Swing on 2 Dance Exchange: a report

Swing on 2 is a cultural exchange project between Introdans from Arnhem and two dance companies from Brazil: Architetura do movimento and Corpo Cidadão. The project got support by Central de Cultura. Below you can read a report on the experience.

For Dutch people  dance isn’t part of their everyday life. In Brazil, dance has a totally different meaning and value. In Brazil dancing is part of their culture. Swing on 2 is a dance exchange project between two Brazilian dance companies and a group of Dutch dancers from Arnhem. Two Brazilian dance teachers gave a quick view in Brazilian dancing culture and the Dutch participants without any dance experience had the chance to experience the Brazilian way of thinking about dance.

We could see the importance of dance in Brazil’s daily life through the way in which the Brazilian dance teachers worked with their students. Their methods showed us how useful dance can be in achieving social goals and bringing together individuals, who had never met before.  It also showed the power of the moving body. Of course the Brazilian teachers and Dutch participants had to deal with a language ‘barricade’, but eventually everybody felt the energy dancing can bring to an individual and especially to a group. The enthusiasm and we felt during the energetic performances in Malburgen and in the big theatre in Arnhem where they performed was incredible.

Number of people involved in the project: approximately 60

Number of people reached: 1800

When: 24-30 October 2011

Where:  Neighborhood Malburgen in Arnhem, The Netherlands

Who: Introdans Interactie, the educational department of modern ballet company Introdans from Arnhem/ The Netherlands, Arquitetura do Movimento from Rio de Janeiro and Corpo Cidadão from Belo Horizonte.

Description: During one week in October 2011, two Brazilian dance companies who use to work with youngsters from low-income neighborhoods in Brazil have worked with two groups from the neighborhood Malburgen in Arnhem. Malburgen is considered as a relatively poor working class neighborhood with a big variety nationalities among the inhabitants. During one week, one group of youngsters and one group of individuals of all ages have been working to perform in the premier of GEKKEBEKKEN, by Introdans Ensemble for Youth.

Idea of exchange: Exchange of didactic methods for dance education in different cultures and social inclusion of disadvantaged youth through dance.

For pictures and further information, check our websites:

www.introdans.nl

www.swingon2.nl