GISELA ROCHA
The Brazilian choreographer Gisela Rocha was born and brought up in Salvador de Bahía, where she also started her dance-education, including both classical and modern dance. Right from the start this provided her with a wide spectrum. At the age of eighteen she continued her studies at the UFBA, the federal university of Bahía, and the Limón Institute in New York City. Among her subjects were classical ballet, Laban, Graham and Limón techniques as well as improvisation and choreography.
In 1990 Gisela Rocha started her career as choreographer with her own company Companhia Sete, and at the same time she lectured on dance techniques and choreographic composition at CAMPINAS the university of São Paulo. For the following six years she choreographed for her company in Brazil and performed in renowned theatres of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Honoured with several awards Gisela Rocha also presented her work outside Brazil. «DAS» was nominated «Best Choreography» in 1995 and was performed at the Equitable Theatre on Broadway, New York. Together with her creation «Les Cartes» it was also presented during the Biennale de la Danse 1996 in Lyon / France.
Since 1997 Gisela Rocha lives and works in Switzerland. Her creations made for her Zurich based Gisela Rocha Company include «Go behind», «Re Mind» and «Golden Boys», all co-produced with Theaterhaus Gessneralle, and «Itself», which was premiered during the festival «Zürcher Theaterspektakel 2005». In 2007 her duo for two Japanese dancers «BLOOM» was co-produced with Tanzhaus Zürich and Théâtre La Fourmi Lucerne.
Gisela Rocha also created with Brazilian dancers «A primeira madrugada do mundo» for Teatro Vila Velha in Salvador de Bahía/Brazil. She made «Tandem» for Bern Ballett in Switzerland and «Janeiro» and «Auszeit» for ballettmainz in Germany. In March 2006 Gisela Rocha gave her highly acclaimed debut with Introdans creating «Paradise ?» in collaboration with the dancers. This was the beginning of her artistic partnership with this renowned Dutch ballet-company. Her choreography «Disclose» saw its premiere there in January 2008 and «Pictures on Stravinsky» will follow this November.
Gisela Rocha‘s work has been warmly received by a big public as well as by the press and was shown in Germany, France, Switzerland, Egypt, Brazil, the Netherlands and the USA.
With her own company Gisela Rocha is creating «White on White» a production for five Japanese dancers, which will be presented Theater Winterthur and in Tanzhaus Zürich in spring 2009.
Pictures on Strawinsky (Introdans) Niederlande 2008
Disclose (Introdans) Niederlande 2008
Bloom 2007
Golden Boys 2006
Paradise ? (Introdans) Niederlande 2006
Itself 2005
Re Mind 2004
Auszeit (Ballett Mainz) Deutschland 2003
Love, hate, reason & me 2003
Janeiro (Ballett Mainz/im Rahmen von Steps 8) D und CH 2002
go behind 2002
A primeira madrugada do mundo Brasilien 2001
Peça Intíma 2000
Tandem (BernBallett/im Rahmen von Steps 7) 2000
Invasion of privacy 2000
Persona 1999
Secret Pictures, Male Things 1998
Les Cartes (The Maps) Brasilien Frankreich 1996
Vista Ainda (Still Dressed) Brasilien 1995
Envidia (Envy) Brasilien 1995
DAS Brasilien Frankreich New York 1994
Não tenho medo do escuro (Im not afraid of the dark) Brasilien 1993
Incerteza dos Signos (Uncertainty of signs) Brasilien 1991
Desejos (Desires) Brasilien 1990