“Repertoire N2” is the second installment of a choreographic trilogy by Brazilian artists Davi Pontes and Wallace Ferreira delves into dance as a form of self-defense. Embracing unconventional and informal techniques, they draw from an alternative, underground lineage of self-defense practices. Through their choreography, they embark on a critical examination of their world, engaging in a creative process that blends imagination and intuition. Their goal is to break free from both implicit and explicit constraints, challenging the colonial, racial, and cisheteropatriarchal frames ingrained in Western ideology.

Starting with the question, "How can dance be used as a form of self-defense?" Pontes and Ferreira experiment with symbolic departures from the violence perpetuated by the State and institutions that maintain order through repression.

Their work incorporates mimesis and rhythmic patterns to expand perceptions of time and space. Influenced by martial arts, capoeira, and a critical interpretation of dance history, their choreography explores movement vocabularies rooted in Black Aesthetics.

Davi Pontes is an artist, choreographer, and researcher working at the intersection of visual arts and choreography. He studied art at the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as at the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo in Porto, Portugal. Pontes has been presenting his works internationally in art galleries and performing arts festivals since 2016. In 2022, alongside Wallace Ferreira, he won the Young Choreographers’ Award [8:tension] at the ImPulsTanz Festival in Vienna. His practice explores the intersections of choreography, raciality, and self-defense, seeking to engage audiences critically by prompting reflection on the production of history.

Wallace Ferreira is a multidisciplinary artist with a background in dance and visual arts. They studied at the Escola Livre de Artes da Maré (ELÃ) and the Artes Visuais do Parque Lage in Brazil. In 2022, alongside Davi Pontes, Ferreira won the Young Choreographers’ Award [8:tension] at the ImPulsTanz Festival in Vienna. Their works have been shown internationally in art galleries as well as at performing arts festivals. Ferreira’s creations defy conventions and explore the intersections of movement, performance, voguing, and visual imagery.