HCA NEWS The HCA2005 sponsors a samba school in Rio

With support from the Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Foundation, one of Brazil's most celebrated samba schools, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, will feature Hans Christian Andersen at the Sambadrome parade next year.

By ms - H.C. Andersen 2005 - 08 March 2004

Hvert år konkurrerer sambaskolerne i Rio de Janeiro om at præsentere den mest imponerende parade under karnevalet. Næste år har Imperatriz Leopoldinese valgt at bruge H.C. Andersens liv og eventyrunivers som inspirationskilde til deres imponerende udsmykninger og kostumer.

Every year, the samba schools of Rio de Janeiro compete in presenting the most spectacular carnival floats and costumes. Next year, Imperatriz Leopoldinense will feature the life and fairytale world of Hans Christian Andersen.

The samba school art director, Rosa Magalhães, is to visit Denmark in the near future - Hans Christian Andersen's hometown Odense among other places - to study Andersen's life and work.

"We couldn't imagine a better tribute to the magical world of Andersen than the imaginative carnival parade in Rio. That one of Brazil's most celebrated samba schools has chosen to feature Hans Christian Andersen offers a unique opportunity to highlight the bicentenary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen, not only in Brazil but throughout South America," says Secretary General for the Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Foundation, Lars Seeberg.

Collaboration between the Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Foundation and the Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School has been initiated by the Dane Jens Olesen. He lives in Brazil and is President for the Latin American division of the advertising and marketing agency McCann-Erickson.

He furthermore manages a wide range of cultural exchange events between Denmark and South America, For the last eight months, Jens Olesen has worked with Imperatriz Leopoldinense on the plans for the 2005 Andersen carnival parade.

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