Dance and Travel

Is Paris still impressionist? Yes, despite time passing by, it has somehow conserved the allure of Impressionism which still attracts a lot of tourists all around the world coming to visit Paris, and Montmartre neighbourhood, in particular. Antoine Blanchard - Le Moulin Rouge, Place Blanche a Montmartre Recently, I have spent 2 months working in Paris, and living in Montmartre. One of my favourite hobbies was wandering among Montmartre neighborhood streets, got lost in them, discovering ancient building, restaurants or cafes, and learning their history. Impressionism has always been my favourite artistic movement, and Montmartre is its birthplace. What a perfect combination for me! However, what is “Impressionism”? According to the Collins dictionary Impressionism is a style of painting developed in France between 1870 and 1900 chiefly by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley, which concentrated on showing the effects of light on things rather than on clear and exact deta...

Cemeteries, in particular monumental ones, has always fascinated me, of that kind of fascination which is difficult to explain. I would say it is a mix of sense of sacred and beauty, with a bit of respect and fear. I believe that cemeteries represent the soul and history of the city thanks their art. Yes, because cemeteries are full of art, full of great masterpieces made by local and international artists, the most of the time before they become famous, like the Italian Naturalist Sculptor Giulio Monteverde . For sure my fashination is also linked to the “romantic” suggestion of the silent landscape and the presence monuments and architectures, which are connected very tightly to each other and creates at the same time a sacred and mystic atmosphere. Cementery of Staglieno: nature and architecture It is because this hidden and romantic charm that every time I visit a city, I visit its cemetery as well. I do this also to know better about the history of the city and its peo...

One of the dances I am learning at the moment is Samba, but not the kind of samba you are thinking of with prominent dancers in tight and shining swimming suits,  what I am referring to is Samba de Gafiera, a couple dance originated in the 1940's in Rio de Janeiro's gafieira (working-class dance halls). Couple dancing Samba de Gafieira It is a partner dance that incorporates Carnival Samba, Salsa and Argentine Tango concepts. The dance derived from the  Maxixe and followed the arrival of the Choro (another samba musical style). It left most of the Maxixe’s Polka elements behind but maintained the entwined leg movements of the Argentine Tango, although adopting a more relaxed posture than the latter. But why is so charming? Well, one of the most important aspect in gafieira is the male dancer’s attitude towards the female one. Here I have to introduce you the “malandragem” concept. Literally translated as “rascality” ir “naughtiness”, in the Brazilian music and cultu...

Me training in a circus One of my favourite passions which combines dance with acrobatics, is called "Aerial silks". Wikipedia helped me with a definition: “Aerial silks (also known as aerial tissues, fabric, or ribbons) are a type of performance in which one or more artists performs aerial acrobatics while hanging from a fabric. The fabric may be hung as two pieces, or a single piece, folded to make a loop, classified as hammock silks. Performers climb the suspended fabric without the use of safety lines, and rely only on their training and skill to ensure safety. They use the fabric to wrap, suspend, fall, swing, and spiral their bodies into and out of various positions. Aerial silks may be used to fly through the air, striking poses and figures while flying.” I would also add that is an “art” taught in circus school together with aerial trapeze and aerial hoop. Nowadays, yoga centres or pole dance schools have started to open courses of aerial silks, trying ...

Portuguese/Spanish Flags Although Portuguese and Spanish are closely related to the point to be somehow mutual intelligible, there are also important differences between them, which can pose difficulties for people acquainted with one of the languages who attempt to learn the other. In this article, I will focus on the Portuguese learner’s point of view that approaches to the Spanish language. He always has to pay attention to “ false friends ”: In Spanish “estar embarazada” means ‘to be pregnant’. In Portuguese “estar embaraçada” means ‘to be embarrassed’ or ‘to be entangled’. Nevertheless, Spanish has the term “embarazoso/a “meaning ’embarrassing’.’Pregnant’ in Portuguese is “grávida”. Portuguese/ Spanish False Friends: Embarazada Spanish “vaso” means ‘drinking glass ‘, while in Portuguese “vaso” means toilet (from “vaso sanitário”). A ‘drinking glass’ in Portuguese is “copo”, while Spanish “copa” is a wine glass. Here a top ten of the most frequent errors done by...

“Genova che mi struggi, intestini – caruggi” (Genoa, you pine me, you are intestine - you are tiny streets)  cit. G. Caproni* The first time I saw Genoa was in 2008. I was with my father heading to this city to enroll me at the University. I have never before though about Genoa as a possible city where to live. I was just choosing it because I had the impression of a good University with subjects that I would have definitely liked. I was in the train, and after many dark galleries, here it was Genoa with its colorful houses which seem to be clinging to the mountainside. I suddenly thought:“That’s the city where I want to live”. Genoa: mountainside I spend almost two year in a wonderful neighborhood called “Castelletto”, where you can enjoy one of the most beautiful city landscape. I used to stop there read a book or just relaxing after a day of intensive study. Genoa Castelletto Then I moved to the hearth of the city, near to the harbor. The historica...

Why Cemeteries are so important? They are important because visiting them will help you to know the history of the city and the nature of its people, since they represent the heritage of a place. In this case The Poblenou Cemetery (in Catalán “Cementiri de Poblenou”) is the most ancient cemetery of Barcelona. It is located in Poblenou district in Barcelona and it is an authentic open air museum waiting for a restoration necessary to preserve its artistic and historical richness. Historically it was conceived as a solution to the  unhealthiness of the parish graves present inside the city. It was inaugurated in 1775, but destroyed few years later by the Napoleonic troops. In 1813, it was request to a young Italian architect, Antonio Ginesi, to build the outdoor area. The Neoclassical style reflects the tastes and the political aspiration of the new emerging classes of the city,  the businessman and the  indianas  manufactures. In 1821 it was used in almost its...