Luana Simpson | From Brazil to Billboards

Dance Mogul Magazine Exclusive…

As Luana Simpson strikes a pose she is clearly ready for success in her unique dancing style: strong, energetic, fierce and feminine, with a touch of Brazilian flavor. Luana started her international career as a dancer and choreographer in the movie YOU GOT SERVED 2 BEAT THE WORLD, directed by the same writer of Stomp the Yard. As a choreographer, she could be seen on stage with Lorena Simpson in her Brazil/Mexico Tour, on TV Xuxa which she was a guest choreographer, and also on SYTYCD Brazil.

You can check her out on all billboards for SYTYCD season 9 USA. Luana has participated in various dancing competitions throughout Brazil, as well as in various television programs and soap operas on Rede Globo, SBT and Band. She has also brought her dancing skills to Walt Disney Company Musicals, Willow Smith music video, Toyota commercials, Visa and Pringles commercials, and Maya Simantov and Wanessa Camargo (Beyonce Tour Brazil). Luana was generous enough to tell about her journey from Brazil to her current success. We hope her words inspire the youth of Brazil to keep dreaming and achieving.

Dance Mogul: At what age did you develop a passion for the dance?
Luana Simpson: I started to show my passion for dance very naturally when I was 3 years old because I remember being a very little girl and watching my mom take her ballet classes. I officially started my dance classes when I was 6 years old.

Dance Mogul: Were your parents supportive of you?
Luana Simpson: Yes, they were supportive of me.

Dance Mogul: What was it like growing up in Brazil?
Luana Simpson: It was great, I love Brazil! I was born in Manaus, a small city inside the Amazon forest far from everything but a very beautiful place. It wasn’t easy to find the right information about dance for many years but l loved it so much that I couldn’t even stop thinking about it, I just wanted to dance. After a couple of years I had to work really hard to develop my technique correctly, so I moved to SP for a year and after that, I moved to Rio de Janeiro with my sister and we supported each other to live our dream.

Dance Mogul: What was it like to dance and choreograph You Got Served 2?
Luana Simpson: It was amazing! I had great experience dancing but being one of the choreographers in a movie was very special to me because I never thought that something like that could be possible in my life.

Dance Mogul: Are there a lot of dance opportunities in Brazil?
Luana Simpson: It’s not easy to give the right answer about that because I’ve been in LA a while, I know in Brazil the industry is getting better, some big productions from abroad are happening there right now but it’s hard to compare because Brazil is still growing and the industry there is different.

Dance Mogul: What have been some of your favorite experiences that dance as brought into your life?
Luana Simpson: Meeting amazing talents, being in beautiful places and feeling that your gift can touch people very deeply and also bring something special in their lives.

Dance Mogul: What made you move to the states and have you been getting more work since you’ve come here?
Luana Simpson: I always had this dream inside me, I did the big things in Brazil, but at some point in my life I felt limited because I couldn’t change the industry there by myself, also after I worked in a movie I realized that I wanted to do more and learn more and be better as a professional, then I took a risk moving to LA to find new experiences. I’ve been good in LA, I believe that timing everything in life. I already did great things, I have MSA by my side and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be living my dream. I’m really positive about what God has for me in my new journey.

Dance Mogul: What advice could you provide young upcoming dancers about attitude and work ethic?
Luana Simpson: Be humble, keep your faith, have an open mind and work hard.

Dance Mogul: Who are some of your inspirations past and present?
Luana Simpson: I have so many inspirations in different areas of art but about dance they are Gene Kelly, Paula Abdul, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Sidi Larbi, Mia Michaels, Pina Baush, Roseli Rodrigues, Jiri Kylian, Brian Green, Michael Jackson, and Janet Jackson.

Dance Mogul: What are you currently doing to give back to the community?
Luana Simpson: I’m not doing that much now to be honest because I’m still building my life in the US, but I think just the fact that someone like me that came from so far is now accomplishing good things in this business and inspiring dancers in Brazil to keep pushing and working hard, is still a good way to give something back to the community. I won’t do my best for the whole community in the US and in Brazil for sure.

Dance Mogul: Is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you on your journey?
Luana Simpson: God, my family, and some close friends from Brazil