As Palavras / Cie Claudio Bernardo

In 1995, after several years of residency at L'Atelier Sainte Anne - now Théâtre Les Tanneurs - following the recognition of his work by public institutions, the press, programmers and the public, the choreographer, Claudio Bernardo decided to institutionalize his artistic approach by creating the company As Palavras ("the words" in Portuguese).

Two years later, the company benefits from its first program contract (multi-year grant from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation) and sets up residence in Mons. From 1999, it invests in the venue "La Machine à Eau". This residency is fundamental for the promotion of dance in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation as it promotes a series of 20 creations and hosts 70 artists within its residency, creating links with Belgian and foreign partners. It thus creates a festival, "Le Mouvement-Mons", while deepening the links between schools, universities and the public.

As Palavras has definitively asserted its importance within the choreographic landscape in French-speaking Belgium and abroad. Drawing inspiration from literature, theater, music and visual arts, the choreographer's work is distinguished by the echoes that his different pieces resonate with each other, forging a strong and clearly recognizable identity. Claudio Bernardo has thus created a true cosmogony, evoking the harshness and violence of human relationships, their place in the midst of the universe and the consequences and symbolism of their behavior. With his ability to analyze the different cultures that have shaped him from a distance, he reveals a world between body and spirit that, by a mirror effect, reveals us.