* GRAZIELA BRENNO
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Latin Dance Australia Performer and Teacher Graziela Brenno is no stranger to the stage and spotlight, having been dancing for 18 of her 23 years. Her extensive dance training is impressive, not to mention her experience as a teacher and performer, but it is not just Graziela´s training that makes her such a talented and vibrant dancer.

Everyone can see in Graziela a fiery passion for dance that seems almost inbuilt; a love for dance that stems from her Brazilian nationality. As the beautiful Latin beauty says herself “I am Brazilian”. I was born to dance!

Born in Sao Paulo Brazil, Graziela started dancing Ballet at the ´Regina Botafogo Ballet School, at the tender age of 5, where from 1993 onwards she performed in the many stage shows produced by the prestigious dance academy.

In both 1994 and 1995, her group won 1st place in the Brazilian interstate competitions and following this success, Graziela resolved to add Jazz to her dance curriculum.

Her devotion and passion for dancing was so evident, that from 1997 to 1998 Graziela was invited to teach Beginners Ballet for children at the well-known ´Academia de Danca Semiramis´, as well as Samba Axe from 1996 to 1998.

In 1998, Graziela started to extend her dance repertoire to include Belly Dancing, Samba, Gafieira, Pagode, Forro and Bolero, and in 1999 she was invited to be the choreographer and co-ordinator of the group ´Axe Loucura´.

From the year 2000 onwards, she began to appear on Brazilian television; dancing for various Brazilian singers and groups and participating in dance sequences on famous TV programs for the channels; SBT and Record.

In January 2001, Graziela came to Australia to study English where she was spotted byMarcia Pinheiro at one of her famous Brazilian parties. Immediately Graziela was invited to join the group, and during this period of time she gained even more experience in teaching and performing Samba, Salsa and Rueda.

Graziela went back to Brazil in 2001, but recognising the need for such talent within the company, LDA brought her back to Sydney in late 2002 to become the main Brazilian dance instructor , where she has fast become one of the most recognisable and sought-after dancers in Sydney.
In Sydney, Graziela has performed in major annual events such as:

Fiesta Darling Harbour, Annual Brazilian Festival, Rico Festival, South American Festival, Sydney Latin Fiesta, Spanish Festival, Dance Expo, Fitness Expo and many others. She also has mad TV appearances in ABC “The Way We Were”, Channel 9 “Kerry Anne”, Channel 9 “A Current Affair” and SBS “Nerds F.C” for a full episode as the dance instructor.

She has also been awarded by LDA as Best Overall Performer in 2003, Best Teacher in 2004, Best Choreographer and again Best Overall Performer in 2005.

She has proved to have a special sparkle while on the stage that she says comes from many years of practice, dedication and love. Her outstanding performances have travelled abroad when she represented Australia in Singapore in 2003 and also interstate performances in the Perth Latin Fiesta in 2005, Latin Extravaganza in Adelaide in 2005 and Latin Festival in Griffiths in 2006.

Every year Graziela’s Samba workshops is one of the most requested at the Australia’s most prestigious Latin event theSydney Salsa Congresswhere her classes are filled with enthusiasm and energy to make the students move like they are amongst all the Brazilians in Rio Carnival.

As an LDA instructor, Graziela runs very popular Samba classes four times a week in Sydney, while at the same time performing in every single LDA show as the main Brazilian dancer and choreographer.

Despite her short time here, Graziela has established herself as a popular and charismatic teacher and performer - one of Sydney’s leader as well as most eye-catching dancers. Her Samba performances are filled with Brazilian flavoured energy and spice, and there it is no surprise she has been dubbed LDA´s Samba Queen!

If you haven’t yet experienced one of Graziela´s energetic classes or mesmerising performances – then you have not yet really had a taste of Brazil!