Bittersweet REALITY at Columbia College

from the Columbia College website:

March 12, 13 & 14 at 8:00 p.m., The Dance Center of Columbia College presents “shattering dance/theater”(The New York Times). Named after a Portugese expression, Saudade is an ode to the idea of “bittersweet,” the single moment when the greatest joy and agony are experienced together. Set to Portugese Fado music and grounded in folklore, historical fact and personal experience, Saudade is a mosaic of character monologues, mixing world dance with stories of disenfranchised southern African Americans in a deeply personal statement about modern times. With equal parts wild humor and grit, Saudade is performed by Roussève and a distinguished cast of six dancers [known as REALITY], including practitioners of South Asian, Indonesian, West African and postmodern dance forms.

colum.edu

NOTE:

While “Saudade” means “bittersweet longing for what has gone”, “Chega de Saudade” (alternately), is roughly translated to mean “No More Blues”.  “Chega de Saudade” is also a Brasilian popular song performed by João Gilberto (below).

Vai minha tristeza
E diz a ela
Que sem ela não pode ser
Diz-lhe numa prece
Que ela regresse
Porque eu não posso mais sofrer

translated:

“Go on, my sadness
And tell her
That without her it cannot be
Tell her in a prayer
To come back to me
Because I cannot suffer anymore”