Working in the cultural field since 1987 under the direction of Maria Rita Stumpf, Antares Promoções presents artists, produces for other companies and clients and represents soloist, opera singers, conductors, dance companies, orchestras. Developed Antares Dança Series, that presented to the Brazilian audience most outstanding dance companies from United States and Europe. Bringing the most important personalities in the international lyrical music scene and the best contemporary dance companies, Antares reached over a million spectators and fomented the Brazilian artistic production by making possible a cultural exchange that motivated and inspired choreographers and dancers, presented new dance companies and productions and, more than anything, increased and enchanted audiences.
From 2008 Antares presented dance companies individually and increased its action in the music area. Antares brought to Brazil the most important and prestigious contemporary dance companies from all over the world, many of them in their first Brazilian tour as well as established names such as Mikhail Baryshnikov (1998, 2007 and 2010), Twyla Tharp (1998) and Pilobolus (1996, 2001, 2006). A risky and visionary project, Antares Dança opened ways to new productions and put Brazil, definitely, in the map of dance in the world.
Antares has also been responsible for the Brazilian tours of renowned artists as Jean Pierre Rampal, Isaac Stern and Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Philip Glass, Ramón Vargas, Kathleen Battle, June Anderson, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Barbara Hendricks in Rio de Janeiro, among others. In addition, Antares worked as a press agency for important events such as the music festival Rock in Rio II (1991), the Global Forum (1992) and for Mr. Mikhail Gorbachov's visit to Brazil.
Opening new paths, Antares coordinated the international program of the 10th Edition of the International Theatre Festival of Belo Horizonte in 2010 and has been acting as an agency for numerous international and Brazilian artists both in Brasil and South American countries. Antares organized a one month historical tour with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ana Laguna in Argentina, Peru and Brasil in 2010 and started a new circuit in South American countries while keeping its activity in Brasil with artists such as Ramón Vargas, Philip Glass, Tim Fain, Assad Brothers and Valentina Lisitsa.
In the dance field works with Shen Wei Dance Arts and Les ballets Jazz de Montréal for the south American market. Among others Antares took Grupo Macunaíma, Maria Creuza, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker to Equador, Colombia and Peru. From 2013 to 2015 organized a tour of 30 performances in all brazilian regions for the Assad Brothers in commemoration of their 50 years of career.
Antares works for special projects creating and producing and represents Assad Brothers and Valentina Lisitsa, besides Shen Wei Dance Arts and Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal for South America.
Maria Rita Stumpf was born in Canela, south of Brazil, where she graduated in Journalism and Music from the Rio Grande do Sul Federal University. In 1985, she moved to Rio de Janeiro in order to continue her studies with conductor and pianist Luiz Eça and to work in cultural events production. Soon afterwards she created a Press Agency focused in culture and arts and started presenting international companies and artists in 1994.
The premiere was resounding, with violinist Isaac Stern and Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, from Hungary, at the Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. In that same year, Antares brought Zorba the Greek for performances in both opera houses in Rio de Janeiro and in São Paulo and in a festival for more than 100 thousand people at Ipanema beach, besides Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and legendary flutist Jean Pierre Rampal. Several great names of dance, theater, opera, circus and music came to Brazil through Maria Rita's initiative since.
From the very beginning Maria Rita was engaged in presenting an alternative of quality in the cultural market, distinguishing her company for a vision not based on immediate profit. The commitment was always to increase the number of people frequenting the Brazilian theaters, to enhance the spaces in media and the relations with sponsors, as well as the diffusion of higher level information and to create intelligent connections in the south american cultural market. She was the recipient for a UNESCO medal in recognition for her work on behalf of dance in Brasil.
On November 2001, Antares broadcasted five television specials on channel TV Cultura with the companies of Antares Dance Series. The three first programs aired were Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras, Gulbenkian Ballet and La La La Human Steps, all recorded by the renowned documentary filmmaker Belisário França (African Pop, Brasil Legal and Além-Mar) in a project sponsored by Embratel and the Ministry of Culture.
This partnership established with TV Cultura opened doors to the world of dance and performance in Brasil, going beyond the idea of a simple “behind the scenes” in the hotel corridors, classes, and dressing rooms to show the dedication and emotion that goes hand in hand with the art of dance.
Produced in the city of São Paulo, these television specials show curiosities of the backstage, interviews and the reaction of Brazilian students and professional dancers in an exciting proximity with their idols. In this co-production with TV Cultura, Antares has now more than ten programs.
2000
Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras Spain
Gulbenkian Ballet Portugal
La La La Human Steps Canadá
2001
Ballet Flamenco Antonio Canales Spain
Torero – Full perfomance by Ballet Flamenco Antonio Canales
Cullberg Ballet Sweden
Nederlands Dans Theater I Holland
2002
Ballet Flamenco Eva Yerbabuena Spain
Ramón Vargas Mexico
Aterballetto Italy
2003
Ballet Frankfurt - Germany
Antares Gala (Eva Yerbabuena, Ira Levin, Ethnical Dance Company, David Parsons, Petrobras Pro-Music Symphony Orchestra and Antonio Meneses, Patrick de Bana)
SPECIAL
Kazanski Choir in São Paulo 26th Edition Campos do Jordão Festival 1995
Ramon Vargas 33rd Edition Campos do Jordão Festival 2002
Duo Assad Movimento Violão 2012
Maria Rita Stumpf created the prize Acknowledgment of Antares Dance believing that to exercise the acknowledgment of effort and dedication of others can only bring back fruits of more acknowledgment and creation for all of us. The reknowned Brazilian artist Maria Bonomi joined us by generously creating an exclusive work of art for the trophy. Essential names of dance had received this beautiful piece by Maria Bonomi given from the hands of other essential names of the dance world in Brazil.
In 2005, Vera Kumpera received the prize from Dalal Achcar and Ruth Rachou, from Monica Serra, in the performances of Martha Graham Dance Company’s tour.
In 2006, Angel Vianna received the prize from Tatiana Leskova. Yara De Cunto received it from Lenora Lobo and Marilena Ansaldi from Iracity Cardoso, in the performances of Louise Lecavalier Project.
ANTARES ® 2021
