“I feel like there is a vocation for me in cinema”

In gala form, the production strings together several small ballet numbers, all new to Rio, with a soundtrack that includes titles by names such as Chopin, Tom Misch and Sergei Rachmaninov. The proposal was designed especially for the moment.

— In this first speech with the public, in which we want to show what Cia. Thiago Soares is, I felt that it would be too little to define him with a single theme. In addition, the gala is a format that we don’t see much here, but which is done a lot all over the world. It’s a collection of great composers and several works, several looks in one evening, usually a special occasion — explains the director.

The performance that gives the show its name, the ballet “Brusco,” has a soundtrack by award-winning Mexican pianist Caleb Ruiz, who is invited to perform live during the Multiplan sessions. Created in Mexico, where Thiago was artistic director of the Monterrey Ballet until last year, the choreography blends the fundamentals of classical ballet with deconstructions of these elements.

— “Brusco” has all that classic code that I have lived for so many years, but also the intensity of passion, melancholy and many of those nuances that make us imperfect, human — says the choreographer, who intends to maintain the proposal in the next shows. — The work I will do in the company is not just about striving for perfection. It is obvious that we will give our blood to deliver excellence to the public, but it is not about that, but how we connect with the public.

For the choreographer, founding a company means contributing to the development of young talents and promoting the local artistic scene. Introduced to dance as a teenager through hip-hop and the dances of Viaduto de Madureira, Thiago attended a ballet school in Méier and in a few years achieved an international career by being hired by the famous Royal Ballet in London, where he was principal dancer between 2006 and 2019.

Although he is grateful for all the prestige he achieved abroad, the artist today wonders if he would have left the country if the conditions had existed for him to continue to advance his career here. His wish is that going abroad is not the only path for new generations of talent.

— Just look at the map of Brazil to see our power and our diversity. I think maybe my contribution could be to build another place where these young professionals can believe that it is also possible to create magic from our home — he says.

In addition to fostering new successes, the mission is also to tell new stories.

— The traditional repertoires, which are so beautiful and which we love so much, are already danced a lot. At the moment, for example, a rain of “Nutcrackers” is announced. These stories are already told, and this generation, both performers and spectators, has other needs, other emergencies, and also wants to find its truth in art.

Cia’s upcoming shows. Thiago Soares will be announced at the end of the first sessions. To GLOBO, the artist says that in 2026 there will be two seasons in Rio, one with a mixed program and the other with a complete work of a famous title.

And there could be surprises to come. Although he is focused on his role as director, Thiago remains in shape to, perhaps, respond to the desires of the public who still want to see him on stage.

— At some point we may have dates with special participation, we never exclude that, but the director must lead the company. This is the time to encourage the work we have done so far and let the actors shine. They will interpret my intentions, so, anyway, I am there with them – he said.

After so many years tiptoeing around, getting on stage isn’t a priority at the moment, but maybe the cameras could be. At 44, the artist reveals his desire to try something new: cinema. The big screen approach is not new. In 2022, Thiago starred in and directed, with designer Oskar Metsavaht, the short film “Vermelho quimera”, screened in Cannes.

This year, in which he won a biopic of his own, the artist reveals that he has been analyzing proposals for action for some time. The desire is great, we just have to find the right project.

— As we mature, we also gain an intuitive sensitivity to our career paths. I feel like there is a calling for me in cinema, he says.