How did you get into dancing?

Funny story actually! Do you remember the movie dirty dancing? Well, in my childhood, I watched it a lot. I knew all the dancing parts of the movie and one day my mother grabbed me and took me to a dance school. I started with Salsa, then ballet followed by contemporary dance and finally African dances. Since the age of ten, I’ve danced every day.

What projects are you currently working on?

My dance partner of ten years, Miguel Monteiro and I have a project called Xtraga Project, which is a choreography created by us for the people around the world sharing our love for African dances. We have been privileged to have been invited to work in various festivals around the world, to share our knowledge and our love for dance.

What’s been the most memorable moment of your journey as a dancer so far?

On my journey, I’ve had many memorable moments so it’s really difficult to identify one to be more important than the other. Saying that, a moment I’ll never forget was during a regular class in Lisbon, a blind girl who had never been to a dance class and was afraid to be rejected by her classmates and at the end was part of the final show of the dance school. Watching her perform with great strength and a big smile on her face was a very gratifying moment for me.

What advice would you give to up & coming dancers looking at you for inspiration?

For the new dancers, my advices are simple. If you like to dance and share the dances, you need to know what you’re sharing or talking about. The knowledge for a teacher is the important key. Be humble; be true to all the people that cross on your path, share the dance with energy and joy.

What can we expect from you for the rest of 2018?

Love and energy! I will continue to share my knowledge and my love for dance to all who I cross path with. We also have many festivals until the end of the year so we will have many moments to share with the people.