Paolla Oliveira, wrapped in twine and inspired by a toy: the secrets behind the tricks of the Rio Carnival masters
What is the secret of the Viradouro snake, champion of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival? And what about the jaguar Paolla Oliveira, the drum queen of Grande Rio who captivated the Sambadrome? Reporter Tábata Poline uncovered these and other tricks used by top schools.
Paolla Oliveira, drum queen of Grande Rio, third in the Rio Carnival, tells Fantastic how the idea of “transforming” into Marquês de Sapucaí came about.
“One day when I was lying down, I had a kind of dream: I want to be an allegory, I want to be part of this other school, I want to transform, along with my drums. That's completely crazy of me. The first time I went to see Bruno, I took a reference with me. Then he said, “This thing looks like a spider.” Wow, just change the animal,” says Paolla Oliveira.
“The main mission was transformation. We had to turn this woman into an animal, a wild animal. “There was a lot of sketching,” recalls costume designer Mari Suede.
According to Paolla, there were 18 tests before the final result. A team of more than 15 people tackled the mission.
“We have a very complex part, which is the mechanism. We are bringing a person, Samui, and a cosplay champion to develop this mechanic. “There was cosplay at Carnival,” says costume designer Bruno Oliveira.
Bruno explains how the mask used by Paolla Oliveira in Marquês de Sapucaí works.
“We have a plug here and it's connected to another plug with wiring running through Paolla's sleeve.”
“I get entangled in these threads,” says Paolla.
And everything was so well done that even in slow motion you can barely see Paolla pressing the button in her palm.
Tabata Poline: “When we think of a woman in Sapucaí turning into a jaguar, does that also send a message to other women”?
Paola Oliveira: “Don’t even mention that I feel like crying. I couldn't talk because it's much more than I expected, I can't… For me it was just fun, but everything I say comes from what I've already been through, from the suffering , from the people close to me it is very true and I think everyone understood it. Become the animal you desire in this life, fight the battles you need to be your jaguar, beautiful and radiant on the path of life.”
The Empress Leopoldinense placed an allegory in heaven. Ballerina Gabriela Freire danced in the air. It seems simple, but putting this show up there required a truck full of gas cylinders and a team of more than ten people. It is worth it .. The runnerup drove the audience crazy.
The great carnival master Viradouro presented the sacred snake to the public. The supernatural united the power of black women into a comprehensive front commission.
“And the serpent, it touched people. 'My God, what is this, there is a snake here'. And that's very important for me, to recognize myself and say: Damn, I'm in this place, I have this.” “Arrived here as an artist,” celebrates dancer Wesley Torquato.
The idea came from the choreographer couple Priscilla Mota and Rodrigo Negri.
“It was based on a toy we bought for our son, and then we had an idea: Why don’t we put a snake on the avenue?” says Rodrigo Negri.
“The first one looked like a crazy lizard, the second one looked like a worm. Afterwards we went on a 9m long path which was the last one. Then it became really cool,” says Priscila Mota.
1 of 1 The Sacred Serpent of Viradouro — Photo: Fantástico/ Reproduction The Sacred Serpent of Viraduro — Photo: Fantástico/ Reproduction
To get the snake moving, Wesley lay down on an electric skateboard inside the structure.
“I'm going down this tunnel on an electric skateboard. When I'm more or less here, I stop her and Felipe, who is in the back, he holds the tail to start so that I can go snaking into the jury. I let myself be guided by the Sapucaí line, the yellow line that is on the Sambadrome floor, I let myself be guided to find the middle,” he explains.
The fruits of this master Viradouro go far beyond the carnival trophy.
“I was a person who didn't have much room to speak in some situations. I come from a suburb, I come from Morro da Providencia. And now to be in this place, on display after being in a line. Bring this representation into the community to say, “If he can get there, I can get there too,” Wesley says.