Street race and play liven up the holiday and weekend

5/5/2025

A holiday without classes, but with an intense sports and cultural program for IMPA Tech students. On Thursday (1), Labor Day, the youngsters took part in the 1st Cury Circuit, a street race and walk in Porto Maravilha, and on Saturday (3), they watched the musical “Sonho Encantado de Cordel” at the João Caetano Theater, in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The activities were supported by the Psychopedagogical Support Center (NAP).

The street race was organized by Cury Construtora with the support of CCPar (Companhia Carioca de Parcerias e Investimentos), which provided 20 free tickets for IMPA Tech students. NAP promoted the event internally and encouraged young people to challenge themselves. The circuit marked the first street race for many participants, such as student Gabriel Ferreira.

“It was a great experience, I’d never taken part in a road race before. I suffered a lot, but it was rewarding in the end. I like NAP’s initiative to encourage events that take us out of our comfort zone and bring us to reflect or relax,” said Gabriel.

Student Mariana Yoshioka had never taken part in a race before. “I really liked the initiative and would be very happy if it happened more often. I think it’s a great initiative to promote students’ well-being. It was my first time taking part in a street race and I was very motivated by having so many people together,” she said.

NAP psychologist Tiago Rocha, who is an amateur runner, enthusiastically accompanied the youngsters. “It’s a joy to see the students taking part in an event like this. Street running is a great ally for mental health. Running helps relieve stress and improves mood. It’s physical and emotional health walking or even running side by side.”

On Saturday, it was culture’s turn to take the stage at the João Caetano Theater. The undergraduates watched the musical “Sonho Encantado de Cordel”. The play is inspired by the plot “Uma Delirante Confusão Fabulística” (A Delirious Fabulous Confusion) created in 2005 by Rosa Magalhães for Imperatriz Leopoldinense, a samba school in Rio de Janeiro, which paid tribute to Hans Christian Andersen on his centenary.

The show recounts the author’s life and some of his fairy tales, wrapped in the tradition of cordel literature and set in the north-east of Brazil. Andersen was a Danish author remembered for his literary fairy tales, such as “The Little Mermaid”, “The Lead Soldier”, “The Little Thumb”, “The Princess and the Pea”, “The Ugly Duckling”, among others.

For student Victor Hugo Boa Sorte, the experience was positive and representative. “I’ve never had the chance to go to a play like this, and seeing a musical mixed with cordel was really cool. Back in Bahia I had already taken part in some activities involving cordéis, and to see something here in Rio that represented Northeastern culture was very interesting,” he said.

Written and directed by Thereza Falcão, the musical combines elements of Northeastern culture with the enchanted universe of fairy tales. On stage, more than 10 sets and 50 costumes created by carnival designer Rosa Magalhães come to life.

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