Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Border Bodies
T.F. Cia de Dança
Genre: Contemporary, Dance, Physical Theatre
Venue: Assembly @ Dance Base
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Border Bodies, performed by a dance company from Brazil, desires to acknowledge the portrait of humanity: collective, clustered, seeking interactions and associations. In the midst of the silence of distancing, we rediscover and invent ways of being together.
Review
Looking around with an air of mystery… they look around one by one with twitchy weight changes, the tension, builds…A foghorn…and discordant sounds merge as these bodies join the sound. Statuesque then crumpled movement. The melody forges the way through twisted bodies, becoming more fluid and rhythmic.
Border Bodies is performed by an interesting group of seven compelling dancers from Brazil, all different in their background of dance styles from T.F. Cia de Dança, which is part of the São Paulo Showcase. Their movement is on the music so it’s like the movement of sound dynamics, rather than movement to music. It builds and unifies as the group move around the space effectively. This is dynamic, vibrant creativity!
The bass beat increases in sound as they move together forming one group, with different levels and shapes. This movement is visceral to original music made with a mix of instruments and electronic techniques. The piece develops when they make contact on their journey with slow sustained movement and angled stretched arms. It’s visually stunning and breathtaking to watch – totally engaging!
They seem to have a mission when they unite as a collective and it’s fascinating, watching every fibre of their bodies fired up – then they all freeze! Faster, rising, and falling still slow falls and turns – always looking, maybe seeking via alert muscular movement. They become unified in dance motifs with fluid, exploration around each other. The always there bass beat echoes with rhythm and melts the melodic soundscape with dramatic movement.
This group of professional dancers share a common background in hip hop dance, but from their continuous work with T.F. Cia de Dança they have created their style and continue investigating and developing – Contemporary Urban Dance. Border Bodies is their way of unifying a group of people from different backgrounds – in this case different dance backgrounds – to mirror the great microcosm of life.
Through their visual and physical storytelling they tell their story and achieve the unification they seek. Starting from a varied dance base this journey is apparent in the group inspired choreography and the high level of performance quality in this original piece.
This is very exciting work! The addition of abstract vocal sounds with lighting design that is dark and focused with quivering movement and the base beat of the drums becomes a fascinating marching motif. They are giving it all culminating with vibrant, muscular jumping to virtuoso drumming.
A high energy and spirit evokes Carnival – transporting us to the streets of Brazil, without the need of extravagant costumes and floats – this is magical! Highly recommended!
