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Folk Drama |
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In addition to the folk dances, there are many dance dramas (really theatrical productions) popular in Brazil that trace their histories directly to the Middle Ages. Portuguese in origin, these dance dramas have been modified considerably by centuries of exposure to Brazil's diverse cultures. Mario de Andrade, the great authority on national folklore, has classified these dance dramas into four principal groups: reisados, cheganças, pastoris, and ranchos.
Reisados: The Reisados consist of a series of 24 folk plays of which the most popular is the Bumba-Meu-Boi.The plot of the Boi drama centers around the misfortunes of the prize bull which a wealthy cattle rancher has arduously searched for to improve his herd.
Cheganças: Cheganças (arrival) is a folk play performed during the Christmas season. It tells of the arrival by sea of the Moors, their defeat, and their eventual baptism by the Christians.
 Pastoris: Pastoris (shepherds) started as a performance of Christmas carols in front of the Nativity scene in preparation for midnight mass. Today pastoris is a secular event. Female street revelers parade in parallel lines called the red and blue lines. Each line has the same characters: the teacher; Diana, the pretty angel; the gypsy; the old man (a comedian); the Northern Star; and the Southern Cross; among others. The girl shepherds sing and rattle tambourines accompanied by guitars and a solo wind instrument.
Ranchos: Among the most primitive forms of carnival, as celebrated in Rio de Janeiro, were the ranchos, solemn and romantic love stories acted out by dancers to the beat of a marching rhythm. New ranchos were written every year and groups of dancers representing various districts of Rio performed them. They competed for recognition and prizes thus becoming the forerunners of today's samba schools.
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