Berkshire County — Luana Dias David, a performance artist, dancer, and choreographer who now resides in Pittsfield, grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is bringing the cultural experiences from her native country to the Berkshires with Berkshire Brazil.
Dias David is currently the artist-in-residence at MASS MoCA’s IRIS Residency. The residency is a partnership between MASS MoCA and the Berkshire Immigrant Center offering support for artists in western or central Massachusetts who are foreign born or identify as first- or second-generation Americans.
During her 12 day residency, which started in February, she has been developing “The Quilombo Experience,” which she describes as “an immersive showcase exploring Afro-Brazilian heritage through movement, costume design, and storytelling.” She plans to bring “The Quilombo Experience” to Jacob’s Pillow in April for a one-week residency.
Dias David said that, while she grew up in Brazil, she used to live in Italy. “But I have family who have lived in Pittsfield since 2003, so I am familiar with Berkshire County,” Dias David told The Berkshire Edge. When COVID hit Italy, everything stopped. I came to Pittsfield to be with my family, and I was restarting from zero.”
While she has moved around internationally, Dias David said she has always taken her culture with her. “I’ve always taken Brazilian performances, including dance and music, even costume design, with me,” Dias David said. “I’ve been involved with theater companies in New York City, Boston, and the Albany area, but it was challenging because they are not in the Berkshire County area. In 2023, I started to organize events around the Berkshires.”
In 2023, Dias David gave a few presentations of Brazilian Samba at Trattoria Rustica in Pittsfield. “They were the first to give me an opportunity for a solo performance,” said Dias David. “There were no big groups of dancers to create a real show. But in February 2024, I was a cohort at the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator. That was when I felt pushed to create my own business to share the Quilombo Experience and Brazilian history.”
Over time, Dias David has shared her cultural experiences through music and dance in collaborations with Jacob’s Pillow and Latinas413.
Last July, Dias David gave a memorable performance at Berkshire Busk!, at one point leading the audience in a conga line:
“Moving to the Berkshires was a big thing to me because I feel like the way we see others has a lot to do with differences,” Dias David said. “Brazil is not perfect, but I notice differences between Brazil and America. I do notice that there is a strong presence of racism in America. Brazil is made up of 80 percent Black people, but no matter what your race is, you are Brazilian.”
Dias David explained that the whole idea behind Berkshire Brazil is to share Brazilian heritage and ancestral aesthetics through performing arts, including music, dance, and storytelling. “I feel like everyone deserves a feeling of belonging,” Dias David said. “I feel like the more we get to know one another, we see that there are things in common more than differences. It’s a tricky understanding, but I am here to bring experiences through performance art.”
Dias David is currently developing costumes and other elements of “The Quilombo Experience” during her residency at MASS MoCA. A special showcase of what she has been developing will be held on Sunday, February 23, and a date for “The Quilombo Experience” at Jacob’s Pillow has not yet been scheduled.
Dias David added that Berkshire Brazil can also be hired for events, including weddings, parties, and corporate events. Visit Berkshire Brazil’s website for more information.
