Ana Pi O BANQUETE
[Dance]In Le Banquet de Platon, men spoke of love. In O Banquete, three black women experience it. Ana Pi invites us to share in a danced performance of infinite tenderness, and a powerful demonstration of sisterliness. Reading through the lines, it is a denunciation of violence in Brazil.
Drawing upon works from its videographic collection, the piece was commissioned by the Associação Cutltural Videobrasil de São Paulo for museum use. Three Brazilian women cook coxinhas, traditional fried croquettes: Ana Pi, a young choreographic and visual artist, her paternal aunt Mylia Mary, a former passista in the samba schools but now salgadeira, a respected cook, and Maria Fernanda Novo, philosopher. Between steps danced to the rhythm of a revisited samba, the welcome sounds of the kitchen, songs and everyday gestures, they exchange smiles and silently converse. In this place of joy and intimacy, love manifests itself in movement and resistance, the different bodies gently connecting and caring for each other at the same time. A twist of the lips in response to a bitter taste in the mouth is met with soothing reassurance. In a world in need, Ana Pi affirms the unwavering strength of the quest for beauty, art and courage.
