Ricardo de Paula a choreographer, dancer, performer and artistic director of Grupo Oito. Residing as a Black artist in Berlin, he has long grappled with themes of racism and decolonization, intertwining these concerns with a continuous evolution of his creative approaches and aesthetics. Notably, his recent work has embraced spirituality as a significant influence. At its core, de Paula's artistic vision revolves around leveraging the body as a transformative instrument, utilizing movement to explore physical capacities for resistance and transformation. Central to his practice is the "Get Physical Process," a methodology he developed and teaches individually. His dance productions with Grupo Oito stem from regular training sessions that encompass artistic research and collaborative development three times a week. Beyond contemporary dance, capoeira, the Brazilian dance martial art, profoundly inspires him, particularly its formal elements like the "roda" (circle) and the ground-based aspects of the dance. Touch, a pivotal element in capoeira, triggers reactions, movements, fights, and postures, reflecting both individual and social dynamics. De Paula's approach is a rich amalgamation of diverse experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, methods, and evolving techniques, now incorporating ritual elements into the training and creative process.