Maria Auxiliadora developed a unique language, and her works compose a rich and investigative mosaic of rural and urban themes, with abundant representation of beautiful and resolute women. Her paintings also express manifestations of Afro- Brazilian culture, such as Candomblé, Umbanda, Jongo, capoeira and June festivals, among many others. In this festive painting, references to samba, such as the tambourine and the friction drum, mix with the aesthetic of black dances, implied by the bell bottom pants. In the upper half of the canvas are the musicians and the dancers without partners and, on the bottom part, the geometric floor expressively marks the composition, whose rigidity is attenuated by the serpentines dispersed on the floor. The costumes may suggest that the couples dance to samba-rock, but the crossing of the legs allude to samba de gafieira. The year the picture was created, 1968, is emblematic for the affirmation of black identity in Brazil, a milestone in the organization of black associations and mutual aid groups referenced in the black power movement. At that time, the circulation of music and images of popular culture was taking hold in Brazil, with the dissemination of new communication technologies that spread the message that black is beautiful. The precise and intricate detailing of the clothing of the figures confers their preciousness, ascribing them elegance and magnificence.
— Amanda Carneiro, assistent curator, MASP, 2021
