Afro-Brazilian Dance - Dance of Orixá
The challenge to dance through emotions

To dance for her is the challenge to cope with dynamics, technique, rhythm, creativity, tension, fear, panic, joy and grief - her feelings in general. In her classes she wants to support her students by way of discipline, attention and empathy, so they become dancers who feel the beauty of life and are free in their expressions.
Originally the dance for the Orixás (the gods who reign the natural elements water, fire, earth and air) comes from Africa and represents religious afro-brazilian ceremonies in honour of these gods during the Candomblé ceremonies in Bahia. Through the Orixá the gods are called on to receive honours and gifts. There is a wealth of rhythms and movements in these dances, together with jumps and twists of different niveaus.
The following gradual distinctions need to be considered:
First, through an Orixá a god manifests itself in the body of a person in trance during a Candomblé ceremony. Second, people dance for an Orixá during a Candomblé ceremony. Third, the dance can be performed outside a Candomblé ceremony, without any religious background. In general, Orixás exert a strong influence on afro-brazilian dance. However, in the ritual context, they represent the elements of nature - earth, fire, water and air.


Queila Rosa
Queila Rosa was born in 1976 in Salvador/Bahia, Brazil and has grown up as a "Solteiropolitana". She starts to dance at the age of 5. Her sensibility and her distinct feeling for music and rhythm attracts the attention of her parents. She starts to participate in school functions on a regular basis and feels herself more and more drawn to dance. She takes part in dance competitions of "Radio Cultura da Bahia", which are held in different parts of her city. Encouraged by her success she takes classes at the FUNCEB (Fundacao National de Danca e Cultura do Estado da Bahia) of UNEB (Universida de Estadual da Bahia) and works with several music bands and dance groups. Ever since dance plays a major role in her life.