Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil celebrates its 25th anniversary
Bruno Miranda was a child in 2000 when ballet first came into his life. He was drawn to dance while taking part in the Dançando na Escola (“Dancing at School”) project at a public school in Santa Catarina, South Brazil. At the time, his teacher also worked at the Escola do Teatro Bolshoi no Brasil (ETBB, Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil), which was taking its first steps in the country, and this is how the kid learned about the possibility of becoming a ballet dancer. The following year, encouraged by his family, young Bruno joined the school. In these 25 years, both the young man and the institution became world-renowned names in dance in Brazil as well as overseas.
The only branch in Brazil of Russia’s famous Bolshoi Theater, ETBB has been active since March 15, 2000, in Joinville, Santa Catarina state. With 25 years of operation, the private nonprofit is supported by the Joinville city hall, the Santa Catarina state government, and the Friends of the Bolshoi—socially responsible companies and individuals who contribute to the project.
In over two decades, the school has collected many stories like Miranda’s, offering scholarships and opportunities to talents from different social classes.
A history of achievements
In the past, the list of those approved for the school was published in a newspaper. “My mother bought the newspaper and I was so happy to see my name there. I did eight years at the school, then spent almost three years at the [ETBB’s] Youth Company. It was 11 years in all. I was there at the very beginning of the school. I’m from the class that graduated second,” Miranda, who is currently in South Africa, told Agência Brasil.
“It sounds cliché, but the Bolshoi represents my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today, living in Johannesburg, working with ballet and dance, if it weren’t for the Bolshoi. My family has always been humble. We never had the money for studies. Everything I’ve achieved has been through dance, including being able to support my family,” he said.
His mother was always supportive of Miranda, but she was unable to accompany him to the audition because she had to look after her other three young children. An aunt, who borrowed money to pay for the bus fare, took her nephew in her place.
Since then, it has been a long journey to and from dance companies all over Brazil and abroad.
Today, in addition to being a dancer, Miranda is a teacher and choreographer. Since August 2017, he has been a member of the Joburg Ballet in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he has played leading roles and solos in repertory as well as contemporary ballets. Also in South Africa, Bruno has produced two seasons for the company as a producer and choreographer.
“What I like about the school and what I always say is that the Bolshoi isn’t just about ballet. There are other types of dance—contemporary, popular… I learned a lot about music and theater. I also learned English there. I learned how to play musical instruments, and I learned about health—so much so I chose to pursue a degree in gastronomy, and now I’m finishing my degree in nutrition, because nutrition and dance have so much to do with each other,” he said.
His future plans include developing his nutrition studies. “I want to get a degree in nutrition and do a postgraduate course in exercise physiology and biomechanics, because I want to offer support to dancers. We have physiotherapy, Pilates, but I think there’s something missing for ballet, for dance,” he added.
Bolshoi’s 25th anniversary
Maikon Golini’s story is similar to Miranda’s. A former student of the Bolshoi School in Brazil, he is a teacher and artistic adviser with the school’s management for 15 years. Added to his 10 years of training, Golini has been with the Bolshoi in Brazil since its inception. He proudly remembers when he joined its first class, at the tender age of seven.
“I’d always been a boy who liked to dance, ever since I was little. I liked music, I liked moving, but I didn’t understand that dancing could be a profession. It didn’t dawn on me until I went to the Bolshoi. When I finally understood I could be a professional dancer, my mind switched to it and it became a goal,” he said.
“We often joke saying that mine was the pioneering generation. I took the test in 1999 and started studying in 2000. We didn’t know what the Bolshoi was. Now, 25 years on, we can see the impact this institution has had and how it’s been bearing fruit.”
Screening
To become a Bolshoi student, you have to pass a competitive screening process—the national selection to win a spot and a scholarship, which pays for the student’s entire education at the school until they graduate.
“We live in a country that doesn’t really recognize dance as a profession. The Bolshoi makes that possible. It lasts eight years, and the student learns all the necessary skills to become a professional of the highest level. Today, we have an employability rate of 74 percent, with almost 500 trained dancers. The school’s level for the dance market is really outstanding. For children and young people who dream of earning a living and pursuing a career in dance, the Bolshoi School is a great beacon,” he said.
In addition to Santa Catarina, the institution welcomes students from a wide range of Brazilian states and also from other Latin American countries and even Russia. The idea, Golini said, is allowing the school to grow by embracing these different talents.
Scholarships
Students receive a scholarship, but their families have to pay for their accommodation and food. In an attempt to reduce costs, Golini noted, the concept of social mothers has emerged. These are usually mothers of a Bolshoi student who make their home in Joinville available to other children and young people from families unable to afford to move to the city. “We end up with these small boarding houses in which an adult is in charge of a home with other children,” he said.
“I attended the school and I can tell you that the family’s support and commitment make all the difference to the child’s education and the professional they will become. This family support is crucial if the child is to make it through the eight-year course and overcome all the challenges inherent to the profession. We often say that it’s not just the student who becomes a Bolshoi, but the whole family, the community in which they live,” Golini argued.
