The Story Of Angel Vianna

In 1889, Miguel and Salime Abras emigrated from Zahle, Lebanon, to Brazil, settling in the small town of Curral Del Rei, which would later become Belo Horizonte (MG). There, they established a traditional Minas Gerais family of Lebanese origin.

The study of music and the visual arts was a part of Angel's family tradition, and she began her training with piano lessons from Professor Francisco Masferrer in 1945, at the age of 17, always with great support from her family.  

One day, while reading the newspaper, Nicolau, her father, saw a photo announcing the choreography Dança Árabe-Egípcia by Carlos Leite and discovered that his daughter was not only taking dance classes but also performing publicly.

A few years later, she informally attended anatomy courses at the School of Dentistry and Pharmacy at UFMG. These studies also aided her in creating her sculptures and in understanding her lifelong instrument of work: the body.  

In 1955, TV Itacolomi was inaugurated, and Angel performed as a soloist in Les Sílfides with the Ballet of Minas Gerais during the opening program.  

There is a large number of contributors from different artistic movements. The group becomes known as the Complementary Generation and influences the thinking of an entire generation of Brazilian intellectuals.  

The couple moves into the home of Erna Muta, Klauss's grandmother, and opens a dance school there. The Ballet Klauss Vianna stands out for its thorough body research, where ballet is not viewed as something to be copied, but rather understood.

With this group, Angel and Klauss Vianna were able to deepen their research, both technical and choreographic, and develop processes they had begun a few years earlier.  

Klauss and Angel spend January 1963 handling all the bureaucratic procedures to close the Ballet Klauss Vianna and prepare for the family's permanent move.  

The two inaugurate the Classical Dance department at the UFBA Dance School. They receive lessons from Rolf, noted for his knowledge in art and philosophy, and are introduced to the Laban system and German expressionist dance.

Lydia Costallat, then director of the Ballet School at Theatro Municipal, introduces Angel to Tatiana Leskova, who invites her to teach at her school. Lydia also asks Klauss to take over her teaching position at the Theatro Municipal School, where he works for 11 years.

Thus begins a new phase in the couple's life. With their new jobs, they are able to bring their eight-year-old son, the grandmother, and a household employee to Rio de Janeiro.  

In 1967, Angel Vianna performed at the Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro as a member of Dalal Achcar's dance company. She danced in Giselle, with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn as the lead soloists. This would be Angel's final classical ballet performance.  

Still in 1970, with sponsorship from the Secretary of Education and Culture of Mato Grosso, she conducts the course "II Tempo de Teatro – Vivência Corporal" in the city of Cuiabá, spreading her work on the actor's body.  

She was responsible for the classes on Body Awareness, while Klauss Vianna taught Modern Dance, and Tereza d'Aquino handled the Classical Ballet classes.  

The Grupo Brincadeiras had a short duration and was disbanded after a performance at a judicial asylum, where the dancers refused to perform alongside the inmates.  

The group brought together several notable figures who would later emerge in the national scene. 

At the end of 1985, the first class of Brazil's Professional Course in Contemporary Dance was established, authorized by the State Department of Education.  

Always engaged with the political issues surrounding dance, Angel Vianna was responsible for delivering a document signed by three thousand people to the president of Inacen (National Institute of Performing Arts), Carlos Miranda, demanding a theater exclusively for dance.  

In the 1980s, Angel Vianna received a series of awards, including the Medalha ao Mérito Artístico and the Diploma de Honra ao Mérito from CIDD.  

At the end of 1993, a major event celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Angel Vianna School. Titled "Angel Vianna, Ten Years Have Passed," the event featured performances, discussions, workshops, exhibitions, videos, presentations, and even a commemorative newspaper.  

In 1996, Angel Vianna founded the IPACEAV (Institute for Research in Art, Body, and Education) to promote the production and transmission of knowledge about the manifestations of the body in the field of the arts.

In 1998, the Angel Vianna School celebrated 15 years of activity, and in 1999, Angel Vianna received the Order of Cultural Merit commendation from then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso for her significant contributions to Brazilian culture.  

Angel Vianna received several awards and honors between 2002 and 2012, including the Multicultural Estadão Award, the Antares Recognition Award for Dance, and the SESC/SATED Award for Performing Arts, among others.  

In November 2004, the Ministry of Education (MEC) finally gave a favorable opinion for the operation of the Angel Vianna College.