To say that Marcelo Gomes is an accomplished dancer is an understatement. After joining American Ballet Theatre in 1997, he became a principal dancer in 2002. In the years since, the Brazilian-born Gomes has put together a string of iconic roles, including the part of Othello, which won him the Prix Benois de la Danse. This month, he will dance the lead, opposite Russian prima ballerina Diana Vishneva, in two performances of the company’s new “The Sleeping Beauty” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Gomes has visited Orange County 13 times with the ballet theater company. As rehearsals ramp up heading into ABT’s March 3-8 engagement, Gomes took time to talk with us about keeping his body in tune, savoring OC’s weather, and his distaste for roller coasters.
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If I’ve got a day off, you’ll find me…
In my apartment in New York City, cuddling with my dog Lua with a cup of Grumpy’s coffee in hand.
If I designed a ballet titled “Orange County”…
I’d start with that beautiful orange glow mixed with blue that you can only see in the sky here, at sunset.
I am continually inspired by…
music and the artists that are around me at any given moment.
The hardest part of my job…
is making sure that my body stays healthy and strong so I can perform my best.
For me, Orange County is…
all about the sun. If I’m not at the theater, then I try to spend some time outside, which is a welcome escape from cold New York. I can never get away without a bit of shopping and then dinner at Pinot Provence in Costa Mesa.
One thing that people don’t understand about ballet…
is that it requires a whole lifetime of complete dedication.
My proudest moment…
occurs any time I get to see my choreography performed on stage with dancers.
If I chose another career, it would be…
a chef. There’s a similar blend there of technique and creativity.
If I was going to try to explain “The Sleeping Beauty” to someone I’d begin with…
Once upon a time …
I admire…
artists who possess a true passion for what they do and are not afraid to fail.
I never, ever get tired of…
pouring my heart out on stage, and the combination of milk chocolate and peanut butter.
