Born in 1955 in a poor district of São Paulo, Ismael Ivo rose to become one of the world’s most renowned dancers. As the initiator and director of festivals like the ImPulsTanz Festival in Vienna, he has significantly influenced dance history. He formed artistic collaborations with notable figures such as Johann Kresnik, Marcia Haydée, Ushio Amagatsu, George Tabori, and Koffi Kôkô. Today, he stands as a symbol of Afro-Brazilian emancipation. The publication brings together interviews spanning various stages of his career, memories from colleagues in Brazil and Europe, visual essays by Anno Wilms and Dieter Blum, and a comprehensive catalogue of his works. This book is the first of its kind to explore the life and impact of this exceptional artist. Johannes Odenthal, an art historian and writer focused on dance, performance, and contemporary art, served as the director of programming at the Akademie der Künste, Berlin, from 2006 to 2022. Anno Wilms (1935–2016) was a freelance photographer known for her work in exhibitions and magazines. Dieter Blum, born in 1936, contributed to notable publications such as Stern, Der Spiegel, Time, and National Geographic.
