Auto dos Orixás: da espetacularidade do processo criativo à cena da construção de corporeidades das Yabás

Abstract

This paper aims to develop a descriptive-reflective study of the play Auto dos Orixás, which is an Afro-Brazilian theater and dance show that tells the stories of the Orishas, African deities worshipped in some of the religions of African origin. In 2023, the 13th edition was presented at the Ponto de Cem Réis, located in the historic center of the city of João Pessoa - Paraíba, with the theme "The sacred in human relations". The work is proposed not only as a spectacle, but also as an affirmative act to combat structural racism and Afro-religious racism, bringing political, social and black identity affirmation aspects. As a methodological framework, we used ethnocenology as a reference, starting with a qualitative study of the description and reflection of the spectacularity present from the creative process to the presentation of the show, focusing on the creation of the corporealities of the Yabás (female deities of the Orishas cult). The objectives are to highlight the importance of these bodily forms and narratives, their gestural and symbolic language in the dramaturgical structure of the work, seeking to understand the importance of the artistic work as an amalgam of spectacular and subjective elements and to identify how these elements are configured as an act of cultural resistance and black identity. The writings contribute to pointing out paths of decolonization in processes of poetic constructions of the scene, given that the results achieved from the analyses showed that the show transcends artistic performance by seeking to re-signify historical narratives to the public and affirm Afro-Brazilian identity, by converting urban spaces into places of resistance, the show provides visibility and empowerment of black traditions, at the same time as it challenges prejudices and strengthens ancestry through the dance of the Orishas, performance and the body in movement, which has the power to strengthen identities and create in its performers a sense of belonging to a collective movement for the construction of meaning, which articulates Afro-Brazilian culture with the history of struggle and resistance of black people.