"What is characteristic of Bahia is bikinis. The dress represents a culture closely related to the sea and the beach. Male dancers don white suits to set off the glamor of the female dancers' glamourous dresses. It's also an arrangement which represents the historical interaction between European cultural influences on Brazil," said Lee, a major male dancer with the group.
Although male dancers' costumes are meant to play a supporting role to the female dancers, their dancing is not.
"Part of the samba style emphasizes the passionate shaking movements of the female dancers but there are also moments when the energetic movements of the male dancers come to the fore.
"Usually the male dancers are equally admired," Lee said.
Samba bikini costumes were originally meant to ease the movements of the dancers in the west African religious ritual. Excitedly twisting and shaking one's body was a way to express piety to the gods.
Later, the Brazilian women wore elaborate headdresses, a Bahian tradition, to increase the effect of movements. During carnivals, female dancers competed for attention with more and more conspicuous accessories, like the large sleeves and hoop earrings, which glitter in dazzling pinks, reds or greens.
At the performance, female dancers will also get in elaborate tie-knot and bead-stringed bikinis.
"Each of the costumes represents the tradition of one region of Brazil. The breasts-baring costume, for example, comes from the culture of the Amazon rain forest," said Maya, a major female dancer with the group.
Beaming, with her long, thick hair and, she said, natural eyelashes, Maya radiated charm as she displayed her bright green plume-adorned headdress and bikini, luxuriously fringed with long strings of beads, while standing in a pair of gold and silver high-heels, at a rehearsal last week in Taipei.
She and the other dancers' overwhelming charisma and contagious vivacity will surely make Brasil Tropical Carnival one of the most popular events this summer.
For your information:
■ Brasil Tropical Carnival will perform at Chih-de Hall (
■ Tainan Municipal Culture Center (
■ Tickets range from NT$500 to NT$1500 for Taoyuan shows and from NT$500 to NT$2500 for all other venues. Tickets are available at Era ticketing outlets.
■ For more information, call New Aspect at (02) 27093788.
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