T.F. Dance Company – https://tfciadedanca.com.br/en/
Press Reviews and Media Coverage – https://tfciadedanca.com.br/en/about-us/press-material/
T.F. Dance Company is an artistic collective based in the city of São Paulo since 2002. Comprising professional dancers from diverse training and stylistic backgrounds, the company actively articulates dance within urban spaces. The group investigates “Contemporary Urban Dance,” a practice framed as a way to exercise contemporary thinking through hip hop culture. This investigation focuses on developing signature choreography, guided by a research path exploring sensory stimuli rooted in each performer’s individuality and physical states constructed through the body-city relationship.
The group originally began in 2002 as T.F.Style under the direction of Igor Gasparini. In 2007, with Frank Tavanti joining as artistic director, T.F.Style Dance Company emerged, distinguishing itself as one of the pioneer collectives in the research of Contemporary Urban Dance. In 2022, celebrating the collective’s 20th anniversary, the name was streamlined to simply T.F. Dance Company.
The company has been awarded the prestigious São Paulo Municipal Dance Grant (Fomento à Dança) for its 20th, 24th, 28th, 32nd, and 37th editions (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024), as well as the State PROAC Tour Grant for Dance Performances (2016, 2020, and 2022). It won the APCA Award for Best Dance Premiere in 2019 with ELO; was nominated for the APCA Award for Choreography | Creation in 2024 with TRACE; and received the Denilto Gomes Dance Award for “Best Ensemble” for Gray Zone in 2022, and for “Dance Creation Modes” for TRACE in 2024.
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Company History
2007
The origins of T.F. Cia de Dança date back to 2007, when a creative partnership between Igor Gasparini and Frank Tavanti initiated a research process exploring the intersections between urban dance practices and contemporary stage creation. Together with the company’s first cast, they developed Formas – um aspecto em particular, the group’s inaugural production.
The work established the foundation for the company’s artistic investigation, bringing together choreographic experimentation, theatricality and the expressive possibilities of urban dance languages. In 2008, the production was presented at the Institute of Arts of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Universidade Paulista and Teatro Eva Wilma in São Paulo.
2009
In partnership with the Municipal Department of Education of São Paulo, then operating under the name T.F. Style, the company presented Formas – um aspecto em particular at CEU Aricanduva, accompanied by workshops for children and young people from the surrounding community.
During the same year, the company participated in ABCDança, presenting the workshop The Theory and Practice of Hip Hop, and was invited to perform at the opening event of a production by KD Cia de Dança in Potirendaba, São Paulo State.
Also in 2009, the company premiered Encontros e Desencontros, an urban dance work investigating themes of love, affection and human relationships. The production represented an important step in the development of the company’s artistic voice, moving beyond formal experimentation toward broader reflections on social and emotional experiences.
2010
In 2010, Encontros e Desencontros was selected for the programme of ABCDança, touring several cities in the Greater São Paulo region. The work also enjoyed two seasons at Teatro Coletivo, in São Paulo, during April and August.
The company continued its educational activities through the workshop The Theory and Practice of Hip Hop, presented as part of São Paulo’s renowned Virada Cultural festival. At the same time, Encontros e Desencontros returned to CEU Aricanduva and was presented at Teatro João Caetano through the Vocacional cultural programme.
The production was subsequently invited to join the programme Cidade Palco Escola at Teatro de Dança, a project supported by the Associação Paulista dos Amigos da Arte and the Government of the State of São Paulo. This recognition reinforced the growing visibility of the company within the contemporary dance and cultural landscape of São Paulo.
2011
The year 2011 marked an important phase of artistic expansion for the company. Encontros e Desencontros returned to Virada Cultural with two performances at SESC Interlagos, while the company also organised the forum Stress and Anxiety in Amateur and Professional Dancers, bringing together psychologists and dance professionals for public discussion.
In May, the company presented a preview version of Deserto de Ilusões through the Vocacional programme at Teatro João Caetano. In an unusual and participatory creative process, audience members were invited to share feedback and suggestions that informed the final development of the work prior to its official premiere the following month at Teatro Coletivo in São Paulo.
Following its premiere, Deserto de Ilusões was presented in a season at Teatro Centro da Terra and quickly became an important addition to the company’s repertoire.
Meanwhile, Encontros e Desencontros continued its circulation with seasons at Teatro Zanoni Ferrite and through educational touring programmes associated with SESC São Paulo.
The year concluded with a significant milestone when T.F. Style performed at the opening ceremony of the 10th Prêmio Jovem Brasileiro at Memorial da América Latina. During the event, artistic director Igor Gasparini received the award for Best Choreographer.
2012
In 2012, T.F. Style continued expanding the circulation of its repertoire through partnerships with SESC São Paulo and public cultural programmes. Encontros e Desencontros was presented at SESC São Carlos, while Deserto de Ilusões was featured at SESC Interlagos, further strengthening the company’s presence within one of Brazil’s most important cultural networks.
Deserto de Ilusões also returned to Teatro Coletivo in São Paulo and was presented as part of the Encontros project at Paraíso Metro Station. The work was later included in the ABCDança programme in the city of Rio Grande da Serra. During the same event, the company once again organised the forum Stress and Anxiety in Amateur and Professional Dancers, reinforcing its commitment to dialogue between artistic practice and critical reflection.
Educational activities remained an important part of the company’s work, with The Theory and Practice of Hip Hop workshop returning to the programme of Virada Cultural São Paulo.
A major milestone of the year was the inclusion of Deserto de Ilusões in Circuito Cultural Paulista, one of the State of São Paulo’s principal touring programmes. Through this initiative, the work travelled extensively throughout the interior of the state, reaching audiences in José Bonifácio, Andradina, Avaré, Dois Córregos, Mirandópolis and Martinópolis.
During the second half of the year, Encontros e Desencontros continued touring through educational and cultural programmes associated with SESC São Paulo, including performances at SESC Bom Retiro and SESC Taubaté. The company also presented interventions from Deserto de Ilusões during a season at SESC Santana.
The year concluded with a season of Deserto de Ilusões at Teatro Zanoni Ferrite, under the Municipal Department of Culture of São Paulo.
2013
In 2013, the company participated in the municipal programme Recreio nas Férias, organised by the Municipal Department of Education in partnership with SESC São Paulo. Through this initiative, T.F. Style presented Encontros e Desencontros and delivered workshops for children and young people at SESC Interlagos.
The year also marked an important academic achievement for artistic director Igor Gasparini, who presented his postgraduate dissertation, Communication Between Dance and Audience: The Role of Cultural Journalism and the Choreographer in the Relationship Between Artwork and Spectator, at Teatro TUCA. The event combined an academic defence with a performance of Deserto de Ilusões and a public discussion, reflecting the company’s longstanding interest in audience engagement and artistic mediation.
A new chapter began with the preview presentation of Tempo during Virada Cultural São Paulo. The work subsequently premiered in a season at Sala Crisantempo and quickly became a central piece within the company’s repertoire.
That same year, T.F. Style toured Deserto de Ilusões through Circuito SESC de Artes, performing in Sertãozinho, Barretos, São Simão, Taquaritinga, Dois Córregos, Matão, São José do Rio Pardo, Ibaté and Araras. Tempo was also presented through ABCDança at Galeria Olido.
The company continued an intense performance schedule throughout the year. Tempo was featured at Teatro Sérgio Cardoso, one of São Paulo’s most important performing arts venues, and later returned to Galeria Olido through the Municipal Department of Culture. Through educational touring programmes associated with SESC São Paulo, the company completed two months of performances at SESC Bom Retiro.
The year concluded with a site-specific occupation at the Museu da Imagem e do Som (MIS), further demonstrating the company’s growing interest in alternative performance spaces and expanded choreographic practices.
2014
The year began with the company’s participation in celebrations marking the 460th anniversary of the city of São Paulo, performing in a public event organised by FIESP and SESI on Avenida Paulista.
T.F. Style subsequently joined Virada Cultural Paulista with performances of Deserto de Ilusões in the cities of Indaiatuba and Diadema. The company also led workshops as part of SESC Interlagos’ Dia do Desafio programme and presented Tempo through educational touring initiatives at SESC São Carlos.
During Virada Cultural São Paulo, the company presented an intervention at SESC Bom Retiro and was invited to participate in the opening programme of Circuito São Paulo de Cultura, presenting Tempo at Parque Ibirapuera, one of the city’s most iconic public spaces.
A defining moment of the year came with the premieres of ANTI, choreographed by Daniel Holt, and BECO, created by Igor Gasparini and Frank Tavanti. Both works debuted at Vila Maria Zélia, a historic alternative cultural space that serves as the home of Grupo XIX de Teatro.
The two productions were subsequently incorporated into Circuito São Paulo de Cultura, touring several cultural venues throughout São Paulo, including Centro Cultural Cidade Tiradentes, Centro Cultural Penha (Teatro Martins Penna), Teatro Alfredo Mesquita and Teatro Zanoni Ferrite.
In the same year, the company was awarded support through the VAI 2 programme of the Municipality of São Paulo. Through this initiative, T.F. Style delivered 98 hours of workshops and presented sixteen performances of Tempo across four educational and cultural centres: CEU Sapopemba, CEU Formosa, CEU Vila do Sol and CEU Aricanduva.
The company also returned to Circuito Cultural Paulista, presenting performances in Avaré, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, Ourinhos, Palmital, São Simão, Guariba, Monte Alto and Novo Horizonte.
The year concluded with participation in Cultura Livre, a cultural programme organised by the Government of the State of São Paulo, featuring a performance at Parque Villa-Lobos, as well as a return to the Museu da Imagem e do Som (MIS) with an intervention based on Tempo.
2015
In 2015, T.F. Style continued to expand its artistic presence through performances, workshops and touring activities across the State of São Paulo. The year began with participation in SESC Verão at SESC Interlagos, where the company presented workshops and site-specific interventions derived from BECO, a work that was becoming increasingly central to its artistic repertoire.
Following these presentations, BECO was featured at SESC Santo Amaro and enjoyed a season at SESC Santana as part of the programme Corpos Vetores. The company also participated in Dia do Desafio at SESC Santo André, presenting interventions and workshops, while Tempo was presented at SESC Jundiaí.
Artistic director Igor Gasparini was invited to participate in De Improviso, a programme organised by SESC Santos dedicated to improvisation and contemporary performance practices.
Throughout the year, BECO continued to gain recognition, being presented at the Centro de Referência da Dança (CRD-SP), participating in the 6th Circuito Vozes do Corpo, and appearing in the programme of ABCDança 2015 with a performance in Mauá.
The company also returned to both Virada Cultural Paulista and Virada Cultural São Paulo. In the state-wide edition of the festival, BECO, ANTI and Tempo were presented in the cities of Bauru and Registro. In the capital, the company performed an intervention at SESC Santana.
Additional presentations of BECO took place at SESC Rio Preto and SESC Bom Retiro, while ANTI was presented in a short season at Teatro Sérgio Cardoso.
Recognition of the company’s growing artistic relevance led to invitations from important independent initiatives. BECO was selected for Interlocuções Poéticas 2015, a programme hosted by FUNARTE São Paulo, and was also chosen for the VIII Mostra Corpos Nômades de Dança, an important platform for contemporary dance in Brazil.
The double programme BECO and ANTI was presented at SESI Itu, and the year concluded with the company travelling to Brasília, Brazil’s capital, to perform BECO at the 3rd National Youth Conference.
By the end of 2015, BECO had become one of the defining works of the company’s repertoire, marking a significant maturation of its choreographic language and its dialogue between urban dance vocabularies and contemporary dramaturgical structures.
2016
The year 2016 represented a major turning point in the history of T.F. Style Cia de Dança.
The company was awarded support from two of the most important public funding programmes for dance in the State of São Paulo: the 20th edition of the Municipal Dance Development Programme (Programa de Fomento à Dança para a Cidade de São Paulo) and the PROAC Dance Touring Grant.
These achievements provided the conditions for a significant expansion of the company’s artistic research and public activities.
The year began with participation in SESC Verão at SESC Campo Limpo, presenting workshops, dance jams and performances of BECO. At the same time, the company was developing a new creation, Sob a Pele, which was first shared with audiences through Partilha do Sensível at SESC Pinheiros, offering insight into the creative process before the official premiere.
In March, Sob a Pele premiered at Centro Cultural São Paulo (CCSP), one of the city’s most important cultural institutions. The work marked a new stage in the company’s artistic trajectory, deepening its investigation into corporeality, perception and contemporary urban existence.
Meanwhile, BECO continued touring extensively. Urban interventions derived from the work were presented as part of the SESC Parque Dom Pedro II Occupation project and through the municipal programme Ruas Abertas, reaching neighbourhoods including Parelheiros, Guaianases, Sapopemba and Itaim Paulista.
The work also participated in Virada Cultural Paulista, with performances in Indaiatuba and Santos, and returned to Virada Cultural São Paulo.
One of the year’s most significant initiatives was the project Dança Urbana Contemporânea: Diálogos, supported through FUNARTE’s Cena Aberta 2016 programme. Hosted at Sala Renée Gumiel, the project was conceived as a platform for discussion, exchange and reflection on contemporary urban dance practices.
Through performances, workshops, debates and artistic encounters, the project brought together companies and artists whose research shared affinities with T.F. Style’s artistic investigations. Invited participants included Cia. Street Son, Mia Omori and André Bidú, Fragmento Urbano, Cia. Rogéria Zago and Grupo Up.
The project reinforced the company’s growing role not only as a producer of artistic work, but also as a catalyst for dialogue within Brazil’s urban dance community.
Later in the year, Tempo toured through Circuito Cultural Paulista, reaching audiences in Ribeirão Pires, Taboão da Serra, Americana, Bertioga, Itatiba, Itapira, Guariba and Batatais.
At the same time, Sob a Pele began its own circulation, appearing in Circuito São Paulo de Cultura with performances at Teatro Cacilda Becker, Teatro Zanoni Ferrite and Galeria Olido. The work was also presented at SESC Sorocaba, the Municipal Dance Development Programme Showcase, Centro Cultural Cidade Tiradentes and Dança no MIS. Workshops related to the production were offered at SESC Belenzinho.
Supported by the Municipal Dance Development Programme, the company launched the first phase of Sob a Pele – Diálogos, a project combining performances, debates and creative process exchanges. Activities began at Centro Cultural Formosa in collaboration with Grupo Zumb’Boys, establishing a model of artistic dialogue that would continue into the following year.
By the end of 2016, T.F. Style had reached a new level of artistic maturity, combining performance, research, education and cultural mediation into an increasingly coherent and influential body of work.
2017
The first months of 2017 were marked by the continuation of Sob a Pele – Diálogos, the artistic exchange project initiated the previous year.
The programme unfolded through a series of collaborative encounters at the Centro de Referência da Dança (CRD-SP), featuring dialogues with Fragmento Urbano, Vanilton Lakka, Fernando Prado and, later, Grupo Impacto from Viçosa, Minas Gerais. These exchanges sought to deepen discussions around creative processes, artistic methodologies and contemporary urban dance practices.
At the same time, Sob a Pele embarked on an extensive touring programme through the PROAC Dance Touring Grant. The project included twenty performances, ten workshops and ten public discussions across cities in the interior and coastal regions of São Paulo State, including Registro, Americana, Batatais, Piracicaba, Garça, Itatiba, Praia Grande, Bertioga, Limeira and Mogi das Cruzes.
Alongside these touring activities, the company maintained a busy performance schedule. BECO was presented at SESC Registro, Virada Cultural São Paulo and the inauguration of SESC Florêncio de Abreu during Semana Move.
Sob a Pele continued its circulation with performances at SESC Bauru, SESC Ribeirão Preto, ABCDança 2017 in Rio Grande da Serra and Virada Cultural Paulista in Caraguatatuba, Marília and Botucatu. The work also toured through Circuito Cultural Paulista, appearing in Serrana, Taubaté, Pirassununga and Mauá.
Workshops were once again offered at SESC Belenzinho, reinforcing the company’s commitment to artistic education and audience engagement.
A defining milestone of 2017 was the premiere of Carne Urbana, developed through research supported by the 20th edition of the Municipal Dance Development Programme.
Premiering in seasons at Teatro Flávio Império and Teatro João Caetano, Carne Urbana marked a significant evolution in the company’s artistic trajectory. Expanding beyond conventional stage formats, the work explored installation, participation and spatial relationships, opening new pathways that would later influence productions such as ELO, Zona Cinzenta and RASTRO.
The premiere of Carne Urbana signalled the beginning of a new phase in the company’s research—one increasingly focused on expanded choreography, audience experience and the relationship between body, space and social interaction.
2018
In 2018, Carne Urbana continued to expand the company’s investigation into choreography, participation and spatial experience. The choreographic installation was presented at Teatro Sérgio Cardoso and subsequently toured through Circuito São Paulo de Cultura, appearing in ten cultural centres and community venues across the city of São Paulo.
The company also developed Carne Urbana – Ocupação, a project supported by FUNARTE São Paulo. Hosted at Sala Renée Gumiel, the initiative combined performances of Carne Urbana, artistic residencies, public discussions and open rehearsals, creating opportunities for audiences and artists to engage more deeply with the company’s research processes.
During the same year, Sob a Pele continued its circulation through Circuito Cultural Paulista, performing in Catanduva, Franca, Palmares Paulista and Guaíra. The work was also presented in four public schools through educational programmes supported by the State Department of Education.
The company received support once again from the Municipal Dance Development Programme of São Paulo, this time through the project Carne Urbana: Sobre.Vivência. As part of this initiative, Sob a Pele was presented at Centro Cultural Cidade Tiradentes, Centro Cultural da Penha, Universidade Anhembi Morumbi and the Centro de Referência da Dança (CRD-SP), where it participated in the Municipal Dance Development Programme Showcase.
Throughout the year, the artistic research surrounding Carne Urbana continued to unfold through workshops, creative residencies and artistic exchanges. The company facilitated activities at CRD-SP and SESC Belenzinho, participated in the event Arte no Beco in Itu and was selected for the 1st Mostra do Corpo Contemporâneo in Mogi das Cruzes, as well as Circuito Vozes do Corpo, organised by Cia Sansacroma.
Carne Urbana was also presented in Limeira and at SESC Sorocaba before embarking on two important tours outside São Paulo State.
In September, the company toured the state of Minas Gerais, presenting Carne Urbana at Teatro Raul Belém Machado in Belo Horizonte and as part of the Filó occupation in Ipatinga.
Later that year, the work was selected for presentations in Rio de Janeiro at Teatro Armando Gonzaga, under the organisation of FUNARJ and the State Department of Culture of Rio de Janeiro.
The year concluded with participation in CORPOCIDADE 6 in Salvador, Bahia, where the company took part in the event’s Conexões programme, organised by the Federal University of Bahia.
By this stage, T.F. Cia de Dança had established itself as a significant presence within Brazil’s contemporary dance landscape, increasingly recognised for its ability to connect urban dance vocabularies with choreographic experimentation, public engagement and interdisciplinary research.
2019
The year 2019 was dedicated in large part to the development of Carne Urbana: Sobre.Vivência, a project supported by the 24th edition of the Municipal Dance Development Programme.
The project unfolded through a series of artistic residencies, public presentations and discussion forums. The first cycle took place at Galeria Olido and included performances of Carne Urbana by the company, presentations involving resident artists and public debates addressing the themes explored in the work.
Subsequent cycles were held at Oficina Oswald de Andrade and Oficina Cultural Alfredo Volpi, featuring a second artistic residency and additional public presentations. Discussions associated with the project also took place at Universidade Anhembi Morumbi and the Centro de Referência da Dança (CRD-SP).
Across all activities, the project generated sixteen presentations of Carne Urbana and four public discussion forums, consolidating the work as one of the company’s most influential artistic investigations.
Alongside these activities, the company developed site-responsive propositions derived from Sob a Pele, presented at SESC Belenzinho and SESC Bauru. This artistic approach was later selected for Dança à Deriva, an international festival dedicated to dialogue between artistic practices across Latin America.
Throughout the year, the company also offered urban dance and hip hop workshops and performances at SESC Florêncio de Abreu, SESC Belenzinho and SESC Parque Dom Pedro II.
Sob a Pele returned to Virada Cultural São Paulo and inspired a series of urban interventions developed through municipal cultural programmes in public spaces throughout the city.
A major milestone arrived with the premiere of ELO at SESC Santo Amaro.
Conceived as a poetic proposition for alternative spaces, ELO explored the relationship between body, architecture, urban environment and audience participation. Rather than positioning spectators as passive observers, the work invited them into a shared experience, transforming perception of both space and collective presence.
The production was immediately recognised for its innovation and artistic impact.
In the same year, ELO received the APCA Award for Best Debut (Melhor Estreia), awarded by the Associação Paulista de Críticos de Arte, one of Brazil’s most respected cultural institutions.
The award marked a significant moment in the company’s history and established ELO as one of the defining works of its repertoire.
Towards the end of 2019 and into early 2020, Carne Urbana continued touring through district theatres and cultural centres in São Paulo, including Teatro Flávio Império, Centro de Referência da Dança, Centro Cultural Santo Amaro, Centro Cultural da Penha, Centro Cultural Formosa and Centro Cultural Cidade Tiradentes.
2020
The year 2020 began with new presentations of ELO, including performances at SESC Vila Mariana and Casa de Cultura da Freguesia do Ó.
However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly altered artistic production worldwide, forcing the suspension of in-person activities and prompting artists and institutions to rethink creative processes.
Rather than interrupting its research, T.F. Cia de Dança transformed the challenges of isolation into opportunities for experimentation.
Artistic director Igor Gasparini created a solo reinterpretation of Carne Urbana for Solos no Virtual, a digital programme organised by SESC Florêncio de Abreu. The company also offered ELO: Studies, Experiences and Performative Laboratories through Oficina Cultural Oswald de Andrade.
The company participated in initiatives organised by Núcleo Ximbra, including Ei, Se Conecta and Sarau do Urutu, while continuing to engage in educational activities. Members of the company were invited to teach and share their research at institutions such as UNESP, Fundação das Artes de São Caetano do Sul and the Municipal Department of Education of São Caetano do Sul.
As physical encounters became impossible, the company developed new methodologies for artistic exchange and collective creation.
This process gave rise to what became known as the Pandemic Performative Programmes (Programas Performativos Pandêmicos – PPPs), a series of creative protocols developed collaboratively among the artists of the company.
The PPPs combined study groups, practical laboratories and performative experiments designed to maintain artistic connections despite physical distance. While social isolation prevented the continuation of body-to-body research, it opened new possibilities for investigating the relationships between body, domestic space and digital environments.
Questions of presence, mediation and perception became central to the company’s research, as performers explored how choreographic thinking could exist within two-dimensional screens and virtual encounters.
During this period, the company also initiated an international exchange with Belgian artist Kelly Vanneste, who collaborated remotely with the ensemble and contributed creative procedures to the ongoing research.
Despite the global crisis, T.F. Cia de Dança continued to expand its international visibility.
The company was invited to participate in the Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporánea de Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, presenting workshops and a screening of ELO, followed by discussions with festival audiences.
ELO was also featured in the online programme SESC Ao Vivo, broadcast from SESC Avenida Paulista, and in Virada Cultural Paulista, transmitted from Teatro Sérgio Cardoso.
The work was further selected for Brasil Cena Aberta – ATO 2020, an internationalisation initiative that connected Brazilian performing arts groups with national and international curators.
At the end of the year, the company received support once again from the Municipal Dance Development Programme of São Paulo through the project E.L.O. – Eu, Lugar, Outro, which would guide much of its artistic activity throughout 2021 and beyond.
2021
Throughout 2021, T.F. Cia de Dança developed the activities associated with E.L.O. – Eu, Lugar, Outro, a project supported by the 28th edition of the Municipal Dance Development Programme of São Paulo. The project expanded the research initiated with ELO and combined artistic residencies, performances and the development of a new choreographic work inspired by Claire Bishop’s concept of the “Grey Zone”.
As part of the project, the company presented five performances of ELO and organised three artistic residencies dedicated to the ongoing research surrounding Carne Urbana. Two of these residencies took place at Casa Contemporânea, focusing on permanence and site-specific practices, while a third residency was developed at Oficina Cultural Oswald de Andrade under the theme of multiperspectivism.
At the same time, the company received support through three emergency funding programmes established under Brazil’s Aldir Blanc Law, created to support artists and cultural organisations affected by the pandemic.
Through the project Corpos de Fronteira, the company developed virtual workshops, online presentations and an extensive touring programme that reached ten cities across the State of São Paulo, including Registro, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, Ilhabela, Mogi das Cruzes, Pindamonhangaba, Bragança Paulista, Atibaia, Itatiba, Taquaritinga and Santo André.
The creative methodologies developed during the Pandemic Performative Programmes also generated a series of videodance works created by members of the artistic ensemble.
These productions gained international visibility through selections in festivals and cultural events. Da Terra ao Céu, created by Majú Kaiser, was presented at the 20th Paranapiacaba Winter Festival. Movimento na Pausa, by Maria Emília Gomes, was selected for the Danzénica International Videodance Festival in Bolivia. Protocolo 22, created by Pasha Gorbachev, was featured in the SESC Dance Biennial.
Alongside these projects, ELO continued its growing national circulation. The work was selected for the 19th edition of Dança em Trânsito, one of Brazil’s leading dance festivals, touring the cities of Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Vitória and Vila Velha.
The production was also presented at the SESC Cariri Cultural Festival in Ceará, the 6th edition of Mercado Livre na Dança in Minas Gerais, the Mostra Transversalidades na Dança in Ouro Preto, and at major cultural institutions including Centro Cultural São Paulo and Itaú Cultural.
By the end of 2021, ELO had become one of the company’s most widely circulated and critically recognised works, while the research processes initiated during the pandemic were opening new artistic directions that would soon lead to the creation of Zona Cinzenta and Corpos de Fronteira.
2022
The year 2022 represented another major turning point in the artistic trajectory of T.F. Cia de Dança.
In the first semester, the company premiered Zona Cinzenta at Espaço Canto in São Paulo. Conceived as a performative action rather than a conventional stage production, the work investigated the relationships between choreography, exhibition spaces, spectatorship and contemporary visual culture.
The production received immediate recognition and was awarded the Denilto Gomes Prize for Best Ensemble by the São Paulo Dance Cooperative.
Later that year, Zona Cinzenta was selected for the 16th edition of VERBO – Performance Art Festival, one of Brazil’s most important performance art platforms, and was presented at Galeria Vermelho in São Paulo.
The work subsequently toured through Circuito Municipal de Cultura, appearing at cultural centres across the city, including Casa de Cultura Tremembé, Casa de Cultura Itaim Paulista, Casa de Cultura Freguesia do Ó, Casa de Cultura Butantã, Casa de Cultura Campo Limpo and Centro Cultural Grajaú. It was also presented at SESC Campinas and SESC Sorocaba.
To accompany the research developed through Zona Cinzenta, the company organised a series of public discussions featuring prominent artists and researchers. Topics included choreography in exhibition spaces, corporeal states and contemporary performative practices.
Meanwhile, ELO continued its extensive circulation, appearing at SESC Sorocaba, SESC Bertioga, SESC Birigui, Centro Cultural Grajaú and the international festival Visões Urbanas. The work was also presented at the Centro de Referência da Dança and SESC Campinas.
The company was invited to participate in the Festival de Inverno Mariana 360, presenting ELO in the historic cities of Mariana and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, while also conducting workshops with students from CRIA – Centre for Childhood and Youth Development.
Throughout the year, ELO completed three major touring programmes:
- Circuito SESC de Artes;
- Circuito Cultural Paulista;
- Circuito Municipal de Cultura.
These tours reached audiences in numerous cities across São Paulo State and reinforced the work’s status as one of the company’s most successful creations.
The year also marked the beginning of a partnership with Milos Eventos, through which T.F. Cia de Dança began organising and facilitating urban dance workshops throughout the SESC network. Together with invited artists connected to hip-hop culture, the company delivered workshops in Breaking, Hip Hop Dance and Vogue.
Artistic director Igor Gasparini was invited to participate in the São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival, performing at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo alongside the experimental music ensemble Fonema Consort (USA) and Núcleo de Dança Redes.
The videodance Da Terra ao Céu was selected for MovieRio and screened at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB) in Rio de Janeiro.
The company also revisited Carne Urbana, presenting the choreographic installation at Centro Cultural Grajaú.
A major milestone arrived in the second half of the year with the premiere of Corpos de Fronteira.
The work debuted in São Paulo at Teatro Sérgio Cardoso and simultaneously launched its regional premiere at SESC Campinas. Investigating notions of border, identity, coexistence and displacement, Corpos de Fronteira brought together many of the questions that had emerged throughout the company’s previous artistic research.
Shortly after its premiere, the work began touring through cultural centres and theatres including Centro Cultural São Paulo (CCSP), Centro Cultural da Diversidade, Centro Cultural Formosa, Teatro Zanoni Ferrite and SESC São Carlos.
The premiere of Corpos de Fronteira marked the beginning of a new chapter for the company, one that would ultimately lead to its most significant international opportunities.
2023
At the end of 2022, with activities beginning in 2023, the company was once again selected for the Municipal Dance Development Programme of São Paulo through the project 20 em 22: Rituais de Partilha.
Celebrating twenty years of artistic activity, the project also marked an important symbolic transition: from this moment forward, the company officially adopted the name T.F. Cia de Dança, leaving behind the designation T.F. Style and reinforcing the broader scope of its artistic research.
Simultaneously, the company received support through the PROAC Dance Touring Programme with a new circulation of ELO. The project included performances and workshops in eight cities across São Paulo State, reaching educational institutions, public schools and cultural organisations.
In total, the programme delivered sixteen performances and eight workshops based on the creative pillars of ELO: Enlace, Semente, Colmeia, Polinização and Brincante.
The year began with an intensive programme at SESC Ribeirão Preto, where the company presented Corpos de Fronteira, ELO and the children’s workshop Coreô para Pequenos Corpos.
This educational initiative subsequently travelled to SESC Santana, Teatro Estadual de Araras and Teatro Sérgio Cardoso.
Meanwhile, Corpos de Fronteira continued its growing circulation through important venues including SESC Santo Amaro, Teatro Paulo Eiró, Centro Cultural Formosa, Centro Cultural da Penha and Galeria Olido.
One of the year’s most significant achievements came when Corpos de Fronteira was selected for the International Festival Dança em Trânsito. Through the festival, the work toured the cities of Florianópolis, Curitiba, Resende and São Paulo.
As part of the same programme, Igor Gasparini was invited to lead an artistic residency in Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, where he created ÂNIMA for Companhia de Dança do Pantanal.
At the same time, ELO continued its extensive circulation through SESC São Paulo, appearing at SESC Araraquara, SESC Bom Retiro and SESC Santana.
Members of the artistic ensemble also facilitated urban dance workshops during Semana Move at SESC Carmo and SESC Vila Mariana.
Zona Cinzenta likewise maintained an active performance schedule, appearing at Centro Cultural Santo Amaro, Centro Cultural Formosa and Centro Cultural da Penha.
The work also toured through the Museu da Cidade de São Paulo network, occupying historically significant sites including Solar da Marquesa, Casa da Imagem and Casa Modernista.
The company participated once again in Circuito Municipal de Cultura, presenting Zona Cinzenta at Casa de Cultura Hip Hop Sul, Centro Cultural da Juventude, Casa de Cultura Tremembé and CEU Carrão.
Additionally, T.F. Cia de Dança was selected for an artistic occupation at NAVE Coletiva, where it developed activities in partnership with Mídia NINJA, including performances of Zona Cinzenta and public discussions with invited artists and researchers.
Throughout the year, the company invited artists and collectives to participate in a series of theoretical and practical provocations connected to its ongoing research. Collaborators included Núcleo Ximbra, Grupo Flying Low, Turmalinas Negras, Estela Lapponi, Maria Lucas and Victor Almeida.
The artistic legacy of the Pandemic Performative Programmes also resurfaced through Partilhas Cênicas, a series of public presentations held at Oficina Cultural Oswald de Andrade, revisiting creative materials developed during the pandemic and transforming them into live encounters with audiences.
By the end of 2023, T.F. Cia de Dança had consolidated a mature artistic profile that combined performance, research, education and cultural exchange, while Corpos de Fronteira was emerging as one of the most significant works of its repertoire.
2024
In 2024, T.F. Cia de Dança premiered RASTRO at SESC Santo Amaro.
Conceived as a poetic proposition for alternative spaces, the work deepened artistic investigations first developed through ELO, expanding the company’s ongoing research into choreography beyond conventional stage formats. Through relationships between bodies, architecture, memory and audience participation, RASTRO explored choreography as a trace left upon space and collective experience.
The work received immediate critical recognition. It was nominated for the APCA Award (São Paulo Association of Art Critics) in the category of Choreography / Creation and received the 2024 Denilto Gomes Dance Award for Creative Processes in Dance.
Following its premiere, RASTRO was selected for the International Festival Dança em Trânsito, touring the cities of Belo Horizonte, Brumadinho, Coronel Fabriciano, Governador Valadares, Baixo Guandu and Vila Velha.
The work also reached public schools in São Sebastião through a programme organised by the city’s Department of Culture and was selected for the 11th edition of the Latin American Festival Dança à Deriva, presented at FUNARTE in São Paulo.
Additional presentations took place at SESC Piracicaba and SESC Osasco.
Through the Circuito Municipal de Cultura, RASTRO was presented at Casa de Cultura Freguesia do Ó, Casa de Cultura São Miguel, Parque Chácara do Jockey and at a special event organised by the Office of the Municipal Comptroller, held at the historic Edifício Matarazzo in São Paulo.
The work was also selected by the State Secretariat for Culture and Creative Economy for a presentation at Teatro Sérgio Cardoso. Its broadcast through the CULTSP PRO platform was accompanied by a short documentary exploring the creative process behind the work.
Meanwhile, ELO continued its national circulation. The work was selected for the Festival Tiradentes em Cena in Minas Gerais and for SESC Comove, with performances at SESC da Esquina in Curitiba and SESC Maringá in Paraná.
Additional performances took place at Praça da Sé and Praça do Patriarca in downtown São Paulo, as part of special public-space dance programmes.
One of the year’s most significant educational initiatives involved an artistic residency with students from São Paulo Escola de Dança (SPED). Over six weeks, students from the Dance Techniques and Dramaturgy & Choreography programmes immersed themselves in the creative processes of ELO, culminating in four public performances involving both the company’s ensemble and participating students.
Corpos de Fronteira also maintained an active performance schedule, appearing at Centro Cultural Vila Formosa, Centro Cultural da Juventude and Sala Olido as part of programmes dedicated to dance and hip-hop culture.
Between May and September, T.F. Cia de Dança participated in an artistic exchange programme with Núcleo de Improvisação, involving several months of shared research and public presentations at venues including Sala Crisantempo, Centro Cultural Formosa, ETEC de Artes, Centro de Referência da Dança, Teatro Arthur Azevedo and Teatro Paulo Eiró.
A major international milestone arrived later in the year.
The company was selected for an international artistic exchange programme in Bolivia, presenting works from its repertoire in the cities of La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
In La Paz, RASTRO was presented at Festival CUIR in partnership with Festival Danzénica. Through collaborations between Danzénica and NunaFest, the company also presented Corpos de Fronteira and HOMO, a solo work by company artist Pasha Gorbachev.
In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the company facilitated workshops in contemporary urban dance and developed an artistic residency with Bolivian artists from Fases Danza. The exchange culminated in a collaborative presentation of RASTRO at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
At the end of the year, T.F. Cia de Dança was once again awarded support through the Municipal Dance Development Programme of São Paulo (37th edition), launching the new project RASTRO.
[1] Show: https://cultspplay.com.br/video/rastro-t-f-cia-de-danca/
Mini-doc: https://cultspplay.com.br/video/minidoc-rastro-t-f-cia-de-danca/
[2] Review by Camilo Gil Ostria for the newspaper La Razón – La Paz (Bolivia):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fwwz5aFniMmS1CIcHvyTDqzxEPr65X-s/view?usp=sharing
2025
The year 2025 marked the expansion of the RASTRO project through touring, educational programmes and new artistic collaborations.
The work began the year with performances at SESC Campinas, accompanied by workshops sharing the creative methodologies behind the production.
RASTRO was also selected for Circuito SESC de Artes 2025, touring multiple cities associated with SESC Araraquara, SESC Franca, SESC São Carlos and SESC Ribeirão Preto.
Additional performances took place at Festival Mundo Cênico in Minas Gerais, SESC Palladium in Belo Horizonte and SESC Santana in São Paulo.
Through the project RASTRO, supported by the 37th Municipal Dance Development Programme, the company expanded its activities throughout São Paulo, presenting the work at Casa das Rosas during Virada Sustentável, at Fábrica de Cultura Vila Nova Cachoeirinha, at Escola Estadual Núcleo Taipas and at both Anhembi Morumbi University and FAAP, where workshops based on the creative processes of RASTRO were also conducted.
Another important moment came with the recreation of Sob a Pele. A decade after its original premiere, the work returned to the stage with performances at Centro de Referência da Dança and Centro Cultural Vila Formosa.
The recreated version was selected for the International Festival Dança em Trânsito, travelling to Belém and Ilha do Combu in the Brazilian Amazon.
Throughout the year, ELO continued to be presented at cultural institutions and educational centres, including SESC Araraquara, Instituto Cultural Pombas Urbanas, ETEC de Artes, UNESP and CCA Santa Ângela in Heliópolis.
Corpos de Fronteira also maintained a significant circulation programme. The work was presented at SESC Araraquara and subsequently appeared at Teatro Paulo Eiró and Teatro Alfredo Mesquita through the Municipal Secretariat of Culture.
The year concluded with two performances of Corpos de Fronteira at Teatro Sérgio Cardoso.
The performative action Zona Cinzenta was also revisited through a presentation at the Municipal Historical Archive of São Paulo, accompanied by an exhibition of photographic works created in collaboration with photographer João Benz, focusing on traces of movement and memory.
2026
In 2026, T.F. Cia de Dança reached two significant international milestones.
The company was selected with ELO to participate in the São Paulo Showcase, organised by APAA as part of the FRINGE programme of the 34th Festival de Curitiba, the largest performing arts festival in Latin America.
Most notably, the company was selected to participate in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest performing arts festival.
At Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, Corpos de Fronteira (Border Bodies) embarks on an extensive international season running from 7 to 31 August, presenting eighteen performances to audiences from around the world.
The Edinburgh engagement represents one of the most significant moments in the company’s history, bringing nearly two decades of artistic research, creation and touring to an international platform.
During the same year, Corpos de Fronteira also toured through SESI-SP venues in Piracicaba, Araraquara and Osasco. Alongside the performances, the company conducted workshops in contemporary urban dance.
The SESI Piracicaba presentation included audio description and was attended by an association for blind and visually impaired audiences, while the performance at SESI Araraquara featured a cultural mediation programme with secondary school students.
RASTRO was selected for the municipal programme Abril para a Dança, with performances at Tendal da Lapa, and continued touring through SESC São Carlos, SESC Osasco and SESC Mogi das Cruzes.
Meanwhile, ELO was presented at Estação da Luz as part of the programme of the Museum of the Portuguese Language and toured through CULTSP in the cities of Taubaté, Lagoinha, Cunha, Sertãozinho and Ribeirão Preto.
Another landmark achievement came through the academic research of artistic director Igor Gasparini.
The performative action Zona Cinzenta was presented at Casa do Lago, UNICAMP’s cultural centre, in association with the public defence of his doctoral thesis.
The dissertation, entitled Gray Zone: Space, Artist and the Grey Spectator in Performative Works Beyond the Black Box, was successfully defended and approved within the Graduate Programme in Performing Arts at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP).
T.F. Cia de Dança Today
Founded in São Paulo and active since 2007, T.F. Cia de Dança has established itself as one of Brazil’s leading contemporary urban dance companies.
Its artistic practice moves fluidly between theatre stages, public spaces, museums, galleries and site-responsive environments, creating works that investigate choreography as a field of encounter between body, space and society.
Over nearly two decades, the company has developed an extensive repertoire of original works, toured throughout Brazil, received major public funding and artistic awards, collaborated with cultural institutions, universities and festivals, and expanded its activities internationally through performances, residencies, workshops and artistic exchanges.
Today, T.F. Cia de Dança continues to create, research and share artistic experiences that challenge traditional boundaries between performer and audience, reaffirming its commitment to dance as a space of dialogue, transformation and collective imagination.
