5^th Annual 1999 FLA/BRA Festival

Now going on its sixth year, the FLA/BRA (Florida/Brazil) Festival is the most comprehensive festival of new work from Brazil and Florida that exists in the U.S. The 5th Annual FLA/BRA 99 was a truly dynamic exchange between Florida and Brazil, featuring more than 25 events and 50 artists in dance, music, theater, film, theater and the visual arts. It took place in downtown Miami, West Dade, Coral Gables, North Shore and Miami Beach. FLA/BRA, an eclectic and fun festival, brought together artists, critics and cultural leaders from Brazil and Florida, including prestigious artists who are recipients of NEA, State of Florida, Guggenheim, Fulbright, MacArthur and Vitae awards. It presented a fresh and innovative face of Brazil's dance, music, film and visual arts, and a look at the work of some of Florida's most distinctive voices in these disciplines. The 1999 FLA/BRA Festival featured a wide range of activity: Opening Night Party on Miami Beach, jazz concert in Coral Gables by the Brazilian songwriter and singer extraordinare Ivan Lins, "VideoBus", a transformed Electrowave Bus travelling the streets of Miami Beach, artist residencies and events at the West Dade FIU and the New World School of the Arts Dance & Theater Departments, tour-de-force theater presentation of VAN GOGH at GableStage, Children’s Day all day events at North Shore Oceanfront Band Shell, major new dance commissioning project Raw Footage, that premiered in the festival and will tour Brazil and the U.S., magical poetic puppetry performance performed in Miami's malls, The Present Absent: 8 Artists from Miami, an exhibition of new visual art work at the Miami International Airport mia gallery, two electric programs of engaging, enthralling dance at the Colony and more. In 1998 FLA/BRA received tremendous critical acclaim and reception in the electronic and print media, coverage in major newspapers in São Paulo, Rio and Miami with articles in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

Since 1986, Tigertail has produced more than 70 international projects. FLA/BRA is an evolution of these years of exchange projects. In 1995, Tigertail launched FLA/BRA to promote and showcase new work and ideas in dance, music, film and the visual arts from Florida and Brazil and to provide a festival for tourists and artists to attend.

Says writer/critic Fernando Gonzalez, "Now Miami, American town, Cuban capital in exile, Haitian borough, Bahamian suburb, and more, is also becoming a Brazilian city. Miami is now known as the fastest growing Brazilian metropolis. Though a definite number cannot be settled upon, approximately 200,000 Brazilians live in South Florida. In spite of an economic downturn in January, Brazilian culture, more than ever, is in the news: from an April, 1999, The New York Times feature article on Tropicalia, to regular, on-gong, national news features on dance companies and singers touring the U.S., to major summer festival appearances by Brazilian musical groups and noted musicians. The infectious cultural energy and outputof Brazil continues, unstoppable.

Through resourceful means Tigertail has maximized resources to exponentially expand its impact locally, nationally and internationally through its many festival partners. Partners provide additional support to the festival (beyond this application) in getting the word out to tourists, residents and the international community.