ABOUT US

From the artistic interaction between bodies and bamboos is born Cia Nós No Bambu. Its innovative poetics is the result of two lines of continued research: 1) material - bamboo, the investigation of constructive solutions and the creation of acrobatic instruments with this raw material, and 2) immaterial - the scenic body interaction with bamboo forms. This is how its original poetics emerges and the bamboo body art is unfolded.

Developed since 2003 by Cia Nós No Bambu, in a process of continuous research and permanent re-dimensioning, the bamboo body art merges boundaries from the hybridism of artistic languages, methods and production of meanings. This multifaceted DNA, intertwining acrobatic dance, theater and bamboo handcrafted instruments has given rise to six shows and several performances, numbers and special projects.

A repertory of weight, in concept and practice, whose originality and creativity inspire and provoke artists from the most diverse geographies. Thus, the bamboo, which inspires the company, gives rise to a sustainable art. Nós No Bambu put it on stage as a metaphor for a relationship of harmony and co-creation between humans and our Planet Earth.

The excellence of Nós No Bambu's art has already been recognized by Rumos Itau, Petrobras Cultural Award, Funarte Carequinha Award, Fundo de Apoio à Cultura/ Secretaria de Cultura de Distrito Federal, and numerous festivals, among others.

OUR ORIGIN

The poetics of Nós No Bambu is the artistic unfolding of the Integral Bamboo System, created, researched and improved by Marcelo Rio Branco, from Brasília - Federal District/ Brazil, since the year 2000. Marcelo is a professor with a degree in Physical Education from the University of Brasília.  

˝The INTEGRAL BAMBU arose from the search to meet my expectations in choosing a path and a discipline aimed at improving motor skills, self-care, education for survival, the art of movement, interaction with nature, personal growth and autonomy. […]

One day I decided to start researching the "tree climbing" proposal. I spent two years
experiencing situations on top of trees. Still playing as a child, but with the dedication guided by the systematic of a researcher. […]

I started thinking about sharing this experience in trees. The problem: It wouldn't fit everyone with me in the same tree. I wanted a tree that everyone could climb. But how to create structures to climb? With what? On July 25th, 2000, while driving, I found a bunch of bamboos cut down thrown on the edge of the road. I had found the  WHOLE (INTEGRAL) material.˝

Marcelo started his researches on the construction of bamboo shapes. He gathered people around him in these body practices in bamboo and in their construction. His first research site was in his mother's backyard in Lago Sul, Brasilia. From there, Marcelo moved to the University of Brasilia's Olympic Center, where he set up a studio with bamboo bays and masts as predominant forms, flanked by tatames.

Among those attending the home of Mrs. Rio Branco and the Olympic Center were Ana Flávia Almeida, Roberta Martins and Poema Mühlenberg, all students at the University of Brasília and with previous experiences in the arts of scene and movement. It was in the playful environment of the Integral Bamboo that the first invitations for performances with such bamboo shapes appeared. The first performances were had a heterogeneous group of Integral Bamboo practitioners, the Integrated. Among them, Marcelo himself.

The interest in deepening the research of scenic and creative possibilities of the relationship between body and bamboo shapes culminated in Marcelo's provocation for Poema to produce the company's first montage. Faced with the challenge, the company invited her mother, the experienced producer Liane Mühlenberg, to produce Uirapuru Bambu - performative show (2008). The main cast was formed by Ana Flávia, Roberta, Poema, Vitor Martim and Nara Faria, directed by William Lopes. This was the watershed and historical landmark of Cia Nós No Bambu towards its professionalization. Since then, the company has added the participation of several artists to its cast and the valuable collaboration of so many others in its creative processes.

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Source: RIO BRANCO, Marcelo. Manual do Integrado - Integral Bambu. Brasília: 2010.