How did you get into dancing?

I grew up watching my parents dance, several styles but without any kind of dance school training. At the age of 14 in a family birthday I met the owner of Sabor Latino Dance School (first salsa school in Portugal) that invited me to attend/try a lesson. I liked it very much and the owner saw some talent in me and offered me the course. The first salsa lesson I attended Paula was already there helping the owner of the school to teach. One year later I was invited to enter the dance company and I started dancing with Paula (year 2000)

What projects are you currently working on?

A lot of things at the same time! Our company DMAES (Dance Music Activities and Enterprise Synergies) have 3 main areas. Dance school, ALC Dance Studios, now with 2 poles and more than 1000 students (from 3 to over 70 years old), Muxima Bar that opens every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and our Events organization which caters to our festivals (Ta Fixe Kizomba Festival, DMAES Summer Bootcamp, Porto Salsa Mob), corporate events and private events.

We also organize Kizomba Teachers Training, sharing our Kizomba methodology. In addition, we run a franchise project of ALC Dance Studios and Methodology whilst still traveling every weekend and working in some theatre musical stage productions. We also run an international choreography project called ALC HugDance and a dance video store with online lessons called dancevs.com

My brother and I have a singing project called, Sousa Brothers with more projects pending and dependent on getting some free time.

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

There are several, but one that stays with a lot of love in my heart, is associated to our travel to Angola. On our trip what we got was a feeling of approval at the “birth land”, dancing socially with Banda Maravilha live, with all the “kotas” watching and applauding.

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

Follow your dreams. Do the things that you want to because you want it and not because others are doing it. Be honest and true to your values. Never think you already know everything and keep studying.

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

Giving the best of myself. New shows, more trainings, self-improvement and hoping to have time for new projects