they were neighbors and rehearsed steps to perform at Scaffo on weekends, at Clube Naval.
Destiny Touching the Table
In a chance meeting, Bruno and Rodrigo find themselves face to face in an almost comical silence. Bruno, waiting for Nathan, and Rodrigo, waiting for Allan, Nathan's brother, sat down at a table that seemed to be conspiring for the meeting.
And as if by magic, without exchanging a word, his fingers found the rhythm in a spontaneous drumming that started on the table.
Improvised, born out of nowhere, it became the soundtrack of a meeting that would mark the beginning of a great friendship and a long artistic collaboration that would last for years.
Airport
Yoram Szabo, was a Jazz and Hip Hop teacher who worked between New York and Brazil in the 90s. Originally from Israel, Yoram honed his dancing, singing and theater skills in New York and Philadelphia, bringing his classes to renowned academies in the Rio de Janeiro, like Carlota Portela and Enid Sauer. His dance style, developed in the gyms, is a mix of New Jack Swing and Jazz. On the streets of New York, he was known for his light, loose movements that emphasized fun and physical exercise, accessible to students of all technical levels. Yoram Szabo left a lasting impression before ending his teaching career, planning courses in cities like Salvador and Aracaju, and solidifying his role as an influencer in the spread of Hip Hop in Brazil.
1994
From the nightclub to the gym
In 1994, after a year of going to Scaffo nightclub, Bruno and Rodrigo were surprised by something new brought by their friend Douglas. Thanks to him, they learned that an American teacher taught hip hop classes at the Ativa academy, in Icaraí. But this information was not very accurate. In fact, the teacher was the Israeli Yoram Zsabo, who did not teach hip hop, but rather a type of Street Jazz.
Encouraged by their teenage friends, Vanessa Motta and Tania Mara, who regularly attended one of the oldest and most renowned gyms in Niterói, they were introduced to teacher Helfany Peçanha who allowed Bruno and Rodrigo to start teaching at the gym, at the age of 15, in 1995.
1994
Airport
Two years after starting classes with Yoram, who did not return to Brazil to continue his workshops, Bruno and Rodrigo found themselves faced with the challenge of maintaining their dance practice. Faced with the absence of a mentor, they made an unusual decision: to start teaching dance.
Bruno, Rodrigo, Allan e Nathan no final da apresentação, em Niterói.
Dancing on the asphalt
In the same year that they started teaching, they choreographed their first piece for the end of the course at the Helfany and Jânia academy with the song Now that we found love by Heavy D and the Boys.
In the same year, they choreographed their first work for children
1995
The first choreography
In the same year that they started teaching, they choreographed their first piece for the end of the course at the Helfany and Jânia academy with the song Now that we found love by Heavy D and the Boys.
In 1994, Bruno and Rodrigo began teaching children at the Helfany Academy. They soon noticed the stark contrast between teaching children and adults. Concerned about the safety of the little ones, they took care to adapt each movement.
On the other side of the world, in China, it was a different story. Dance training there is known for being rigorous from an early age. Young dancers are molded in a regime of severe discipline, where skills are sculpted under the weight of extremely high expectations. Injuries and emotional exhaustion are often seen as necessary sacrifices in the quest for artistic perfection.
This work took the group to a competitive festival in São Paulo, where they won third place. It was at this event that they had their first contact with Blackout, one of the parallel groups of the Dança de Rua do Brasil project.
1994
Airport
The following year, they released "Aeroporto", a performance created for their second end-of-year show at Helfany. Just five minutes long, the choreography portrayed a bomb threat situation at an airport, which escalated to the dramatic arrival of the bomb squad to neutralize the danger.
This work took the group to a competitive festival in São Paulo, where they won third place. It was at this event that they had their first contact with Blackout, one of the parallel groups of the Dança de Rua do Brasil project.
The influence of Santos
Emerging from the cultural scene of the 1990s, "Dança de Rua do Brasil", led by Marcelo Cirino, burst onto the Brazilian urban dance scene. Inspired by the contagious energy of aerobics and the pulsating beats of electronic music, the group updated the aesthetics of street dance, incorporating an eclectic fusion of influences.
More than a mere imitation, "Dança de Rua do Brasil" recontextualized elements of voguing. The rigidity of the postures and the geometry of the shapes in the choreographies reflected a discipline present in the Santos project, while the symmetry of the movements evoked the image of a military bloc on the march.
For example, the hands performances, traditionally executed with softness and fluidity, took on an impressive hardness and precision in the group's repertoire.
The catwalk, originally a stylized and elegant catwalk, is transformed into a standardized entrance and exit from the stage, referring to the tension and urgency of an escape in the midst of a threat. This break with tradition demonstrates the boldness and creativity of the group, which didn't stick to pre-defined formulas, but sought to re-imagine the language of urban dance to their liking.
The synchrony and obsessive precision of the choreographies were trademarks of Dança de Rua do Brasil. For them, this search and idea of technical perfection was linked to synchrony and choral choreography.
Emerging from the cultural scene of the 1990s, "Dança de Rua do Brasil", led by Marcelo Cirino, burst onto the Brazilian urban dance scene. Inspired by the contagious energy of aerobics and the pulsating beats of electronic music, the group updated the aesthetics of street dance, incorporating an eclectic fusion of influences.
More than a mere imitation, "Dança de Rua do Brasil" recontextualized elements of voguing. The rigidity of the postures and the geometry of the shapes in the choreographies reflected a discipline present in the Santos project, while the symmetry of the movements evoked the image of a military bloc on the march.
For example, the hands performances, traditionally executed with softness and fluidity, took on an impressive hardness and precision in the group's repertoire.
The catwalk, originally a stylized and elegant catwalk, is transformed into a standardized entrance and exit from the stage, referring to the tension and urgency of an escape in the midst of a threat. This break with tradition demonstrates the boldness and creativity of the group, which didn't stick to pre-defined formulas, but sought to re-imagine the language of urban dance to their liking.
The synchrony and obsessive precision of the choreographies were trademarks of Dança de Rua do Brasil. For them, this search and idea of technical perfection was linked to synchrony and choral choreography.
...
3rd teenage war
"A Experiência", Grupo de Rua's third choreography, premiered with great anticipation at the Tapias Festival in 1997, at the Carlos Gomes Theater. After the previous piece, the group was eager to repeat the feat of winning first place. The choreography told the story of a scientist reflecting on her warnings, ignored by the scientific community, about an imminent catastrophe. In one of the moments of the performance, the Grupo de Rua created a scene with four gallons that turned on and off as the dancers stepped, creating a quartet of lights that drew thunderous applause from the audience. These gallons, which became a striking visual symbol of the show, were built by Bruno's father, João Marcos.
1998
Steps to first flight
1998
In 1998, the GRN presented their choreography "Metrópole" at the Bienal do Livro in Rio Centro, when Alfredo Appicella, an Italian who owned a dance academy and was the creator of the ENDAS International Funk Festival in Naples, was in the audience. Delighted by the performance, Appicella invited the group to compete in Italy, although he didn't offer them the necessary plane tickets.
Without giving up until the end, the group's producers Norma and Ana managed to get support from the Rio de Janeiro state government. In exchange for committing to future workshops and performances, the group was awarded 14 plane tickets, paving the way for their first international trip.
And in the competition, the Street Group won first place out of ten groups from all over Europe, with this becoming the last competitive festival the Group would take part in.
The trip had several celebratory moments, but one had a special flavor. After catching the eye of a judge watching the presentation, the GRN was invited to a pizza barbecue, the city's emblematic dish, which began with the Margherita invention during the 19th century. Overlooking the Bay of Naples, the group experienced the authenticity of the local recipe, a way to close the trip and celebrate the victory.
Bruno, Rodrigo e Rachel Correa, na Faculdade da Cidade, feveireiro 2000.
Post-flight turbulence
Upon returning to Brazil, Bruno, Rodrigo and producers Norma and Ana found themselves in the middle of a storm. A group of mothers, worried about the safety of their daughters during a season in Italy, accused the group of a lack of communication, triggering an intense conflict. The situation escalated to the point of affecting the group's funding from Neltur, Niterói's sports and tourism company, which decided to suspend its 2,000 reais allowance given to the whole group.
As the confusion mounted, Bruno found himself at a decisive moment. In addition to the tension in the group, he was also at the end of his secondary studies, struggling to choose which university to attend. Disillusioned with the temporary and superficial projects he had been doing, Bruno dreamed of something more meaningful. He was torn between pursuing a degree in film or dance. Influenced by Vanessa and Tânia Mara, who were already at dance school, Bruno began to seriously consider the latter option.
