Ala Ursa follows a traditional street performance found in parts of Brazil’s Northeast, particularly strong in my home state, Paraíba, shaped by local reinterpretations of figures once linked to itinerant performers and later absorbed into Carnaval.
What draws this work is how these figures move beyond the event itself. In João Pessoa, they appear across the city in worn bear costumes — on the beach, approaching passersby, asking for small contributions, existing somewhere between play and necessity.
During Carnaval Tradição, this presence gathers into a more defined form along Avenida Duarte da Silveira, where performers, percussion and audience create a shared rhythm.
Moving between these moments, the work observes how performance extends into everyday life, where improvisation, survival and tradition remain closely intertwined.
What draws this work is how these figures move beyond the event itself. In João Pessoa, they appear across the city in worn bear costumes — on the beach, approaching passersby, asking for small contributions, existing somewhere between play and necessity.
During Carnaval Tradição, this presence gathers into a more defined form along Avenida Duarte da Silveira, where performers, percussion and audience create a shared rhythm.
Moving between these moments, the work observes how performance extends into everyday life, where improvisation, survival and tradition remain closely intertwined.
