Portugal's renowned contemporary dancer celebrates 40-year career

In a dark room, hands gently and mysteriously peek through small windows of an installation.

Later, ravishingly expressive dancers throw themselves against the wall, bend over in disorientation and flung each other to the ground compulsively, as one girl twists her hair with despair.

Portuguese choreographer Olga Roriz revisited her piece "Private Property" at Lisbon's Centro Cultural de Belem (CCB) this weekend to celebrate 20 years of her dance company.

The piece -- a crude, brutal and provocative representation of themes like violence and the holocaust, exploring the dark sides of humanity -- celebrated the 40-year career of one of the country's most renowned choreographers, and pays homage to 100 years of cinema.

During the almost two-hour piece, a man's voice narrates happenings that mark world history between 1900 and 1996.

Private Property first premiered at the National Theater of Sao Joao, in Porto, north Portugal in 1996. The piece is described by the artist as "constructed by dense material from the mix of cement, desire, dreams of the past, lies, perverse games, pain, a hidden camera, water, time that passes, blood and imminent danger."

Olga Roriz was born in Viana do Castelo, around 380 km north of Lisbon, in 1955. She studied at the Dance School of Lisbon' National Conservatory and became the prima ballerina of Ballet Gulbenkian, founding the Olga Roriz dance company in 1995. Endit