A tribute to Mickaella de Fátima Medeiros Dantas

From 2017 through to 2021, Mickaella joined Candoco Dance Company as a full time  company dancer, where she has performed nationally and internationally in more than 10 different pieces of work. Mickaella stands as a tremendous inspiration and a pioneer for inclusive dance, in which her dedication is admirable. She had an urge to know and to understand herself as a disabled dance artist, where she kept pushing her own boundaries and limitations, to find the true meaning in her body.

Mickaella was curious, precise, authentic and deeply present in her work. She was a beloved colleague and a dear friend to everyone in and around the company, who all carry their deepest respect for her being.

Dear Micka – you have left a deep and everlasting impression on our souls. Thank you for being you and thank you for all our wonderful dances. It has been an honour to share the stage with you.

“I met Mickaella in 2011 when she came to attend a workshop with Candoco. I remember doing a task with her in which counterweight, resistance and constant touch was at the base of the work. I have a clear memory of dancing with her and feeling the tone of her body, the clarity of demanding and expecting to be met with precision, enthusiasm and commitment. It is from this moment that I knew that we thought and felt the same way about movement and dancing. Her commitment to dance was extraordinary in every sense. Physically, intellectually, spiritually, she would search, try, read, watch anything possible for her practice and for her understanding of the world to expand beyond the visible.”

– Susanna Recchia – Micka’s dear friend and colleague, ex-dancer and former Rehearsal Director of Candoco Dance Company.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Toke Strandby and Susanna Recchia for their significant contributions to this statement, as they shared cherished memories of Micka.

Learn about Micka in our previous interview on International Day of Disabled Persons.