Conversations with Luiz Fernando S. Xavier and Larissa C. Dal’Santo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luiz Fernando S. Xavier and Larissa C. Dal’Santo.

Hi Luiz Fernando / Larissa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Dance brought us together. We first met as ballet students at the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil — we were teenagers in the same class, and that’s how our story began. After graduating, we were both offered contracts with a Russian Opera and Ballet Theater in the city of Voronezh, this was dream come true. We moved to Russia to pursue our goal of becoming professional ballet dancers, and over the three seasons we worked there, we had the opportunity to perform as soloists and principal characters in many classical ballets. The most meaningful moment for us was dancing Romeo and Juliet together.
In 2020, during the pandemic, we started posting videos online about our life as dancers, speaking directly to the Brazilian audience. Initially, our goal was to share with fellow artists in Brazil the experiences we were going through. But as our audience grew and more people became interested in what we were sharing, we decided to create a brand that reflected this idea. We called it Ballet Couple.
In 2022, we returned to Brazil for a period of time, where we promoted many masterclasses and events under the Ballet Couple brand. We traveled to several cities, teaching, dancing, and connecting with the Brazilian dance community.
Although we had an incredible experience in our first company, we were eager for new opportunities. We were thrilled to move to the United States and join Atlanta Ballet under the artistic direction of Gennadi Nedvigin for the 2022/23 season. It has been an amazing journey dancing here — being part of world premieres and breathtaking performances, working alongside talented colleagues, and growing both as dancers and as individuals.
Our Ballet Couple brand continues to evolve. Every summer, we return to Brazil with a fully booked schedule of masterclasses. Last year, we had the honor of collaborating with Brazil’s largest dance festival, in the city of Joinville, working as hosts and co-producers of their official podcast — a challenging but wonderful experience.
We’re excited to begin our fourth season with Atlanta Ballet in 2025/26.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course, moving abroad at 19 and 20 years old wasn’t an easy task. It was challenging to adapt to the cultural differences, adjust to a new life and especially to learn the language. Figuring all of this out on our own was a difficult journey, but we’re very proud of everything we’ve learned along the way.
Even though these obstacles were tough, the biggest challenge has been living far from our family and loved ones.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
While we were discussing how to answer this question, we remembered a meaningful quote on a simple magnet we keep: ‘It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.’ — Abraham Lincoln.

Living and working with ballet in three different countries has given us extensive experience and a broader perspective on this art form. Beyond that, we’re very driven to make things happen — whether in the rehearsal studio, on stage, or in our other projects. We’re not afraid to be creative, and we’re always open to trying new things and developing skills outside our comfort zone. That’s how we’ve grown abilities like filming, photography, editing, and public speaking. We believe that being open-minded and willing to put in the work is what led us to be noticed by major brands, institutions, schools, and companies with whom we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Observing the people and needs around us and taking action to make things happen have been key for us.
In addition, since we’ve been working together for many years, maintaining good communication between us has been essential to stay connected and aligned on the same path.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballet_couple
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@balletcouple

Image Credits
Luiz Fernando Xavier;
Ballet em Foco;
Bia Fraga;
Konstantin Kiriakidi;