Alexandre Silva to Make Final Bow of 12-year Career
This weekend, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s final performance of UPMC Presents West Side Story Suite + In The Night + Fancy Free will celebrate the final bow of a very special artist.
Soloist Alexandre Silva will retire from his 12-season career with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre following the company’s season finale production, dancing Jerome Robbins’ In The Night opposite his long-time partner Julia Erickson.
“Alexandre is a very special artist. He has wonderful technique and brings a pathos to his dancing that resounds beyond the stage and into the audience. He’s taken on so many roles for us — even beyond dancing. He helps his colleagues in rehearsals, in class and has made so many meaningful contributions to PBT as an organization. We will miss him greatly,” said Terrence S. Orr, PBT artistic director.
Silva, a native of Brazil, joined PBT in 2006 after performing professionally with Sesi Minas and later with Utah Regional Ballet in the United States.
Fans will remember Silva for his rich technique and artistic interpretation and the regal bearing he brought to roles including Albrecht and Hilarion in Giselle, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and Drosselmeyer and Sugar Plum Cavalier in The Nutcracker.
Principal dancer Julia Erickson, his frequent partner over more than a decade, had the opportunity to dance opposite him in many of these iconic ballets.
“He really is one of the kindest souls that I know. He knows who is and has such a subtle sense of confidence. He’s such a caring partner and a breath of calmness that’s really wonderful to have around. He’s served so many amazing roles in the company. He’s got this really great instinct and versatility to his artistry. I always know he’s there for me and I’m going to miss our partnership a lot. It’s meant so much to me,” Erickson said.
For many seasons, Silva also had the opportunity to dance opposite his wife, former PBT principal dancer Christine Schwaner, who now serves as a faculty member for PBT School.
Following their 2012 performance of the lead roles in the romantic ballet Giselle, Jane Vranish of the Post-Gazette wrote, “{Silva} was the perfect Albrecht, certainly one of the most coveted dramatic roles in the ballet repertory, and the perfect partner — a handsome lover who rued his actions. He also supplied a smooth muscular technique, with a series of double cabrioles and swooping backbend that drew gasps…This couple was genuine, and they drew the audience into their story with an emotional attachment. It was real. It was honest. It was a privilege to watch them.”
Just as it has been a privilege to watch Alexandre on stage for over a decade.
Join us in celebrating Alexandre’s career — and his final bow — at our 3 p.m. Sunday, May 6, performance of UPMC West Side Story Suite + In The Night + Fancy Free at the Benedum Center.