Rhythm and Musicality from Head to Toe: for a Cartography of Traditions in Motion

• Grant number: 24/13457-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Arts - Theatre
• Principal Investigator: Sayonara Sousa Pereira
• Grantee: Isis Arrais Padilha
• Host Institution: Escola de Comunicações e Artes (ECA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/15032-4 - Sound archives of theater: implementation of a basis for research on the sound dimension in performing arts, AP.JP

Abstract

This project aims to reflect on the role of rhythm and musicality in actor training in the light of traditional Brazilian cultures, after verifying, in my master's degree related to the topic, that the theoretical framework of this field privileges Western canons. The study proposed in this doctorate is based on the hypothesis that actor training in Brazil should promote rapprochement with traditional cultures, excellent references for transdisciplinary development between dance, poetry, music, singing and narrative. The methodology adopted starts from the analysis of collections already created and compares them to experience in the field, in order to understand what escapes the records, due to the practical essence of teaching in performing arts. Based on the study of the records available in the Maracá Collection, which result from more than 20 years of experience in the field by Prof. Dr. Renata Amaral, we will reflect on the contributions of these media to the actor's rhythmic and musical learning and we will depart for a broader survey of multimedia records of traditional cultures, in order to constitute a free online cartography of reference for creative and pedagogical processes of the performing arts. We chose two traditions in which singing and foot percussion are structuring elements for the scenic performance: Coco de Tebei, practiced in Tacaratu (PE) and the cafurnas of the Fulni-ô people, originally from Águas Belas (PE). Interviews, experiences and records produced in the field will be systematized to elaborate on their contributions. Finally, we will discuss how to nourish theater with this knowledge without betraying its ethical, aesthetic and political dimensions. To deepen this reflection, we propose a research internship at the Musée du quai Branly, in Paris, specialized in collections of traditional cultures, and whose role in the new global context involves issues such as domination and cultural appropriation.