Dancebook Brasil translates samba, frevo and chula into Benesh notation, placing Brazilian dance alongside the world’s greatest ballet scores.
For over a century, dances around the world have been preserved in choreographic scores — much like music. Brazilian dances, however, had never gone through that process. Now, Bradesco is changing that with the launch of Dancebook Brasil, a groundbreaking project developed in partnership with choreographer Carlinhos de Jesus. For the first time, rhythms such as samba, frevo, toada and chula are being formally documented in choreographic notation.
Writing movement in a universal language
The tool chosen for this historic record is the Benesh Movement Notation, an international system widely used in major European ballet companies. It is a highly specialized language: only a handful of professionals worldwide are trained to write in it. That is why the project brought in a specialist French choreologist to systematize each movement and produce every choreographic sequence with technical precision.
Under the curation and supervision of Carlinhos de Jesus, a team of choreographers, dancers and specialists guided the translation of these movements into this universal language. The result carries enormous significance — artistically, academically and historically.
A book that dances
Created by agency Lovely, Dancebook Brasil exists both as a physical book and as digital content. The volume features more than 150 pages with photographs by Maurício Nahas, in-depth texts on the cultural context of each dance, and a layout specially designed to make the text itself feel like it is dancing across the pages. Every detail of this luxury edition was carefully considered.
The dances featured are directly linked to key cultural events supported by Bradesco, including Rio Carnival, the Parintins Folklore Festival and the Acampamento Farroupilha in Rio Grande do Sul. This connection underscores the bank’s ongoing commitment to living Brazilian cultural expressions.
Carlinhos de Jesus: “What always lived in the body now exists on paper”
Dance takes center stage with this Bradesco initiative, which brings us, through the book, the long-dreamed-of respect and visibility. What always lived in the body now exists on paper. May many more books and projects like this one follow!
Carlinhos de Jesus, choreographer and curator of Dancebook Brasil
Heading to the world’s great dance archives
Produced in a special limited edition, the book was designed to enter the collections of major international dance institutions, including the Royal Academy of Dance in London. There, Dancebook Brasil will sit alongside classical ballet scores, bringing Brazilian dance into the formal circuits of cultural record and preservation on a global scale.
Videos documenting the full process of translating movements into Benesh notation will be available on Bradesco’s social media channels. The project teaser is already live at the link below.
Event Info
- Project: Dancebook Brasil
- Presented by: Bradesco
- Curation: Carlinhos de Jesus
- Creative agency: Lovely
- Photography: Maurício Nahas
- Choreographic notation: Benesh Movement Notation, by a specialist French choreologist
- Dances documented: Samba, frevo, toada and chula
- Format: Luxury book (150+ pages) and digital content on Bradesco’s social media
- Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOeiuirEjaY
