Choreographer Spotlight: Renan Cerdeiro
To Miami, With Love is a series of pop-up performances around Miami choreographed and performed by MCB company dancers. Each headlining work is site-specific, inspired by the surrounding environment and the unique cultural tapestry of the location.
On Sunday January 31, at approximately 2:30 and 3:30pm you can catch some of our extraordinary MCB dancers at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, featuring headline choreography by MCB Principal Renan Cerderio.
Originally from Brazil, Renan Cerdeiro has been a Principal dancer at MCB since 2013. We spoke to Renan briefly about the inspiration for his work, the music and his career highlights.
What about your pop up location inspired you to choreograph?
Renan: Fairchild to me, feels like a piece of heaven in Miami. The beautiful greenery along with the vibrant colors of the many flowers and blooms, the fresh scents take me to another place – a dimension of peacefulness and tranquility.
Curiously, being there always leaves me wanting to learn more about nature and our roles as humans in our environment, the bonds that tie us, as humans to our natural surroundings. After all, we are all connected. There’s a great amount of charm, beauty and allure to those gardens, and that is as inspiring as life itself.
What role does music play in your creative process?
Renan: I wanted to connect to my roots. I naturally felt drawn to some of the compositions for guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos. He’s an influential Brazilian composer whose beautiful chords evoke real emotions, and seem to make space for my thoughts and imagination to take shape, and find a means of expression.
Is this your first time choreographing a new work?
Renan: This is my second attempt at choreographing. I’d like to explore all sides of this art form since a giant part of my life has been dedicated to it.
What can audiences expect from your piece?
Renan: I’m interested in seeing how people make up their own thoughts and assumptions about what this piece might refer to. How one can relate to a piece of work not knowing what they are getting themselves into beforehand, and what they can take from it.
The idea of making space for open discussions after performances is intriguing to me.
What has been your career highlight so far?
Renan: There have been numerous completely fulfilling moments throughout my career thus far, and it would be too hard to pick one specific. I think seeing the progress of my journey through dance, is what I would call the highlight, personally. I’m all about the process.
See Renan’s new work on Sunday, January 31th between 2:30pm – 3:30pm at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Tickets are required for entry to the garden and may be purchased here.
Click below for more information about other pop up locations. Follow MCB on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for updates.
Não Esqueça:
Choreography by Renan Cerdeiro
Danced by Mayumi Enokibara, Taylor Naturkas, Julian Goodwin-Ferris, Benjamin Lepson and Luiz Silva
Costumes by Eleanor Wolfe and Ricardo Asturias
Music by Heitor Villa-Lobos*
* Suite Populaire brésilienne: I. Mazurka-Choro, Etudes for Guitar: No. 1 in E Minor, Etudes for Guitar: No. 3 in D Major, Etudes for Guitar: No. 12 in A Minor
Recorded by Manuel Barrueco
Photo credit: Renan Cerdeiro in Apollo. Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Alexander Iziliaev.