Each year, during the carnival parades in Rio and São Paulo, it seems to be a sport for the muses, queens and samba dancers to show an absolute minimum of clothing, called “fantasia” (let’s call it a fantasy). Regulations forbid to go naked, otherwise they should give that a go. Since some years body painting and a small (what is called) tapa-sexo, a small piece of tape covering the female genitals, is the preferred outfit of many a samba dancer.
And each year they get smaller and smaller. This year a jewellery designer claims to have created the smallest ‘fantasy’ for the Carnival in São Paulo.
The creation in gold will be used by Mulher Pêra in the parade of samba school Águia de Ouro.
Other carnival muses promise a minimum of clothes in the Sambódromo.
Suéllem Rocha, 25, aka Mulher Pêra, poses with the little jewel that will be used during the parade of the samba school Águia de Ouro in the Sambódromo in São Paulo (Photo: Flavio Moraes/G1)
Some body painting and a thin gold chain around her waist that ends with a half-centimetre butterfly adorned with precious stones. It is the only thing that the singer Suéllem Rocha, 25, aka Mulher Pêra, promises to parade with atop a float of the samba school Águia de Ouro, which will parade on the second day of the carnival in São Paulo. The creator of the piece is the jewellery designer Dennis Moraes, who intends to register the creation as the smallest ever used as a carnival costume.
“I want to put the design in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest fantasy ever used. I did extensive research. If there is someone with a smaller than this, I just cut the butterfly in half and it will come with only one wing”, laughs the designer. He says that since October he is planning the jewel and the body painting to be used by Mulher Pêra in Anhembi. The piece has a diamond and aquamarine. I have been working on it for two months.
Already for 15 years Moraes is a participant in the parades in Águia de Ouro and it was he who asked Suéllem to perform with so little clothing. “I loved it. I want to dance naked, but can’t as the regulations prohibit it. It is much better to dance the samba, as large and heavy fantasies hurt”, she said. She guarantees that she will not use a tapa-sexo, just body paint.
Detail of the body of the singer Suéllem Rock with the gold piece (Photo: Flavio Moraes/G1)
Who also will parade with a minimum costume is Rosana Ferreira, the newly elected 25 years old Miss Bumbum 2012. She will dance in front of the group of composers of the samba-school X-9 Paulistana. “I’ve seen many people parading and I know that small carnival clothes is part of it, so I want to be beautiful. It’s carnival and I’ll play the game”, said Rosana. “I never thought I could be part of a samba-school in São Paulo, it is like a dream. I am very happy”.
Mayra Cardi says that her fantasy will be small, but will take some precautionary measures. (photo: Divulgação)
Although small, the fantasy doesn’t come cheap. The stylist Gerson Cherman tells that the creation was around BRL 32,000 (USD 18,000). “Rosana comes with only a collar with her breasts almost exposed, with only a few small crystals covering the areola. The bottom part is minimal with only a few small crystals. We soaked the choker and the parts that she uses on the head and wrists in gold”. He says that these little fantasies are a lot of work, because they have to be perfect as not to fall off during the parade.
Cherman also makes the fantasy for Graciella Carvalho, second in the Miss Bumbum contest and who parades with the samba-school Acadêmicos do Tucuruvi, as queen of the artisans in the 4th float of the school. “The fantasy cost BRL 38,000 (USD 21,000), because pheasant feathers were used. The bottom part is very small, but it will be with the splendour of a pheasant”, Cherman states.
The muse of the drum band of X-9 Paulistana, Mayra Cardi, says that the job requires a small fantasy, but promises to take some precautions. “It can’t be big because you can’t. It has to be small by default, but I’ll take some precautions. It will look like a small skirt with a few small chains to disguise”, she says. She says, however, she doesn’t want to parade and dance with a heavy costume. “I have never paraded, so I do not want to weigh heavy because I’m afraid you won’t be able to manage it”.
Dani Sperle in the parade last year in Anhembi (Photo: Daigo Oliva / Archive G1)
In 2011 the model Dani Sperle attracted all eyes during the parade of Tom Maior by dancing with very little clothing in the Sambódromo of Anhembi. “My fantasy is designed for carnival. Can be scantily, and maybe could be slightly more. But little clothing is more comfortable”, says the model. This year, she gave up performing in a samba school in São Paulo. Dani will not come out in the parade of Acadêmicos do Tucuruvi, as expected, because of her agenda. She only parades in Rio “Next year, I hope my schedule allows me to reconcile the two carnivals”.
Carnival 2011 - Sabrina Sato as Godmother of the drum band of Gaviões - Photo Raul Zito-G1
Carnival 2011 - Samba dancer of Nilópolis - Photo Leonardo Aversa
Brazil In Hot Pants 