The Rise of the Queens
The dance production The Rise of the Queens by Menard Mponda & friends combines in a unique way traditional East African dances and Afro-Brazilian capoeira, songs, music and Menard’s own choreographies.
In many traditional African mythologies, natural forces are represented as deities or spirits that have an important role in people’s lives. Through the slave trade these mythologies and beliefs spread to other continents. In Brazil, African traditions and mythologies developed into Afro-Brazilian religions, which are still practiced in many parts of the country, but they can be found in different forms from all parts of the world where people of African origins are present.