Larissa Thayane, Rio Rhythmics Latin Dance Academy
Enjoying a sixteen year career Larissa began dancing jazz at the tender age of eight, expanding into classical ballet within two years. After competing in numerous high profile festivals of contemporary and classical dance - including the CBDD Rio de Janeiro Dance Festival, Curitiba Dance Festival, Joinville Dance Festival and Belo Horizonte Dance Festival – she was recognised as a professional classical dancer by Escola de Danças Classicas do Teatro Guaira (the School of Classic and Contemporary Dance of the Guaira Theatre) in Curitiba, Parana at only seventeen years of age.
Born in Campo Mourão, Brazil, Larissa moved in 2002 to Rio de Janeiro where she started working with the contemporary and classic dance companies Cia Jovem El Paso do Rio de Janeiro and Thalmah Cia de Danca Contemporanea. Within a year Larissa was teaching Ballet to beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels at Centro de Dancas Rio (Ballet Dance Academy in Rio de Janeiro). It was during her time here that she discovered Latin Dance.
"I started with Cuban Salsa Classes at Carlinhos de Jesus Academy (one of the most popular Latin dance academies in Rio de Janeiro) and, whilst attending dance parties, met talented dancers including Jaime Arôxa (one of the most popular teachers in Brazil), Bolacha and Jimmy de Oliveira who is recognised as the best samba de gafieira dancer in the world and one of the best teachers in Brazil!"
After falling in love with Jimmy`s samba de gafieira style, Larissa started lessons in samba de gafieira at Jimmy`s Academy with noted teachers including Rodriguinho Barcelos, Pitt, Kadu Pires, Willians Ribeiro and Jimmy himself, where she was soon invited to join Jimmy de Oliveira`s Company. After teaming up with Kadu Pires, Larissa also joined Alex de Carvalho's Academy where her passion for the zouk-lambada style became absolute.
In 2006 Larissa and Kadu were invited to perform and conduct workshops in Australia, where they won first place in a Latin dance competition held in Melbourne, before returning to Rio de Janeiro to win a gold medal in the Conselho Brasileiro de Dança Competition. But the return to Brazil would be brief, as soon after, Larissa and Kadu returned to Australia to take up full time employment with Rio Rhythmics, Australia's largest Latin dance academy, and the center for samba de gafieira and zouk-lambada in the Asia Pacific region.
Now a veteran of over 40 world class festivals and congresses, Larissa is an internationally recognised performer of the highest calibre and a greatly sought after instructor; some of her credits include:
Most Recent
- Hong Kong Salsa Festival 2009
Perform & Teach - Sydney Salsa Congress 2009
Perform & Teach - Brazil Tour 2008
(Rio de Janeiro, Saõ Paulo, Curitiba & Londrina)
Perform & Teach - BrazaZouk in Amsterdam
Teach - Brisbane Brazilian Dance Congress 2008
Perform & Teach - Mafie Zouker Australian Tour 2009
Perform & Teach - Jimmy de Oliveira's Samba de Gafieira Workshops 2007
Perform & Teach - Samba World Congress 2006 Rio de Janeiro
Performance
Career Highlights
- "Sirio Libanes" Brazil
Performance - "Estudantina" Brazil
Performance - Sleeping Beauty
(1st Paper Ballet Study) - "Superbacana" El Paso Company
Performance - Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Performance - Teatro Alfa in Saõ Paulo
Performance - Kennedy Centre Washington DC. USA
Performance - Achieving a full time role at Rio Rhythmics
