1 Sugarplum Fairy and Cavalier Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky
As a ballet student, I used to listen to this and was enchanted by the beauty of the melody. In just five minutes, this music had the power to take me to a magical world, and to experience feelings such as compassion, hope, love and much more. The fascination I had for it made me want to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy’s grand pas de deux. The Nutcracker was the first creation in which I performed when I joined a professional company in Germany. Coincidence or not, this not only helped me fulfil my dream of dancing to this music, but the experience of participating in a creation taught me a great deal about ballet as an art form and influences me still today.
2 Bachianas Brasileiras No 4 – Prelúdio by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Simple in its structure – yet intense, profound, expressive, dramatic, vulnerable and human.
3 Non, je ne regrette rien by Charles Dumont and Michel Vaucaire
Edith Piaf’s voice in this song expresses tenacity, strength and determination – the same energy that I believe a dancer should have throughout their career. This music was used in a solo choreographed for me by Ben van Cauwenbergh to perform along with variations from the classical ballet repertoire at the Septième Concours de Danse de Paris. The song is particularly important to me as this solo helped me not only win the gold medal in the competition, but also to bring my art to different parts of the globe.
4 É Hoje by Didi and Mestrinho
This song, performed by Caetano Veloso, was part of a ritual that I followed throughout my career. During warm-ups, when putting on make-up or on my way to the theatre, I would always listen to this song. It connected me to the joy of the Brazilian people and to my roots. After listening to it, I was full of energy and ready to go on stage.
5 What a Wonderful World by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss
The busy life that most of us live, the excessive use of cell phones, and the growing number of people suffering from anxiety and depression in the world today calls my attention to this song, wonderfully interpreted by Louis Armstrong. The beautiful text and the simplicity of the melody remind me of the importance of simple things, of small pleasures, of realising the importance of the present moment. A real treasure.
