"My name is Elka Moura Victorino, I am Brazilian, a dancer, choreographer, and researcher in contemporary performative dance. I work as a physical education professional at the State Secretariat of Public Security of Mato Grosso/Brazil, teaching dance to adolescents in conflict with the law and conducting health and safety actions for the staff. In the BOWING project, I worked as a dancer and choreography assistant, through contact with Madalena Victorino at the Mindelact Theater Festival in Cape Verde, Africa. From this encounter, I was enchanted by Madalena's work, the way she constructs and presents research, and we kept in touch for my visit to Portugal. The experience in BOWING was a deep dive into the sharing of cultures, beliefs, and ideas. Living the project, its construction, production, research, and dialogues allowed me to navigate the artistic and daily activities of various groups, among colonizers and colonized, the visible and the hidden, the empowered and the subordinate. By sharing art and life with artists and non-artists, with children, young people, and adults, with Europeans and Asians, I identified with processes experienced here in Brazil, which also reveal exploitative customs, social inequalities, and a sense of not belonging. Recognizing these issues, resulting from the shock of cultural diversities, reinforced my desire to continue reflecting, researching, and creating dance within the context of political art. Every moment lived was powerful, each in different aspects, as it required from me abilities and skills such as resilience, overcoming, acceptance, obedience, and resignation. The greatest challenges were facing the ordinary and everyday, such as difficulty with languages, behaviors, dietary and relational habits. Another significant challenge was the specific way of conceiving and executing the production of the project, such as transportation, organization of costumes and scenic artifacts, among others, carried out by a small team, intensely involved, and in a family-like format. BOWING was one of the most incredible experiences of my life as an artist, woman, mother, and Brazilian. Knowing other cultures, other ways of creating and producing shows expanded my perception of political and participatory community art."
Photography by: João Mariano - 1000 Olhos