Cosme Gregory is a dancer Cedida When he started taking ballet classes, at the age of 8, Cosme Gregory hid his ballet shoes inside his sister's bag so that his father wouldn't discover that he was learning to dance. Almost 30 years later, the dancer from Rio Grande do Norte performs in Natal as one of the oldest members of Focus Cia de Dança, a company he has been part of since 2013. His return takes place with the show "Carlota – Focus Dança Piazzolla", which will be presented on the 16th, 17th and 18th of July, at Teatro Alberto Maranhão (TAM), a space where the artist also built part of his own training. ? Click here to follow the g1 RN channel on WhatsApp Tickets cost between R$ 15 and R$ 50, depending on the chosen sector and ticket type, and the session on the 18th will feature audio description. Previously scheduled social project groups will have free access. Natural Overcoming from Natal, Cosme began his career in dance by chance. His mother enrolled him in a popular dance holiday course at Sesc, but it was ballet that sparked his interest. "I started dancing very early, when I was 8 years old, at Sesc, in the city center. It all started because of a vacation course that my mother offered. It was a popular dance course, but I think ballet captivated me in other places", he recalls. While he was supposed to participate in classes, he preferred to watch the ballet classes through the window and reproduce the movements outside. "I missed some classes in this course to watch and reproduce the ballet sequences outside. The teacher saw me, spoke to my mother, invited me to quickly participate in a performance at an end-of-year show and, the following year, I was there taking classes." The beginning, however, had to be kept secret at home. "It was almost a year of hiding from my father dancing ballet, hiding the shoes in my sister's bag and going to accompany her to the ballet." After the first classes, Cosme started studying at the Alberto Maranhão Theater Dance School (EDTAM), directed at the time by Ivani Rose Medeiros. It was there that he began to see dancing as a career possibility. "I think that from my first contact with my first plié, even without knowing it, my body already understood that I wasn't going to stay with a hobby." According to him, one episode definitely marked this decision: the first fee he received as a dancer, during the staging of the show "Um Presente de Natal", directed by Diana Fontes. "When I received my first salary and managed to buy a washing machine, my first DVD and my first wardrobe, I began to understand that everything I had been doing for a whole year could actually result in work", he comments. The path took the dancer out of the state. As his training progressed, Cosme realized that he would need to leave Natal to continue evolving artistically. He spent time in Portugal and, later, joined the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil, in Joinville (SC), where he also worked as a teacher and rehearser for Companhia Jovem. "There came a point in my career when I didn't have much else to evolve towards and I really needed to create other paths so that I could become the artist I am today." For him, the distance from his family continues to be the most difficult part of his career. "The biggest challenge, at least for me, is this distance I have from my family. Leaving Natal, going to Portugal, coming back, then going to Joinville... building this gap where many of my achievements are not seen by my family. This is my biggest challenge as an artist", he says. In 2012, while treating an injury, Cosme believed he would only continue as a teacher. That year, he performed the solo "Silêncio da Casa" during the Joinville Dance Festival. In the audience was Alex Neoral, artistic director of Focus Cia de Dança. "Alex saw me dancing this solo during the Dance Festival. At the end of the year, he got in touch with Pavel Kazarian, general director of the Bolshoi. Pavel created this bridge between me and Alex." Cosme Gregory Granted The invitation changed the course of his career. "I was beginning to accept the path of a teacher, and this invitation came to show me that it wasn't time for me to leave the stage yet." Cosme has been part of the company for 13 years. "Being with a company for 13 years is an affirmation of my commitment to my dance, to the artistic seriousness I take and the respect I have for the company", he highlights. Injuries put career in doubt Over the years, the physical demands of the profession have made dancers live with injuries and constant pain. "There comes a time in our career when, inevitably, we start to get injured. We are athletes", he explains. Today, at 38 years old, Cosme states that he needed to adapt his routine to continue being active, with weight training, classes and physiotherapy. Cosme Gregory during performance Provided Even so, he admits that there were times when he thought about leaving the stage. "These types of occasions make me really think about giving up the stage, because there comes a time when we really don't want to be in pain anymore." According to him, the encouragement received from the public was decisive in staying. "It's these people who make me realize that my work as a dancer is still necessary. Someday someone will watch me and I will receive a very kind word. This makes me reinforce my commitment not only to people, but to myself." 'Carlota' marks a reunion with Natal In Natal, Focus presents "Carlota – Focus Dança Piazzolla", a show created by artistic director Alex Neoral based on the work of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. The production pays homage to choreographer Carlota Portella and marks the choreographer's return to movement as the central point of creation. On stage, ten dancers explore elements of tango in a contemporary language. Cosme participated in the construction of the work from the first rehearsals. "Today dancers are not just performers. We also participate in the creation of the show." For him, the production brings together some of the most memorable scenes of his career, especially due to the physical challenges and the intensity of the choreography. "It's a very intense show, full of movement and emotion. The public can expect a work with a lot of passion", says Cosme. The season in Natal will also feature accessibility actions. The performance on July 18th will have audio description, and the company maintains a ticket policy at popular prices. Furthermore, groups served by social projects will watch the show for free. For Cosme, expanding access to culture is part of the company's mission. "Culture cannot be elitist. We want everyone to be able to watch our shows. Having audio description, popular prices and actions aimed at different audiences is part of what we believe in", he said. Even after performing in different countries, returning to Natal continues to give you butterflies in your stomach. Part of this emotion is linked to the Teatro Alberto Maranhão, where he studied and built a good part of his artistic training. "It's always as if it were the first time", he says. He says that the nervousness is not related to the responsibility of representing Rio Grande do Norte, but to the fact of meeting people who have followed his trajectory since the beginning. "I'm dancing for my family. And when I talk about family, it's not just my father, my mother and my brothers. I also think about the teachers, colleagues and people at the Dance School and the Alberto Maranhão Theater Dance Company. They are part of my story", he concludes.