Ballet in Brazil's 'Crackland'
On the outskirts of Sao Paulo in Brazil, the rough Luz neighbourhood - known as Cracolandia or "Crackland" locally for its widespread use of crack cocaine – might seem a world away from the beauty and grace usually associated with ballet.
But there’s another side to life in Luz, in a country that’s among the world's biggest consumers of crack cocaine. Young girls get in a minibus, sometimes with people sleeping on the streets around them, and travel to the New Dreams dance studio, where they don pointe shoes, tights and tutus to take ballet classes.
Silvana holds a three-month-old baby inside their house.
Thalita Jesus, 7, lies on her bed.
Thalita Jesus runs inside her house before a ballet lesson.
Girls board a van taking them to ballet lessons.
The ballet pupils travel in a van through “Crackland”.
Girls sit in a minibus en route to their ballet lesson.
Ballet pupils arrive for their lesson.
Girls dance during the lesson.
Ballet pupils do floor work as part of the class.
Girls stretch in the dance studio.
Ballet pupils embrace their teacher Joana de Assis after a lesson.
Girls pray with volunteers in the dance studio.
A girl plays with a volunteer helper.
Girls have a wash after their ballet lesson.
