Words: Caitlin Finnerty

4 Stars

Puff, choreographed by Alice Ripoll and performed by Hiltinho Fantástico, is an unsettling and hypnotic exploration of disguise, ancestry, and the slippery boundaries of what we call dance. Rooted in the traditions of the African diaspora and drawing on Passinho, the urban style born in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the work traces a lineage through samba and capoeira while simultaneously pushing into experimental territory.

Hiltinho is alone on stage throughout, commanding the space with nothing but his body, breath, and sweat. Entering in silence under full house lights, he begins with erratic, trance-like jumps before shifting into a style that is part marionette, part fever dream. Only once does music fill the room, during a brief five-minute sequence of fluid, structured dance that weaves together contemporary, hip hop, and samba before vanishing back into silence, leaving only the sound of feet hitting the floor. The piece is both technically dazzling and deeply disorienting. At times his undulating control creates the illusion of body parts dissociating; at others, metallic paint dripping down his spine and mouth adds a raw, almost grotesque dimension. It’s intense, uncompromising, and not for everyone, but Puff lingers, making you question the very definition of dance.

Puff 
Dance Base
19:00
Aug 21-24