Daniela CruzBack

Daniela Cruz

"I’m Daniela - a creator, dancer, contemporary dance trainer and I also run several projects with communities. I’m a curious and restless person. The audition for BOWING BACK was the first one I've done in a long time because my work ebbs and flows. After a very intense year, why not go to the countryside for six weeks and meet/collaborate with new and unknown people? It was a family decision - I have a two-and-a-half year-old son who, at that time, wasn’t even two years old. Being away from his mother for so long wasn’t what we wanted. Duarte and Tiago came with me down to Alentejo and stayed for a few periods of time. The trip was very nice. I met honest people. I became very involved in the project and still dream about it from time to time. I'll go back to missing it again in a moment. We shared special times inside and outside the rehearsals - from a beer on the terrace with my colleagues who became friends, to the van trips with Madalena, to the great food from Arshpreet's mother, to the collective hug on Leonor's birthday, to lifting Inês from the floor with a broken wrist, to teaching Shoaib a Portuguese song and singing together, to teaching Prashant a little Portuguese, to wearing a sari, to looking into the eyes of all those people. The memories have stayed with me. Even today I sing Parka Parka Mayalu to little Duarte to send him to sleep. From a distance I can only think of positive things but I remember it was tough at times with heavy schedules and working with communities is always very demanding. We have to be completely present when we are with the people. BOWING BACK was not a job, but a life experience. It remains in my collection of the beautiful and remarkable things that have lived within and with me. Runda Runda Su ke Ken a ka, "Dry tears from crying" is an expression I learned from our friend Rajendra and that I won’t forget."

Photography by: João Mariano - 1000 Olhos