Illusion Performance Ensures Top Score for the Front Commission of Beija-Flor, Rio de Janeiro's 2011 Carnival Parade Winner

SAO PAULO and RIO DE JANEIRO, March 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Issao Imamura celebrates the title at the samba school's practice yard alongside choreographer Carlinhos de Jesus

Issao Imamura, Brazil's top master of illusion, who was responsible for the participation of actress Claudia Raia in the Front Commission of Beija-Flor's samba school - which was the winner of the carnival parade of 2011 - commemorated the title at the school's practice yard in Nilopolis. The title song, "A Simplicidade de um Rei" (The Simplicity of a King) honored singer-songwriter Roberto Carlos.

This was Imamura's first participation in a presentation in the samba school parade on behalf of Beija-Flor and strengthens his partnership with choreographer Carlinhos de Jesus. They have been working together since 2003, when the illusionist accepted the challenge of "levitating Moses on the Avenue," a performance that also occurred during the presentation of a front commission of a samba school, the traditional Escola de Samba Estacao Primeira de Mangueira.

"Carlinhos de Jesus has the discipline to be in command of the team and he understands the requirements of an illusion. He is one of the few professionals in his field who is able to merge the two arts - dance and illusion," said Imamura, celebrating the achievement. He also highlighted the fact that "Beija-Flor is marvelous. I made a point of remaining in Rio to follow the scoring of the schools and to commemorate the result together with Carlinhos de Jesus and Claudia Raia," he said, adding that he considered this to be a historic carnival in that three major samba schools, in Rio and in Sao Paulo, used his techniques and tricks to fire up the audiences that attended the parade.

Developed especially to astound spectators, the illusion effect that was put into practice at the Marques de Sapucai samba stadium merged dance and music and made it possible for the entire Front Commission of the school to materialize and dematerialize in front of the eyes of the audience. That is: it appeared and disappeared a number of times. "These numbers really stir people up. The audience leaped to its feet both in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and we even have videotape of members of the jury applauding the presentation of the illusion," Issao emphasized.