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Moscow Stories
Karlos Neto: I hope to come back!
"Despite his young age, he witnessed the brightest episodes in Michael Jackson’s career, for he started his career as a dancer in Michael Jackson’s dance company. Karlos perfected his performance in widely known companies such as GAMMA (London) and Dance 2XS (Portugal).
Information courtesy of the Drive Dance Project website
Correspondent: How did you feel about the invitation to give lessons in Moscow?
Karlos Neto: By the time I received the offer I had heard about the project many times, since in London all dancers sort of hang out together. Many of the London dancers have already worked as teachers in the Drive Dance Project. So when they called and invited me to take part in a new project in the fall, I immediately agreed. I had never been to Moscow before, and it is definitely a unique experience. I always take a great interest in such ventures.
Correspondent: What are your Moscow students like? How are they different from westerners?
Karlos Neto: All the students are vastly different in this project. Some obviously have a certain background and have joined the project in order to take the most from it, to expand their range, to learn something new and extraordinary. On the other hand, some have come just to learn how to dance, and I can see from this project that it is quite possible. I see that students can improve their technique even within my series of 4 classes, so you can imagine what the whole project could do!
Some, however, come just to enjoy their time. Although each one of them is pursuing his or her own goals, they are all very eager and persistent. Over the two weeks that I have been here not a single person has left the class before it ended, even if they couldn’t get the moves right. It’s not the same in London, where anyone might leave in the middle of class if they don’t like it. And that is considered a normal practice. But now as soon as I get back to Great Britain I will try to instill a new, better model of behaviour in my students by telling them that over the entire course of my time in Russia no student ever left class early. That’s great!
Correspondent: What is your opinion of the state of modern dance in Russia?
Karlos Neto: Russia is famous worldwide for its ballet. Obviously, no country can live up to Russia in that respect. As for modern dance, the project’s organizers decided to introduce me to the Moscow club culture and took me to some of Moscow’s night clubs. Escobar, if I am not mistaken. There we saw a show by a Moscow dance company choreographed in the style of London’s DANCE2XS dance company. I really liked the performance. I think Russia’s modern dance is okay.
Correspondent: How can one say which dance one’s heart is really in?
Karlos Neto: Umm... That’s an interesting question. My answer will be brief. You can only understand it with your heart (smiling).
Correspondent: If you didn’t dance, what would you do?
Karlos Neto: I’d be a journalist. I have a degree in journalism, and generally I am very interested in the profession, but for now I cannot imagine myself abandoning dancing and devoting myself entirely to a new career.
Correspondent: What are your impressions of Moscow?
Karlos Neto: O-oh... It’s incredible. Everything’s so massive, spacious, large, compared to London with its little streets, small buildings, narrow walkways, subway. I like Moscow very much. I’ve been on a small tour of Moscow’s most fascinating places. I can’t remember the last time I got so many different impressions within the span of one evening.
Correspondent: Could you please tell us a little something about the most amazing dance project?
Karlos Neto: There were quite a few. I took part in nearly all dance projects in Great Britain (DANCE2XS, AVANGARD, GAMMA...) and some in Portugal. Each time was a new experience and more exciting than the previous one. But DRIVE DANCE PROJECT is unique in a certain sense. It offers a fabulous opportunity to take classes from foreign choreographers. Just imagine, you don’t have to bother with invitations, visas, tickets, hotels. You have so many teachers, and you can choose the most convenient schedule. When you join the project it’s as if you have visited London. What’s more, it enables a unique cultural exchange, with Russian students getting to know the contemporary British dance culture in action, and I have also received some cultural experience to carry back over to my British students. It’s pure genius. I hope to come back!
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