Twin peaks

One day they’re practising their ballet moves in Brazil and the next have been awarded scholarships to the English National Ballet School, and are starring in the ENB’s new production of Strictly Gershwin.

And they’re still only 19.

Not bad for two teenagers from Sao Paulo who always dreamed of success, but never believed it would happen.

“You can’t even compare ballet in Brazil to Europe,” Vitor, the quieter one explains.

“There is such a different attitude to ballet over here.

“Everyone is brought up with it, but if you said you were a professional ballerina in Brazil they would just laugh at you.

“Some people don’t even know what ballet is.

“So although we went to ballet classes in Brazil from the age of about eight, we never told anyone at school.

“Nobody knew because we thought we’d lose friends.

“So you can’t imagine what this means to us. It was always our dream.”

So the twins would practise every night in their bedroom regardless.

“We loved what we were doing so much that eventually we told everybody and they all said it was pointless.

“And yet now they are working in coffee shops in Sao Paolo and I’m in England with the ENB,” Guilherme says grinning, clearly delighted to have proved them wrong.

“And we love it here. I don’t ever want to go back to Brazil because London is so much better than I thought,” he smiles.

“So for us to have made it is amazing.” Not that’s it’s been easy.

The pair were 16 when they auditioned, left home and came over here.

“When we arrived we didn’t speak a word of English,” Vitor says.

“But there were lots of people from different countries at ballet school so we all learned English together.

“And there was a Brazilian ballet teacher which helped a lot. We also had to learn a whole new dancing technique when we arrived because the Europeans are much cleaner ballet dancers.”

What remains unsaid is that the twins also had each other.

“I don’t think we could have done this without each other because we do everything together,” Vitor says. “Could we be in different countries? Maybe when we are older.

“But at the moment we share everything and it’s hard to tell us apart, especially on stage.”

Guilherme agrees: “We shared a bedroom for 18 years so I think if I’d had to do this on my own I would have stopped a long time ago.”

If it wasn’t for their mother of course, neither of them would be dancing at all.

“My mother wanted to be a ballerina so when we asked her if we could take up ballet, our parents were totally fine with it and told us to follow our dreams,”

Guilherme explains. “She came over when we graduated and will be here at Christmas to see us dancing in Strictly Gershwin.”

So what should we expect?

“Well it’s my first time in something like this and it’s a challenging performance.

“So expect something different but I know that everyone will enjoy it,” Vitor says.

And then what? Vitor pauses and grins: “My big dream was always to join the English National Ballet so now that I’ve done that I don’t know what else I want.”

ballet teacher which helped a lot. We also had to learn a whole new dancing technique when we arrived because the Europeans are much cleaner ballet dancers.”

What remains unsaid is that the twins also had each other.

“I don’t think we could have done this without each other because we do everything together,” Vitor says. “Could we be in different countries? Maybe when we are older.

“But at the moment we share everything and it’s hard to tell us apart, especially on stage.”

Guilherme agrees: “We shared a bedroom for 18 years so I think if I’d had to do this on my own I would have stopped a long time ago.”

If it wasn’t for their mother of course, neither of them would be dancing at all.

“My mother wanted to be a ballerina so when we asked her if we could take up ballet, our parents were totally fine with it and told us to follow our dreams,”

Guilherme explains. “She came over when we graduated and will be here at Christmas to see us dancing in Strictly Gershwin.”

So what should we expect?

“Well it’s my first time in something like this and it’s a challenging performance.

“So expect something different but I know that everyone will enjoy it,” Vitor says.

And then what? Vitor pauses and grins: “My big dream was always to join the English National Ballet so now that I’ve done that I don’t know what else I want.”

English National Ballet‘s Strictly Gershwin will be at Oxford’s New Theatre from October 6-9. Call the box office on 0844 8713020.