«Une partie de soi» (a part of oneself) is a vertical crossing that tells the story of a life’s journey, showing the individual beyond the acrobat. In a circle and in proximity, in an exquisite space reduced to the man, the pole and the circle, João Paulo Santos offers us a dense and powerful choreography, made of refrains and extended time.
As if he were on a conveyor belt, and without ever touching the ground, the acrobat tests the Chinese pole and shows a rarely seen side of the apparatus. The audience, gathered in a circle, is invited to a discreet ceremony, whose gestures, as powerful as they are humble, speak to us of the time lived and its trace present in us.
“With my eyes closed, I observe myself, as if I were outside my body. From up there, I feel the bubbling inside me.” In this vibrant creative state that characterizes his work, João Paulo Santos aims to tell the story of a life dedicated to an art that shaped the flesh and the place in the world of those who practiced it. Telling the story from the inside, taking his time with the details and sincerity.
This piece is part of the Teatro de Palha Program of LAVRAR DO MAL, a cultural cooperative based in Aljezur. It focuses on the practice of contemporary performing arts and how they relate to different social contexts, territories and cultural realities. And, therefore, the artistic and cultural projects developed take on different forms, dimensions and durations. The cooperative has worked mainly in Portugal, but also in Australia, Italy and Cape Verde.