A transcendent solo performance honouring generations of
knowledge

PUFF explores the use of disguise as a device to transmit techniques, messages and traditions from otherwise silenced cultures. The word ‘puff’ can also mean ‘a light breath’, carrying the idea of something that disappears as if by magic.

Moving through samba, capoeira and passinho, the show explores the ancestry of Brazilian dance, starting in Africa. The work evokes a sense of illusion through speedy steps and fast movement, suggesting that something is deliberately being hidden from view.

This solo performance marks a continuation of the long-standing collaboration between Brazillian choreographers and dancers Alice Ripoll and Hiltinho Fantástico, who have been working together for the past seven years within the SUAVE and REC dance companies.

Both collectives have developed a hybrid performance style that merges contemporary dance with Brazilian urban forms. The two artists have collaborated in acclaimed works such as Cria, Lavagem, aCORdo, and Zona Franca, which have toured major festivals and theatres around the world.

Header image © Camilla Blake