DANCING FOR 26 YEARS…

Andanças has been organized by the PédeXumbo Association since 1996. PédeXumbo, the Association for the Promotion of Music and Dance (PX), was founded in 1998 to provide a legal framework for the Andanças Festival, which was created in 1996 by a group of young Portuguese people.

Until 2007, PX experienced unstoppable growth, making new artistic forms known based on the practice of ballroom and European dances, which were previously unknown in Portugal. At the same time, it was promoting the professionalization of artists and increasing the supply of traditional dance in Portugal. The Association itself became more professional, expanding its activities throughout the country, multiplying festivals, training and recreational activities.

In Évora, where it is based, it has been possible to develop more in-depth pedagogical work. In order to understand the scope of PX, it is necessary to talk about world dances, but to keep a distance from the revivalism that took place in other European countries: in Portugal, integration, especially with Lusophone cultures, is very strong, and PédeXumbo has safeguarded this wealth.

From 2007 onwards, PédeXumbo began a phase of retaining its audience, but also of attracting new ones, with the publication of DVDs and books on traditional dance and the programming of musical projects with national premieres. But it was above all with new creations that the association innovated. It has used the programming of festivals to propose new artistic productions, working on the traditional Portuguese choreographic repertoire, while at the same time trying to integrate the practice of baile in new cultural spaces and cross traditional dances with other arts. Instead of creating a new dance company, he invested in the performing arts, including the public in the creation and thus maintaining the most important aspect of baile: everyone’s participation.

The concern with recording Portuguese choreographic practices, which has accompanied PédeXumbo since its inception, also took on a different form: initially based on learning traditional dances directly, PédeXumbo began to invest financially in records that could feed new productions. In turn, this investment has led the association to think of ways to monetize and value this Intangible Cultural Heritage on the Internet, increasing its dissemination.

PX LETTER OF COMMITMENT

Believing that it is possible to contribute to a better world and more sustainable ways of life, PédeXumbo, as a socio-cultural agent, is committed to ensuring an attentive and responsible attitude in all its activities. This attitude is based on four pillars – social, cultural, environmental and economic – and is guided by the following practical principles, which represent our conscious way of being in life:

01. JOY, WELL-BEING AND CELEBRATION OF LIFE
02. CONNECTION WITH AND RESPECT FOR NATURE
03. CULTURE OF COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATION
04. SIMPLICITY AND CREATIVITY
05. INTEGRAL EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CONSCIENCE
06. GOOD USE OF RESOURCES AND LOCAL ECONOMY
07. REDUCING THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
08. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND RESPONSIBLE LIFESTYLES
09. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
10. MULTICULTURAL GLOBAL VILLAGE
*Approved at the Ordinary General Meeting on May 29, 2011

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