Ana Luiza Luizi and Junio Enrique of That Brazilian Couple chatted about their upcoming performance of “The Nutcracker.”
For those who are unfamiliar, “The Nutcracker” story is loosely based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s fantasy story titled “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” The tale follows a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.
More so than other ballets, “The Nutcracker” is about children and the magic of childhood. And for many young Americans, this iconic story is their first experience with a professional dance performance.
Between its magical storyline and timeless score, the “Nutcracker” makes a great first ballet for children, both as audience members and performers. In fact, it’s even said that many children find themselves inspired to study dance or enroll in ballet after seeing a performance of “The Nutcracker.”
Now that the holiday season has arrived, it’s that time of the year again. For two days only, they will be performing “The Nutcracker” live at the Staten Island Ballet this coming Saturday and Sunday. The show will star real-life couple Ana Luiza Luizi and Junio Enrique, who will be undertaking the roles of principal artists in the show for the 12th time.
Ana and Junio are thrilled to play the role again. They remarked, “It brings us so much joy to share the stage with professionals that used to be kids when we were performing with the company.”
The couple are professional ballet dancers with over 25 years under their belts. The two met in Brazil at a summer dance program when Ana was 16 and Júnio was 19. They soon became partners, dancing in numerous ballets together.
The pair were temporarily separated in 2005 when Junio moved to the United States to join the renowned ballet competition NYIBC in New York. Later that same year, he joined a ballet company in South Carolina, where he was first introduced to “The Nutcracker.”
“I had performed the Nutcracker in Brazil,” Junio said. “It wasn’t as magical as the ‘Nutcracker’ here in America. I was impressed to see the impact of the ‘Nutcracker’ on every kid and family who came to watch the show.”
After a couple of years of enduring a long-distance relationship, Ana was finally invited to perform in a production of “The Nutcracker” in Philadelphia.
She explained, “The Nutcracker has a different meaning for me. I was finally reunited with the love of my life and had the opportunity to perform in ‘The Nutcracker’ for the first time in America during such a magical season.”
Junio and Ana have performed in “The Nutcracker” with many companies and schools over the past 18 years. Though the music is usually always the same, every company has its own version of choreography. So, the training and practice for Junio and Ana are ongoing. Still, they love the magic of each show and consider the theater their home for the holidays, even performing 20 shows per month in some years.
Junio and Ana of That Brazilian Couple are dancers with the renowned Metropolitan Opera Ballet in NYC, and perform as guest artists all over the globe.
This weekend, they will be at Staten Island Ballet performing “The Nutcracker.” To learn more about Ana Luiza Luizi, follow her on Instagram.
For more information on Junio Enrique, follow him on Instagram.
