“Conto Preto”, by Nala
Conto Preto is a choreographic work that intertwines the spiritualities of Candomblé with the powerful identity of ballroom culture, creating a space for evocation, celebration, and resistance of Black and queer bodies. Drawing on sacred rhythms such as ijexá, atabaque, and agogô, sound, body, and memory become means of communication with the orixás and ancestry. In its encounter with ballroom, a contemporary rituality emerges, in which each performance is a political gesture of affirmation. Performed by three artists from the Portuguese scene, Conto Preto celebrates identity and art as a sacred space.
Nala Revlon is a Portuguese-Brazilian creator, performer, and producer. She began her dance journey in clubbing styles such as waacking and house, and has been active in ballroom culture since 2017, focusing on the Vogue Fem category. She has been a member of the House of Revlon since 2018, leading its Portuguese chapter. Nala is a prominent figure in the international ballroom scene, with awards in various competitions, and also works as a judge, trainer, and performer.
Dance, M6 – duration TBD
ancestry – blackness – candomblé – ballroom
National premiere
Mar 6 and 7 / Café Teatro at Teatro Campo Alegre
Artistic direction and creation: Nala
Performed by and co-created with: Nala, Igor Silva (Flawless), Malia Imaan
Lighting design: Ana Carocinho
Dramaturgy Support: Piny
Choreographic assistance: Salomon Mpondo Dicka
Sound design: Leo Soulflow
Costume design: Rafaela Tomás
Produced by: VAI
Coproduced by: Instável – Centro Coreográfico and Teatro Municipal do Porto*
Support: Oukupa
* As part of the Palcos Instáveis cycle