Interview with:

Marcia Pinheiro

Thelatinvoice crew recently caught up with dance teacher Marcia Pinheiro.

Marcia is an accomplished Latin dance teacher who runs one of Sydney's largest and most popular dance schools, Latin Dance Australia.

Marcia has an energetic, friendly and outgoing personality, which makes her stand out within the Latin community.

Thelatinvoice asked Marcia 10 hot questions regarding her career and involvement in the local Latin scene.

1. How long have you been in Australia and when did you start your "Latin profession"?

"Well.. I started almost 4 years ago, that’s when I arrived in Australia, but I started to dance Latin,I can’t even say when I started Latin, that’s because we are Brazilian, we just grow up in it basically, professionally I started when I was 13 but all involved more the Brazilian dance; I actually used to work for this television teenager group..{laugh} Yeah!..as a singer actually. We used to do a lot of TV presentations so it was involved with dance but was focusing on singing..just type of like Spice Girls but for children; we even recorded an LP!, we were on TV every week, because here you have like four types of children programs but in Brazil there was much more and also it’s everything involved with music, because the culture is all about music, here is not, it’s more about games, you know..it’s different type of program..we were actually quite famous at the time, I remember going to school and people hanging around me and wanting my autograph!

This was focusing more on Brazilian things, but I really started to do more Latin dance was when I started to dance Lambada in Brazil, I was about 17; then I started to go overseas and I went to Puerto Rico, Miami and about seven islands in the Caribbean..when I tell people they say wow! You have been to the Caribbean? It’s very common when you are in South America, it’s like going to New Zealand from here..Anyway, that’s when I learnt to dance Salsa and started to understand the difference between Puerto Rican style, Miami style, because I used to go to Miami a lot..that’s where I learnt to dance Salsa. I also went to Japan. when I started to have an international career I was about 20, I got invited to go in a group kind of Oba Oba with 40 dancers from Brazil, I got to travel around Japan with this big production with Samba, Capoiera, Lambada but we didn’t have Salsa..it was basically Brazilian culture in Japan."

2. What inspired you to do what you do in this country?

"Here..ah!!! Well, the first thing that inspired me..I always love to dance, some times they say "all the Brazilians dance" but not really all the people..the people who quite like it and do dance the way I do is not too many!..is really people who are aiming to go to a professional dance career and it’s not easy in Brazil because there is too many dancing everywhere!..So when I first arrived here it was very difficult , just started to go to one place, just dance and see the same people , dance Salsa..I was very happy with the Salsa but didn’t have anything Brazilian, real Brazilian!, like you go to a place and Samba, the Batucada, is really much like for people doing shows but the daily people in Brazil it’s not this type of music..so I decided myself , I got really inspired to make the Australians do what we do in Brazil daily ..you know, "change the culture a little bit" yeah..and it took me quite long, it took me almost one year teaching people how to Samba, to start my first Brazilian party and to start my first Latin party..it took one year just teaching, teaching, teaching."

3. What has been the proudest moment in your career?

"Definitely it was The Ball..I have done a lot of TV and international shows, done a lot of things but I never got so much rewarded as when I did with The Ball..What I did..I started to have too many good students and I decided..because I do a lot of shows and my people too..Why don’t we teach these people to do shows? Then the instructors, some of them were like "that’s great" some of them were like " are you crazy! How are we going to do that? They are not professionals you know!"..I said just a one off , make them become the stars! Because they always come and clap to us, let’s clap to these people now!.."it’s going to take too long" they said ..then I said: OK, I’m going to think , then we have a meeting and we decide it..and as it went along, I couldn’t stop thinking ..Ahhh we are going to make it!..these people..imagine! The costumes!, The stage!, Sound!, Choreography! ..I started to build all these dreams and it took me four months between build, developing the choreographies and make the full production! With dinner, gala, 7 choreographies, band, 120 students performing, making them all spin at the same time! And the way they felt after was so enormous..we spent like 10 days we couldn’t stop thinking about it..It was my best most proud moment."

4. Is this your full time profession?, if not what else do you do?

"Yes, that’s all I do. I eat dance, I sleep dance, I wake up dance, I walk dance, I read about dance.. Everything is about dance!"

5. What's your favourite phrase or motto?

"Dancing is easy! That’s my favorite phrase, that’s what everybody should have in mind!"

6. Which is your favourite musical artist?

"Daniella Mercuri from Brazil, she is the most energetic and cultural type of singer and I really admire her..I always got inspired by women because I am a woman..I’ve been in love with Shakira for quite a long time, she disappeared a while but know she’s come back to my life and I think I’m going to love her for ever too, I just find she is so incredible, her voice, the way that she sings, her look, how she plays different rhythms, everything..she’s great!"

7. If you had three wishes to be granted, what would they be?

"Through my Company or throughout any company as well, my big dream is to influence the Australian culture with the Latin music and dance....It’s a phenomenal dream..that’s what I call a dream! And to teach one by one it’s going to be hard, so I know all the other schools are part of my dream too..but I’d love it if my son or my daughter when thy be 20 years old know that any radio station plays Latin music because it’s part of Australian culture as much as kebabs are to Lebanese people..a Latin club in each suburb like there is Chinese food..I think it’s very possible! My personal dreams involve Brazil too, but I want to stay here because I feel I want to work more, I'll love to work a little bit with TV promoting the Latin culture..so that’s my biggest dream!"

8. What are your likes and dislikes?

"I love my life. I think it can be an example for a lot of people. I do what I love and I love what I do..What I hate..War! It makes me so sad, they don’t give you a chance to choose anything; when this happened on the 11th, I think My God! These people influenced my life and they don’t know!

I’m trying to make people’s life better and happier and there is people trying to make people’s life worst! There is nothing worst than that in this world....it’s not fair!"

9. What would you like to see more or less of in the Australian Latin scene?

"I’d like to see more Dance Schools {laugh}..it’s funny ha? It looks like I don’t want a competition ..but I think nobody is a competition. I think people open clubs, clubs, clubs but we don’t have enough people to dance, dance, dance! Clubs don’t influence people because most people that go to most clubs, already know how to dance"

10. Do you have a message to all the Latin lovers out there?

"I think we are building a good reputation in this Country and unfortunately in some countries the Latin people are not behaving very well....so my message is..just keep being good like we are, be proud of our culture, it’s very important to do the right thing; Australians love Latin people, I just feel so welcome wherever I go and that’s the way I want for my family to be in the future..Just do the right thing!"

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FactFile

Name:

Marcia Pinheiro

Star Sign:

Leo

Profession:

Latin Dance Director

Nick Name:

Marcinha

Nationality:

Brazilian (Fortaleza)