Quimera
Absolute premiere, as part of the Opening Ceremony

‘Quimera’ is an interdisciplinary project that brings together director John Romão, choreographers Filipa Francisco and Deeogo Oliveira, poet Regina Guimarães and pianist José Diogo Martins.

By proposing an intricate dialogue between the dances of traditional Minho folklore, the vibration of breakdance and the piano, the show reflects the hybridity and multiplicity of cultural identities, in a game between the popular, the urban and the erudite.

Like the mythological figure of the chimera, which combines parts of different animals in a single body, ‘Quimera’ combines the traditional wheels and whirls of folklore with the circularity of breakdance bodies, transforming the stage into a space of viscerality. On stage, we see a cast of 43 dancers – 34 from Braga’s folklore groups and 8 breakdancers and 1 contemporary dancer – exploring the dynamics of circularity in their movement languages.

This reflection on the flow of identities, through a hypnotic choreographic and visual experience, is accompanied by a musical reinterpretation for piano of melodies from the Portuguese folk songbook.

Artistic director: John Romão
Choreography: Filipa Francisco and Deeogo Oliveira
Poems: Regina Guimarães
Musical composition and interpretation: José Diogo Martins
Performances: Afonso Dinis, Mariana Pereira (Palmeira Folkloric and Ethnographic Group), Ana Margarida Rodrigues, Luís Ferreira (Rancho Folclórico S. João Batista de Nogueira), Bruno Pereira (Nogueira Folkloric Group). João Batista de Nogueira), Bruno Pereira, Cátia Vilaça (Grupo Folclórico do Catel Cunha), Carlos Barros, Rita Fernandes (Rusga de São Vicente), David Moreira, Joana Carvalho (Grupo Folclórico da Universidade do Minho), Gabriel Mota, Raquel Vieira (Grupo Folclórico Infantil e Juvenil do Carreiro), Gustavo Carneiro, Paula Oliveira (Grupo Folclórico de Macada, Vimieiro), Isabel Gonçalves, José Filipe Dias Veiga (Grupo Folclórico São Miguel de Gualtar), João Costa, Maria Pimenta Costa (Grupo Folclórico Semear Alegria (Celeirós), José Egídio Gomes, Susana Rodrigues (Grupo Folclórico Santo André Gondizalves), José Ferreira, Manuela Ferreira (Grupo Folclórico Divino Salvador de Tebosa), José Manuel Soares, Liliana Rodrigues (Grupo Folclórico de Lamaçães), Lara Peixoto, Tiago Ribeiro (Associação Cultural e Festiva ‘Os Sinos da Sé’), Maria do Carmo Talaia, Miguel Ângelo (Rancho Folclórico Santa Maria de Adaúfe), Maria Neves, Rui Alves (Grupo Folclórico Dr. Gonçalo Sampaio), Ricardo Ferreira, Tânia Rodrigues (Grupo Hélios de Figueiredo), Ana de Oliveira e Silva, Afonso Cunha, David Myhre, João Campos, Mateus Cardoso, Mateus Melo, Rafael Rocha, Valter Fernandes, Victor Molina
Light design: Rui Monteiro
Video: Bruno Martins
Assistant director: Ana de Oliveira e Silva
Production: Colectivo 84
Executive producer: Rita Maia and Catarina Lopes (Menosmuitomais CRL)
A project commissioned and financed by Braga City Council, for the opening ceremony of Braga Portuguese Capital of Culture 2025, and co-financed by the Norte 2030 regional programme.

Acknowledgements: Arcade Dance Center, Escola Secundária Sá de Miranda, Jazzy Dance Studios, Museu do Traje Dr. Gonçalo Sampaio, MXM Art Center