“Onstage, what constitutes the quality of presence? What makes an event exceptional or ordinary, given the variables implicit in the performance of the person who embodies it? The concentration and investment in the quality of presence, which we sometimes call the protagonists’ ‘surrender’, takes place here and now, in a particular space and time, unrepeatable. The importance of the moment gives stage performance a temporal saturation that exceeds reflective consciousness or intentional thought, while the performer’s dedication—[in the sense of whoever performs]—heightens the spectator’s attention and response, in a phenomenon of empathy management. Within this saturation, one sometimes experiences a doubling; on the one hand, one performs, and on the other, one observes, and this duality can sometimes lead to what might be described as an altered state of consciousness, a kind of trance, or a distinct existential dimension. This experience is so peculiar that it is frequently associated with something unspeakable, mysterious, unnameable, or even esoteric. This cycle proposes to test this mystery empirically.”
Mariana Brandão
In 9 Rounds, Isabel Cordovil, an artist currently exploring the implicit power of movement, draws on the experience, sensitivity, and wisdom of Isabel Ruth, Bibi Dória, and Célio Dias, inviting them into a ring where, one at a time and without witnessing each other’s performances, they will repeatedly execute a predefined score of actions in search of that exceptional presence, thus demonstrating that they are more than performers: they are authors.
Thursday, July 23, from 8:30 pm to 11:15 pm
Isabel Ruth (Tomar, 1940) is an artist with a singular career spanning dance, theatre, cinema, poetry, music, and drawing. She studied at the Royal Ballet School in London and worked with directors such as Paulo Rocha, Manoel de Oliveira, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. In 2018, she was awarded the Ordem do Infante D. Henrique and in 2023, the Medalha de Mérito Cultural.
Bibi Dória (Campo Grande, Brazil, 1995) is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice brings together dance, performance, and cinema. She has lived in Lisbon since 2018 and develops a practice centered on memory, archives, fiction, and imagination, combining authorial projects with international artistic collaborations.
Célio Dias (Almada, 1993) was an Olympic judo athlete at the Rio 2016 Games and represented Portugal at World Championships, European Championships, and on the International Judo Federation circuit. His major achievements include a gold medal at the Budapest Grand Prix (2015), as well as several medals at Grand Slams and Grand Prix events. He currently also works to raise awareness around mental health, publicly sharing his experience and contributing to the fight against the stigma associated with mental illness.
