Compañía Nacional de Danza

Your first steps as a dancer were when you were only 7 years old thanks to your uncle. Why did he encourage you to dance? When did you discover that dance was your passion? Do you remember how you felt then?

My uncle danced and taught at that time, I remember he was invited to form a dance group at a church we went to in São Paulo and they basically had no one to dance with. One day I was playing with my neighbors and he asked me to accompany him. At first I just came as one more person in the group, I had no desire to stay. As time went on we started doing a lot of exciting things and I felt great whenever I practiced, but when I was eleven I entered a local ballet school to receive formal classical training.

I like to say that it is my vocation, I didn’t go looking for it, dance found me.

You were born and raised in Brazil, a country with a vast culture, great passion for dance and world-famous for samba. What is it like to be a classical and contemporary dancer there?

We (Brazilians) are dancers by nature, it is in our DNA. There is likely to be at least one Brazilian dancer in any ballet company in the world. It’s a shame things aren’t so easy if you stay there. There’s not a lot of investment for the arts in general, so it’s very complicated sometimes. But there are some companies in Brazil that are fighting back, making sure these dancers have a place to stay. They do a fantastic job.

You have grown up in a very matriarchal environment, surrounded by women. Do you think this fact has affected your values ​​as a dancer? How have these women influenced your professional life?

The women in my family are amazing! They are the reason why I am here today, they have given me values ​​such as love, generosity, passion, perseverance and I try to put them in everything I do, on and off stage. At the end of the day, what you are shows when you dance, there is no way to hide it. If I am a better person, I will surely be a better dancer.

After participating in the Youth American Grand Prix New York Finals in 2014, you received a full scholarship to the New Zealand School of Dance. What did this opportunity mean to you?

The opportunity to study in New Zealand changed my life, I moved there in January 2015 with my best friend from Rio de Janeiro. I spent a year at the school and two and a half with the National Ballet Company. I met some of the best teachers I have ever had and made lifelong friends. I have to say that I was scared at first, it was the first time I was going to be away from my family for a whole year, but I was lucky that the school principal, Garry Trinder, and Christine Gunn were with me the whole time . They are like my parents, they made sure I didn’t miss anything from the day I arrived until the last minute. They were without a doubt some of the best years of my life.

You have danced in the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the National Ballet of Finland. What differences do you find between these countries, so different from each other, and Spain?

Well, these two companies are very different; When I joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2016 there were only about 50 dancers, in Finland there were 90, almost double the number of people. I needed to learn what it meant to be a professional, so it was ideal for me to start at a smaller company like RNZB. I had opportunities, we toured all over the country (this was my favorite part). The work was very similar to what we do here at the CND.

You arrived in Spain a few months ago and joined the National Dance Company last summer, under the artistic direction of Joaquín De Luz. How has it been received? How are you experiencing Madrid as a city? What do you like most about living here and what do you miss most?

It has been incredible, I am super happy with the welcome from the dancers, the artistic staff… everyone has been very kind to me. Madrid is a charming city, it is a smaller version of my hometown, São Paulo, and I already feel at home.

In the National Dance Company you find yourself dancing Apollo by George Balanchine and Pulcinella, by Blanca Li, both to music by Igor Stravinsky. How is the experience? What more works would you like to dance to?

This is my first full program with the company, it is super special to dance it to music by Stravinsky, especially since some of my dream ballets like Agon, Symphony in Three Movements by George Balanchine also have music by Igor Stravinsky. I would also love to one day dance to Dances at a Gathering by Jerome Robbins, Blake works by William Forsythe and Manon by Sir Kenneth Macmillan, I mean the list is endless but these are my top 5 at the moment.

With such a sacrificial profession you have surely had to give up many things from a very young age. What is it like, for example, to live so far from your family and friends? How are you experiencing the pandemic away from your loved ones?

I’m an only child, so I’ve always been close to my family. Living away from them is very hard and I don’t think it will ever get easier, we simply learn to cope better understanding that all the sacrifice is for the good. I believe that nothing is easy, everything we do in life has a price, but I am lucky that my family supports me and is willing to accompany me on any adventure. Not everyone has that.

In addition to your training in classical and contemporary dance, do you dance any other genre?
When I was younger, I practiced many styles of dance: samba, salsa, capoeira, jazz and I even tried street dancing, but I was terrible at it.

You are one of the youngest dancers in the CND. What would you like to see happen in the next ten years?

Being one of the youngest is a privilege because I get to watch the more experienced dancers and learn from them. I like to pay attention to everything they do, how they do it and apply it in my own way.

FELIPE DOMINGOS – SOLOIST DANCER

Interview: Elvira Casado