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Aug 2013 BACK ISSUE
When strolling through the streets of the neighborhood of Santa Teresa I noticed ballet slippers hanging from trees in
the street, as if showing me the road to somewhere. So it was that I found the Academy of Ballet Santa Teresa , a
place that welcomes ninos (boys) and ninas (girls) of different ages from the favelas (shanty towns) that surround the
neighborhood.
The purpose of the school, a non-profit institution, is to include young people living in areas of social risk and
encourage them to participate in cultural trades that are more connected with the arts.
"We have young people under the age of 17 years who are already mothers." A social worker told me. "The majority
of our students are victims of family violence and are very close to the influence of drugs and drug trafficking. The
purpose of all this is to rescue and help youth; to find activities that distract them as much as possible, to keep them
away from these practices."
I met the children, restless and full of jokes, but I didn't take any photographs on the first day because I wanted to
earn their trust. As I observed, I was surprised to see that they were all lovers of Funk, a very popular music among
Brazilian slum and gang members, with some violent lyrics that contradict the gentle movements of classical ballet.
The Ballet de Santa Teresa meets a social mission; a mission of rescue and the young people that participate have
formed a community apart from their community in the favela. They are: a family, people who laugh together, people
engaging in cultural activities, people who participate, people that embrace and people who live through dance.
Ballet Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro
by Pilar Olivares
Marie Ellen da Silva fixes her hair in her home, before going to her ballet class, in Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio
de Janeiro August 16, 2012. 'Ballet Santa Teresa', a non-governmental organization (NGO) gives children who live in
areas of social risk, free ballet classes and other activities as a part of socio-cultural integration project.
Girls fix their make up before their ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 13, 2012.
Girls laugh as they wait for their ballet class to start at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 13,
2012.
Youths perform during their ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 13, 2012.
Girls perform during their ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 13, 2012.
Girls perform during their ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 13, 2012.
Girls perform during their ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 13, 2012.
A girl stretches during her ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 15, 2012.
A girl waits before the start of her ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 15, 2012.
A girl performs during her ballet class at the 'Ballet Santa Teresa' academy in Rio de Janeiro August 15, 2012.