In the show Rodopios, the Nossas Danças dance group offers a free and contemporary take on Portuguese folklore, liberating the traditions of the Azores, Madeira, the Algarve and the lands of the Pauliteiros from their conventional rigour.
On stage, a kaleidoscopic and sensory scene unfolds. Amidst the chirping of birds and the crimson glow of the Caretos with their rattles and eerie masks, memories and street cries intertwine — such as that of the knife-grinder who heralds the rain. The past and modernity coexist in the same space: the Pauliteiros appear like white ghosts, in a dizzying display of boots, embroidered sheets and wooden swords, whilst the traditional ‘Pezinho’ takes an unexpected turn and the Azorean hillsides echo the verses of António Aleixo’s Algarvean soul.
Amidst offerings, the scent of bitter oranges scattered on the ground, and prayers punctuated by clapping and castanets, the audience is invited to return to childhood, to hop on one leg and play leapfrog. More than just an ethnographic exhibition, the show is an emotional and visual journey through our collective identity. A vibrant call to celebrate life, where the only instruction is: please, follow the flowers.
