From Rio’s funk to the Tikuna worldview: five dance works from five Brazilian states reveal the country’s choreographic diversity at MITbr 2026.
The MITsp — São Paulo International Theater Festival reaches its 11th edition from March 6 to 15, 2026, with a dance program spanning five Brazilian states. Through MITbr — Plataforma Brasil, the festival brings together works from Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, Paraná, Goiás, and Mato Grosso do Sul, showcasing diverse aesthetic approaches to approximately 100 national and international programmers.
Resistance and invention on stage
Vogue Funk, directed by Patfudyda (Rio de Janeiro), stands out among the invited works. The piece bridges two cultural universes born in peripheral communities: baile funk and the vogue ball. Poses, battles, and gestures rooted in Black and queer traditions converge on stage, asserting the body as a political language. The work challenges aesthetic and social conventions, forging new historical and cultural relationships.
Also among the invited works, TA | Sobre Ser Grande by the Corpo de Dança do Amazonas draws from the worldview of the Tikuna people to connect language, territory, and identity. Choreographed by Mário Nascimento with an original score by DJ Marcos Tubarão, the show translates the relationship between sound, nature, and belonging into movement — evoking both the pain and the beauty of an Indigenous people.
For the Tikuna, “TA” means great — defining both their language and the territory that shelters, nurtures, and demands care.
Challenging the normative body
In the national selection, Epílogo by duo chameckilerner (Paraná) confronts the fetishization of eternal youth. Inspired by iconic nudes from art history, the work reframes these images through performers of varying ages, racial backgrounds, abilities, and genders. The marks of time shed their stigma, sparking a complex interplay of identification and desire.
Brazil’s Center-West takes the floor
The Conexões Centro-Oeste project presents two works from the region. Dança Boba by Ateliê do Gesto (Goiás), performed by duo Daniel Calvet and João Paulo Gross, relies on improvisation as its core compositional method. The simplicity of gesture becomes poetic material, making space for memory, affection, and playfulness in the present moment.
Cavucada — A Festa Não Será Amanhã by Cia Dançurbana (Mato Grosso do Sul) celebrates over two decades of the company’s work. The festival-show erases the boundary between stage and audience, weaving together hip-hop, vogue, contemporary dance, and viral TikTok choreography. The encounter itself becomes the political statement — diversity and freedom are the driving forces.
Practical Info
MITsp — São Paulo International Theater Festival — 11th Edition
Dates: March 6–15, 2026
Tickets: available from February 12 at www.mitsp.org
Full program: www.mitsp.org
Vogue Funk — Patfudyda | Quafá Produções (RJ) | CCSP | 70 min | Ages 16+
Cavucada – A Festa Não Será Amanhã — Cia Dançurbana (MS) | iBT | 60 min | Ages 18+
Dança Boba — Ateliê do Gesto (GO) | Itaú Cultural | 50 min | All ages
Epílogo — chameckilerner (PR) | CCSP | 60 min | Ages 16+
TA | Sobre Ser Grande — Corpo de Dança do Amazonas (AM) | Teatro Sérgio Cardoso | 70 min | All ages
Photo: Pati Guimarães
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