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We are so happy and super excited to bring to you this incredible dance partnership... Mathilde & Leo! 🤩💃🕺✨✨
These unique and beautiful dancers have teamed up to create a special combination of technique and elegance, creativity and expression in their dances and have been touring Europe and USA this past year to bring their wonderful work to the dancers there. We are now super fortunate to have them joining us here in Australia! 😍
Teacher and choreographer, Mathilde, is an artist, foremost renowned as a
ballerina, modern and contemporary dances. She studied at the Conservatoire à
rayonnement régional de Paris; and at the famous Conservatoire National Supérieur
de Musique et de Danse de Paris. There she trained to attain intensive training in
dance during morning hours; and then completing extensive lessons in afternoon
whilst studying at school.
After graduation, she lived in Germany to continue to train further in her formation
at the Palucca Schule Dresden, international dance university. There she continued
to train in Ballet, Modern and several techniques of Contemporary styles (Horton,
Graham, Limon) and Pilates.
When she returned back to Paris, Mathilde extend her dance training in Latin
dances styles of Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba and being part of several teams; before
focusing on Brazilian Zouk dance.
As a dedicated artist, she has been dancing for past 15 years in several styles. She
trained with the maestro Alex de Carvalho as his dance partner in the styles of
Brazilian Zouk and Samba de Gafieira since 2013/2014.
Mathilde has worked as an international artist performing and teaching at several international dance events
across the world. She is currently working with Léo Chaffe.
Mathilde is also passionate about teaching Zouk Lady Style & Technique and femininity-heels classes
she calls "Femininity Dance" to help women develop their expression in dance & sensuality
as well as their self-confidence.
In parallel, she continued to study further, to attain her Masters II Diploma in
Communication and Advertising from the ISCOM school. With her experience leading
to successfully hosting the first ever exclusive Brazilian Zouk Congress in Paris, at the
Disneyland resort, in Paris, France.
She strives to share her experience and knowledge of an accomplished artist in
dance, with new generation of students to achieve greater ambitions as a
dedicated dancer and role model for dancers worldwide that share her passions.
Leo Chaffe was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil and started his career in dance at 17 years of age in the South of Brazil with Tango, Bachata and Brazilian rhythms like Bolero and samba.
After taking the first step he followed his dancing journey with another school in the south of Brazil. ºSpace Dance Alexandre Santos º which began to improve a little of his samba, until he met his first teacher of Zouk Brasileiro ºSteeve Pierre º. After this first contact with the dance, he began to fall so in love with this art that Leo began to look to other dances like the ballet and Hip hop to increase his level and to begin a professional track.
In 2014 Leo moved to Rio de Janeiro for further opportunities and began to study at the Alex de Carvalho School of Dance and within some months finding his first professional dance partner Thayná Trovick.
His partnerships with Thayna began in February 2015 and finished in 2020, and during that time they travelled and taught in many various places throughout Brazil and at Congresses around the world including Prague Zouk Congress, London Zouk Fest, Acapulco Salsa Congress, amongst many others.
One great project and experience was in Mexico City where they spent 5 months teaching and training new dancers as well as training and developing instructors. In addition to working with dances, the two studied together circus arts and acrobatics to increase their strength and endurance during performances.
Leo’s current dance partner is Mathilde dos Santos. Their partnership began in 2021 and they have so far travelled and led workshops at many and various events, including touring Europe and the USA. Some of the events they have participated in include Fuji Fuji in Dubai , Brazuka Dance Festival Moscow, Dutch Zouk Congress , DCBX Washington DC, Miami Dance Fusion Festival and many others events.
