They are from Minas Gerais, Brazil, but their ballet crosses borders. Brazil as a whole, with all its cultural
diversity, can see itself in GRUPO CORPO, the dance company founded in 1975 in Belo Horizonte. In a
world where the speed of information is producing an increasingly homogeneous landscape, they stand out
for having developed a signature of their own.
There are three basic reasons for the uniqueness of the company in the contemporary dance scene. First,
there is Rodrigo Pederneiras, the house choreographer: one of the few able to mix classic ballet and folk
dances and then set to motion bodies that push the limits of technical rigor. Second, the wisdom with which
Paulo Pederneiras transforms choreography into a dance artwork. Besides directing the company, he signs
the scenography and lighting designs that customize the scenic finishing for each production with a kind of
quality that continues to introduce new references. Part of those are the costumes by Freusa Zechmeisteir,
result of a skill capable of translating clothing into movement. And third, there is a balanced cast of dancers, stars in their own right, fine-tuning each other with exquisite precision.
When one sees GRUPO CORPO dance on stage it is as if all questions concerning the transit between
nature and culture were being fully answered. All facets of Brazil, past and future, erudite and popular,
foreign influence and local color, and the urban and the suburban come to being as art. Brazilian art. World art.
Helena Katz


The home of Grupo Corpo is the megacity of Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. Here, in 1975, six siblings got together with a few friends and founded Grupo Corpo, whose name is still the company's claim and program today: to form a "total body" with like-minded people, whose trademark became the "round movement", the flow of a group in motion. The unmistakable style of the Company is mainly due to the close collaboration of the brothers Paulo and Rodrigo Pedereiras.

Their very first choreographies caused a sensation and were celebrated as a sensation in Paris. Almost overnight, Grupo Corpo became the first Brazilian company to dance its way to the top of the world, where it has remained ever since. For more than 30 years now, they have regularly toured Europe and America.

Paulo Pederneiras is the founder, general director, and artistic director of Grupo Corpo. He has led the ensemble since 1975 and his vision has shaped its technical excellence, distinctive aesthetics, and unmistakable style—qualities that have made Grupo Corpo a celebrated name on five continents. He is intensely involved in every phase of each production, has designed the lighting for all of the ensemble's works, and has created the stage design for many of them. He has also conceived the design for several important nationwide exhibitions in Brazil.

Rodrigo Pederneiras has been the resident choreographer of Grupo Corpo since 1978 and is celebrated both in Brazil and abroad. Together with a remarkably well-coordinated creative and performance team, he developed his own choreographic language, which is now the trademark of Grupo Corpo. His creativity, precision, and discipline, combined with the technical brilliance of the ensemble, have contributed significantly to creating a strong image of Brazilian dance on the world stage. In addition, he has created works for renowned companies in South and North America as well as in Europe.

Cassi Abranches has been the resident choreographer of Grupo Corpo since 2024 and is one of the leading figures in contemporary dance in Brazil. She is known for her distinctive movement language, which combines musicality, physical energy, and a balance of technical rigor and expressive freedom. From 2001 to 2013, she was a member of the Grupo Corpo ensemble, making her choreographic debut in 2009. Since then, she has developed works for large ensembles in Brazil and abroad. In 2015, she celebrated Grupo Corpo's 40th

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