Interview with Professional Dancer, Teacher & International Choreographer Miguel Ângelo about his inspiration, motivation and dance technique.

Miguel Ângelo

ML&L - What are some little known facts about yourself you would want others to know about?

Miguel - I am a simple, direct, hardworking, friendly and respectful person. I am a person who always tries to help the next one within its limits and who takes advantage of every moment of life as if it were the last. I love details, culture, history, art, music, exploring the mystery and the unknown, getting to know and living with other beings and feeling all the nature that surrounds us. I admire struggling and goal-oriented people who are wasting their time helping, offering, and sharing all their knowledge. I am quite a fighter and I do not give up any challenge that life puts me through and I try to achieve my goals step by step. I am a grateful person for everything I have, what I am and what I have learned and honestly conquered so far.


ML&L - What got you into dancing?

Miguel - There were several reasons that led me to dance in my life. My family has always been linked to Culture and art in diverse ways since I was born, learned and developed several characteristics naturally through these good energies and influences. On the other hand, I have always been very interested in history and culture and have always tried to reach as far as possible and try to understand why everything existed in the outside world, in which I was awakened by a curious curiosity and amazement at the beauty that constituted. But mainly the biggest reason that led me to follow this path was to feel free to feel myself "myself" when I dance and for the simple fact of being able to express freely without anyone being so impatient and feeling all those feelings through my body.


ML&L - How long have you been dancing? 

Miguel - I started dancing with 5 years of age and since I started my life changed forever, I dance to the present day and professionally I started at my 15 years, which by the time I complete 10 years professional career of all my dedication, effort and struggle of high and low contained moments.


ML&L - What do you call the dance the dance that you do?

Miguel - I call it "myself" for versatility, originality, attitude, for all bodily and psychological work and taste for dance in general and for all its influences that I was conceived over the years of experience and training. However each dance style requires its own study and history behind every dance move thus creating its balance. I am my own essence, with all the inspiration that I received and I receive from so many excellent dancers, teachers and above all good people.I do not want to be like someone existing, or make me a copy but only myself and share what I love.

ML&L - What gives you inspiration?

Miguel - One of my great sources of inspiration is the small great and simple moments that life has to offer and take advantage of it. Nature and all its construction and art resides in it. All my family, friends and people around me who love and value me. All the energies, looks, smiles, hugs and speeches that I feel and that are deposited in me by every step I take. I am grateful, happy to be able to be and be a healthy person and be able to do what I love and absorb all this inspiration in the good and bad moments.


ML&L - What attracts you to choreographing?

Miguel - What attracts me enough to choreograph naturally begins with the music and what it contains and whether or not I identify with it in a certain way. Then I continue to all his musical composition and content that resides in it. All their beauty form of connected movements, built and reproduced by what the music conveys to me and that makes sense to the next feel the same.


ML&L - Tell more about "DANÇA NO CORAÇÃO"

Miguel - "Dance in the heart" means dance with your heart, dance with purpose and do not use it as an object or as a simple fashion or pretext. Dance with your heart and not be better than others, but only with yourself. It is a project created in Portugal in the year 2013 in the scope of events / dance competitions and in the support to the enrichment in the training of the practitioners based on Workshops / Masterclasses of national and international dancers and also to be able to give the opportunity to all the lovers of the dance that have financial difficulties, problematic, so that they can enjoy / get to know and to know a little more of this great Culture with international access. A project of peace, unity and sharing among all.


ML&L - How do you inspire your students?

Miguel - I believe that the first source of inspiration is to be a good friend, good teacher and good listener because they all have their moments. Be patient and be calm and know how to convey so that they can evolve each one at their own pace. Trusting them and myself, showing them what they achieve and that they will get far and that I will always be there to support them because we are all the same and we need each other. I also believe that the constant evolution, all the work done and the teacher's sharing with the students will be a source of inspiration for them to want to go sooner and feel happy to have someone who has managed before they try. That dreams can come true, but that nothing is easy and that you have to fight that in the end it will always be worth all the effort and sacrifice. Whatever your race, color, size, quality of life, we are all the same and we all have the same rights. Also because I can share my love for them and for what I do with them, because above all I love my students.

ML&L - What was the most memorable experience you had?

Miguel - This question is difficult for me to answer because all my life I had very striking moments that make me what I am and how I am today through the experience I had. I lived and I live every moment as if it were the last. But I can leave one of my last outstanding moments that I had as a human being and as a professional dance that was my journey with a group of talented people in China outside for 1 month. It was a very difficult trip because I was in a country completely different from mine and everything was an adventure for me through the unknown, the people, the food, the transports, the high temperature and all its pollution. Sometimes I went through very difficult and very poor conditions. It made me even more valuable to life and open my eyes even more. For many of them were happy with nothing or very little.


ML&L - What should the viewer take away, interpretation or a message you wish to convey with your dance?

Miguel - Be yourself always and express yourself in your best possible way, whatever your movement and your abilities, show me the brilliance of your personality and who you really are. Not everything has to be beautiful or technical. Forget your problems, you will not be the first nor the last to have them and travel to your world that makes you happy and discover the solution of your problems, just believe.


ML&L - What was your most embarrassing dance moment?

Miguel - My most embarrassing moment was the first show ahead of 400 people who did not know I danced, from family and friends, it was a moment when I felt super nervous, lack of confidence, not knowing what to do and having to dance alone the front of them all. That moment when you hear your name being called and you do not feel prepared and you still hear a huge void when you go on stage, that strange feeling and without even being able to look at them and have to dance without knowing what they are going to say or wait for me. It scared me a lot and made me very embarrassed, in the end everything went well and I managed to overcome this challenge.


ML&L - What specific movements are important?

Miguel - In dance everything is important and not only a specific movement, but the way you do it and how you express it in the musical register and the style that you involve, together with other factors such as your technique, its dynamics, musicality and source. You need to believe in this movement because it is your movement. This all makes your move important otherwise it is a simple step.


ML&L - What can you advice for aspiring young dancers?

Miguel - That nothing is impossible in life and that you are the only obstacle that prevents you from being what you want to be. With work, dedication and heart you get there, never give up on yourself and what you believe. Everything with your time happens, just believe.

ML&L - If you hadn’t chosen this career, what might you be doing?

Miguel - If it were not for the dance I would not exist as I am today, because without it I would not be the same, every moment lived to this day always had a special touch of dance, possibly followed another area within the arts where I can express freely. Either way I do not refuse learning in other areas of work because we never know what tomorrow is and what we might need. We always learn from each other.


ML&L - What are your goals as a dancer?

Miguel - My goals as a dancer are many, but I can say that I want to continue to grow as a person / artist and learn as much as I can to share and give myself to the world. To be able to share everything I have lived and experienced and expressly felt through movement. I dream of being part of big projects, films in America and being able to reach out and inspire many to come and live the same life that I lived and give them the opportunity to fly higher. I also dream of being able to meet/work with famous singers and great dancers/ choreographers who have inspired me a lot since I was little.


ML&L - Have you got some last words?

Miguel - Thank you May.Life & Live very much for the invitation, I hope that my answers will help with something and inspiration for others who can read them as well.

Miguel Ângelo’s Participant in several TV programs such as:

• "So you think you can dance?" 1st Portugal Edition, SIC Special Episode, RTP2 Sports Magazine, All with Portugal TVI, Rubric of the Short Circuit "SIC Radical, Madeira Casino RTP Madeira, Presence in the "Bing Bang" Program RTP1

• Figuration in the film "Like Wellington Lines", Dancer in the Bollywood movie MY STORY MALAYALAM MOVIE, Young Talent International Project (Brazil, Africa) Channel TV Record, Good Evening Program SIC, Welcome Program RTP Africa, among many others.

• Participation for Coca-Cola Portugal with DJ Kura in his recent project.

• Participation in the CHERYL CHAIN DANCE VIDEO competition for Artist Cheryl Cole.

• Participation in Dance Video Trynna Contest Los Angeles for Artist Sonny Pedersen

• Participation in #Peprally challenge for Artist Missy Elliott.

• Participation in Tenda's International Talent Contest Gaining a position of 19 of the top 100 international talent.

• Presences with the singer DAVID CARREIRA in the Portuguese Magazines with images referring to his album "A Força Esta em Nós" Video clip.

• Creator / Artistic Director of Dance Projects since 2013 with shows, workshops, competitions...

• Presence with selected photograph for the international culture page of Break Dance and Hip-Hop for 300 thousand people.

• Report in Direction with RCL Club Lourinhã Radio, among many others.

• Famous Artists and public figures throughout the career, such as: ANSELMO RALPH, PAPA LONDON, FABI LIMA, CALEMA, EKATERINA STARLING, DAVID CARREIRA FT. SNOOP DOGG & DRY, DJ QUENTIN MOSIMANN, LUCENZO, CHRIS RIBEIRO, FUBU BEATBOX, DAGUN, among others.

• Jury of the School Sport where he represents Portugal in Expressive Rhythms from 2008 to the present.

• Special Guest as jury of several national and international events.

• Special guest in the 63rd FISEC Games, with 13 countries under the direction of DGIDC, DRELVT and the Ministry of Education.

• Guest with 17 countries for the FSI World Games under one direction, among others.

• Participant and representative of Portugal recently in the dance field "The Journey Dance Camp China" created by Sunshine Studios with a team of dancers from various parts of the world to live a unique adventure.

• Winner Cat. Solo – Final European Paris (France) 2017, International event “Live your Dream” with more than 2500 dancers from 7 different countries.