Puff Alice Ripoll & Hiltinho Fantástico
Irish Premiere
Brazil
Puff is a magnetic solo exploring the idea of disguise as a way of carrying silenced cultures, traditions and ancestral knowledge of the African diaspora. Alone on stage, the extraordinary Hiltinho Fantástico channels the rich inheritance of Afro-Brazilian dance.
Each performance will be followed by a post-show talk with Alice Ripoll.
Fri 15—Sat 16 May 2026
About
Fantástico calls up movement rooted in Passinho – an urban dance style born in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro – alongside samba and capoeira. Creating illusionary effects, his body appears both familiar and otherworldly, shifting from swagger to softness and mastery to surrender.
The work pulses with raw physicality: rhythm rises from breath, footwork and chest thuds, building its own score from the sounds of impact and exertion.
Guided by choreographer Alice Ripoll, Puff conjures the idea of a light breath – something that disappears as if by magic. It honours heritage and is a powerful reminder of how culture adapts and persists, even when it seems to vanish.
Credits
- Direction Alice Ripoll
- Creation and Performance Hiltinho Fantástico
- Assistant Direction Alan Ferreira, Thais Peixoto
- Lighting Design Tomás Ribas
- Costume and Scenography Alice Ripoll, Thais Peixoto
- Tour Manager Joana D’Aguiar
- Production Assistant Isabela Peixoto, Thais Peixoto
- Original Soundtrack Alice Ripoll and Mimosa
- Diffusion ART HAPPENS
Co-produced by Rotterdam Theater. With support from Festival Actoral and Câmbio.
Photo Gallery
"Puff, performed by Hiltinho Fantástico, is a revelation in motion, an exceptional solo dance performance that grips the audience from the very first moment."
Binge Fringe
Additional travel support for the presentation of Puff at the Dublin Dance Festival was generously provided by the Guimarães Rosa Institute, the Brazilian Embassy in Dublin and CÂMBIO.
