Ricardo Mendes Inspirational Performer, Director, Designer and Artiste.
Thanks to Angela Cleary for another lovely article.
Sipping a chilled orange juice overlooking the Bay of Funchal and chatting with Ricardo Mendes again was a great pleasure.
It was so different from the last time we met, earlier in the year, when he was frantically preparing for the famous Madeiran Flower Parade, held on the first Sunday of May each year, which is also Mothers Day in Portugal.
I spent a day with Ricardo and was exhausted just trying to keep up with this energetic dynamo!
Micro-managing a demanding schedule of back-to-back rehearsals with his group, Sorrisos de Fantasia’ (Fantasy Smiles), comprising scores of participants of all ages from the local community of Sao Martinho parish, Ricardo demonstrated his multi-tasking skills to perfection with a natural ease and ready smile which, despite working within an incredibly tight time frame, inspired confidence and calm in those around him.
Not only did he oversee the dance routines, but he designed all the costumes and even the material. He also submitted a detailed, illustrated proposal to the organisers and arranged costume fittings for all participants.
Sketches of Costume Designs
From my first-hand observations, one of Ricardo’s great strengths is his ability to energise and inspire those around him; to really get the very best out of people, whether they are untrained volunteers from the community, dancing for the first time or imparting his creative vision and costume designs to local dressmakers.
His artistry is matched by his business acumen which enables him to be both incredibly creative and still produce professional business proposals ahead of demanding deadlines.
Dance Rehearsal for Flower Parade.
Ricardo’s journey as an artiste was not straightforward. He explained that unlike nowadays, where there are opportunities for aspiring dancers to train from an early age, when Ricardo was growing up there were no dance classes available in Madeira, apart from ballet or ballroom dancing.
Ricardo explained that in addition to a lack of dance academies, in the 1990s, there was a societal belief in Madeira that dancing was for girls “…it was not regarded as a ‘proper’ job, so most male dancers travelled to Lisbon for work. As a result, there were very few male dancers on the island.”
“I only started to dance at 17. It was a conscious decision, but it was too late to start training. At university I studied Fine Arts, but I was not permitted to attend the practice dance classes. I had to train my 17-year-old body to dance, but if you start to train much earlier your body gets used to the moves as you mature.”
Ricardo had a passion to dance so, undeterred, he attended workshops conducted by teachers from the mainland.
“I don’t call myself a dancer, but a performer”.
His big opportunity came when he was invited to join the dance group ‘Dancing with a Difference’. As the name implies, the dance company comprised some dancers with physical or cognitive disabilities. I can tell from his smile and the passion with which he speaks, that Ricardo treasures these memories and the amazing experiences he had with the group as they danced across the world including Austria, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and France.
Ricardo found the entire experience inspirational and felt humbled when recognising the astonishing talent and challenges faced by the disabled dancers. He was particularly interested in how the choreographer trained these dancers on the large stage.
“In the beginning, he divided the stage into a 9 x 9 grid of squares which immediately provided positional locations for the dancers and helped them with their spatial awareness.” The moves were then choreographed according to the location of the squares, rather like chess. So, the dancers would perform on the appropriate squares. This was particularly important because it allowed set spaces to be established between the dancers into which 3D images were projected and danced between the performers.
“The audience was provided with 3D glasses to view the show. It was quite incredible and a great success!”
Dancing with a Difference was a ‘trail blazer’ in Europe, breaking down societal barriers to include disabled dancers in mainstream productions. The only other company with a similar ethos was ‘Candoco’, based in London. It was founded in 1991 and is now a world-renowned professional inclusive dance company.
“Nowadays dancers who are disabled can work professionally and earn a salary, living the life they love. It was a great learning experience and my skills as a contemporary dancer were honed and developed during my time with the company”.
Ricardo explained that in contemporary dance “…your body can be completely free and expressive, whereas ballet is highly disciplined; more classical, with particular moves and positions so the body tends to be more ‘rigid’ or controlled”.
Ricardo spent 12 years with the dance company and was sorry to leave. His career in Madeira was developing, and he found it increasingly challenging to meet the demanding rehearsal schedules of the company.
So, what projects await Ricardo as he looks to the future?
“I am currently performing in the ‘Peacock’ at the Madeira Casino. It’s an exciting show with great costumes and dance routines. It’s a year long run, which is excellent.”
However, apart from performing in the show, Ricardo has also utilised his artistic talents in helping to design some of the elaborate costumes. As he explains:
“Designing costumes is not easy, but being a performer myself, I know how the material should feel and flow. A dancer moves with the clothes, so it’s important to know which materials work best.”
Costume Fitting.
Ricardo is mindful of both the budget and the environment, so he is also adept at re-purposing materials from a range of sources including household textiles and costumes from other shows.
Original Costume Made from Madeiran Cork fabric.
“Trends these days see an evolution away from the traditional ‘Moulin Rouge’- type entertainment; so, one is always looking to present original shows which will engage with a modern audience”
Ricardo is also working on several key projects including the famous ‘Carnival’ parade which takes place in February. He has also submitted his proposal for next year’s Flower Parade and has designed another set of stunning costumes for his performers to wear!
Ricardo pauses and sips his orange juice. This interview has provided an opportunity for him to take time out from his busy life and reflect on his journey and the challenges he has overcome along the way. He sighs and smiles, and, as if revealing a great secret that he has only just discovered, he says quietly:
“I have realised my dream!”
