Edinburgh Review by Mavis Manus

GRUPO CORPO, the Brazilian dance company which Rodrigo Pernereis and his brother Paul launched in 1975, made its Edinburgh International Festival debut earlier this year. If audience response is any barometer, the company will surely be invited back in the future. So dazzling and exciting was its Edinburgh recital that when done it was treated to a standing ovation--a rare thing for a UK audience.

GRUPO CORPO showcased the company's signature style, a blending of classical and modern techniques infused with a fiery Brazilian spirit. Snatches of popular songs and dances were part of the mix, bossa nova and African rhythms as well. The composers responsible for the jaunty, hard-driving score are Tom Ze and Jose Miguel Wisnik. Freusa Zechjmeister's costumes--skin-tight, vividly-colored, unisex leotards--give the company its distinctive look and ensure that every move on stage will be seen and accentuated.

Sensuality is a key element in just about every number choreographed by Rodrigo Pernereis, who revels in the flexing, writhing and connecting of his dancers. Athleticism and syncopation also give Grupo Corpo its unique character and appeal. Most important, though, is the company's esprit de corps--the crisp, joyous way it works together, switching moods and rhythms in an instant, making fiendishly complicated moves look easy.

Keep an eye out for Grupo Corpo. Catch it wherever and whenever you can. (grupocorpo.com.br)