World Dance Day: there are many steps to take in the future, but “prejudice has dissipated” – Showbiz

In conversation with SAPO Mag, Samuel Rego, director of the Escola Superior de Dança, guarantees that “everyone can dance”: “It makes perfect sense to dance. Fortunately, it is a way for fraternization and conviviality and, therefore, any lead foot is welcome to celebrate World Dance Day”.

“Fortunately, there is a very popular following of dance and we, who are here at the center of training, make a point of participating. We have numerous partnerships across the country with specialized artistic dance education schools. And we know that this is also an opportunity to affirm dance in the context of society”, he highlights. “There is no family that doesn’t have someone who hasn’t done dance, who likes to dance or who has had the dream of being a dancer, and that’s fantastic”, he adds.

Samuel Rego – Director of the Higher School of Dance

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This year, due to the proximity of the dates, the celebrations of World Dance Day overlapped with the 50th anniversary celebrations of April 25th. “We had the opportunity to be at the Prime Minister’s official residence with students performing and that was our association with World Dance Day. But we will have many activities, but all of them after April 29th – we will be at the Center Cultural in Belém, in mid-May or at the Caldas da Rainha Congress Center. I would also like to highlight our show at São Luiz, the Municipal Theater in Lisbon, at the beginning of July”, he adds.

“The dance school lacks its own facilities, that is, we have been in one place temporarily for five years and to compensate for this, we try our best to establish partnerships with institutions both in the city and in other areas of the country, so that our students gain visibility” , remembers Samuel Rego.

“There have never been so many dance schools”

We all dance socially, in TikTok videos, at parties or hidden in our bedroom, but there are those who dream of showing their talent to the world. And the Escola Superior de Dança always has its doors open to everyone, through the degree in dance, the master’s degree in Dance Teaching, “which trains teachers for all types of schools in the country and abroad”, and the master’s degree in creation choreography and professional practices”.

Choreographic Works Interpretation Class with Professor Volmir Cordeiro

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And, in recent decades, the provision of training in the world of dance has also grown by leaps and bounds. “In terms of training, there have never been so many dance schools, with different languages ​​and different aesthetics. Therefore, in recent years, urban dances have had a magnificent, almost unpredictable, exponential growth, the number of students has multiplied. At the level of contemporary dance and classical dance, there are also more and more schools that are even part of the curriculum plans”, summarizes the director of the Escola Superior de Dança.

“Some are public schools, others are private, but they are recognized for their curricula and are part of the official curricula. There has been a radical change in the training landscape”, he highlights. In terms of programming and dance companies, Samuel Rego regrets that, “unfortunately, they did not follow what would have been expected”.

“We have more and more performers and creators capable of performing in a professional context. But that’s where things don’t go so well, as many have to leave the country and others stay to do projects associated with dance, but unfortunately there are no as many companies as one would expect, especially given the level of trainees leaving our schools, both at basic, secondary and higher levels”, he explains to SAPO Mag.

In parallel with the growth in supply, interest and demand in the sector has also increased. “It’s spectacular, it’s a difference, it’s a paradigm shift. I can speak for higher education, directly. The number of students arriving with a level that has already been very high has increased from year to year and all teachers agree on say that”, he highlights.

“The prejudice that would have existed 20 years ago has dissipated”

“The prejudice that would have existed 20 years ago – ‘why are you going to do a degree in dance? Why are you going to do a master’s degree in dance?’ – has dissipated a lot in recent years. And I think it’s also a benefit of freedom itself. Fortunately, each individual wants to develop their potential based on what they like to do. , it was something that was already common in the fine arts, in the plastic arts, in architecture. Then, fortunately, for music, theater and dance, this became common, that is, participation, pursuing an academic career in the area. of dance. I think it is a victory for democracy, freedom and individual freedom, ultimately”, highlights the director of the Escola Superior de Dança.

“This is not a solo”, by Vanessa Vieira da Cunha

credits: @andreacouceiro

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For Samuel Rego, in the next 10 years, “the professional world of dance will change for the better”. “There is an increasing number of people trained and qualified to practice dance and I believe that what is missing today will be fulfilled by these generations who have other instruments, other tools, and who certainly have other, increasingly international views”, highlights, adding that he believes that new projects will be born.

So that everyone can continue to take more steps in dance, for the director of the Escola Superior de Dança, it is important that there is support. “It is true that resources are always limited and I believe that the State has a determining role in the provision of public services, where the arts are included. I think there is great consensus at parliamentary level, I would say, from all parties on Culture and the Arts, which are a fundamental element for quality of life, more than the identity aspect”, he highlights.

“I believe that the planned changes, which the new government announced regarding the cultural patronage law, are fundamental for there to be a different development from what has been carried out until now, so that civil society feels that investing in Culture is fundamental”, argues Samuel Rego .