Contempo emerged from Marciano Silva dos Santos’ hunger to create work that is artistically exceptional, riveting to watch – and that speaks to cultural dynamics of his ancestry. Both indigenous and Afro/Brazilian, he researches the way that contemporary dance forms reflect his background. This exciting form-fusion is Contempo’s signature aesthetic, powered by Marciano’s drive to create new work that explores themes and cultural dynamics of the African Diaspora. Contempo also recognizes the impact of creating and producing work in Minnesota with American dancers whose voices add yet another layer of complexity to the work.

From   the   Beginning

Where   we   are   now

Founded in 2011 by choreographer Marciano Silva dos Santos (Artistic Director) and dancer Jenny Pennaz (Managing Director), Contempo Physical Dance hit the Minnesota dance scene with a huge flourish. Since our sold-out debut of Motirô at Minneapolis’ Ritz Theater, we have been presented by The O’Shaughnessy in St. Paul and The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts in Minneapolis.

From the beginning we have been committed to sharing our work in engaging ways with diverse communities. Less than a year after our debut performance, we toured to Orange City, Iowa to perform and provide interactive workshops. We have offered K-12 residencies in Twin Cities public schools and student matinee performances since 2013.
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Artistic Director

Seeking to elevate the Twin Cities as a pioneering site for contemporary dance production and exploration, Contempo Physical Dance has hosted international choreographic residencies every other year since 2016. Previous commissions have included:

Patrick Acogny (2016) from Senegal
Nildinha Fonseca (2018) from Brazil

Contempo has also created a produced five full-length works for tour and has performed at Concordia College in Moorhead (MN), The Dreamery Rural Arts Initiative in Wykoff (MN), and the New York Mills (MN) Regional Cultural Center with a common goal to make high-quality artistic work accessible to rural communities in Minnesota. 

Managing Director

Marciano   Silva dos Santos

Jenny   Pennaz