Fernando Coelho
Dance education, dance instruction: Professor of Dance at Palucca School, Dresden, Germany.

Fernando Coelho was born in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. He began his study as dancer with his mother Helfany Pecanha and with Flavio Sampaio in the Centro de Dancas Helfany and Jania in Niteroi. At the same time he perfected his dance education by taking dance courses with well-known teachers in Brasil and the USA, for example with Eugenia Feodorova, Tatiana Leskova, Jania Batista, David Howard, Jose Pares, Azari Plissetski, Lazaro Carreno and many others.

He signed his first contract with the Corpo de Baile da Cidade de Niteroi. A contract with the Balletdo Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro soon followed. In 1990 he received an offer from Germinal Cassado in the ensemble of the State Theater Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany, where he dancced until 1995. During this time Cassado created some choreography especially for him, like in "Monteverdi" the role of Orpheo, "Il Labirinto del Amore", the father in " Beauty and the Beast", Rodin in "Isadora", the father in "Romeo and Julia" and many others.

In the time from 1995 and 1997 he started to study at the State Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Mannheim-Heidelberg. His subjects were Dance and Stagedance education with emphasis on ballet, such as Pas de Deux and Modern Dance for which he received diplomas.

Video clip Fernando training in Cologne

Besides his studies he intensified his choreographic efforts which he had already begun as a dancer. This is when he won prizes in various dance competitions with several of his works in Brasil. As principal teacher he was invited to various ballet companies such as the State Theater of Karlsruhe, Cie. Acordanse in Lausanne, Ballet Köln, Pretty Ugly Dance Co. of Köln, Ballet do Theatro Municipal de Niteroi, Avant -Sciene Co. in Lausanne, Bahia Ballet, Stadt Theater Pforzheim, Fundacao Fluminense de Ballet, De Anima Contemparaneo in Rio de Janeiro, Cia. Brasileira de Ballet, also in Rio.

From 1996 until 1998 Fernando Coelho worked as professor at the Academy for Dance and Opera and at the Academy for Music and Performing Arts, both at Mannheim-Heidelberg. From 1999 until 2003 he was assistant and balletmaster to Peter Breuer, dierctor of the Landestheater Ballet company ,Salzburg while also holding the position as principal ballet teacher at the Salzburg Academy of Experimental Dance (SEAD) under the direction of Susan Quinn. Since 2003 Fernando Coelho is fully employed as professor for classical dance and methodics of classical dance at the University for Music,
Köln, Germany.