Melissa and Vanessa Peraldo

Melissa and Vanessa Peraldo (BFA ’07 - Dance) are dancers who have been graced with a partner for every turn, lift, and dip life sends their way. They are twins who share a common talent, passion, and faith,  which brought them to SMU to train together in the Division of Dance and, since their graduation, has carried them across an ocean to perform in a new dance company created by prize-winning Dutch choreographer Joost Antoine Vrouenraets. Joost met the twins last spring while setting the world premiere of Sogni e Bisogni (“Dreams and Needs”) for the SMU Dance Division’s Spring Dance Concert. Set to the music of Beethoven, the work was created especially for the twins and an ensemble of eight other dancers. Each sister embodied one of the two thematic elements – dreams and needs.

After the spring term ended, Joost offered them a chance to fulfill their own dreams and needs – the opportunity to dance with him in a new company of just five dancers in The Netherlands, helping him develop and stage new works as members of the GOTRA Ballet. Melissa and Vanessa took time to share how this opportunity has changed their lives.

Q: Describe your experience working in The Netherlands for your first job out of SMU.
Melissa: My experience working for GOTRA Ballet has been amazing. Since there are only five dancers in the company thus far, I have had the opportunity to dance a lot more than I would in a bigger company and to receive a lot more attention to my dancing. As a result my dancing has grown to a new level. I have been continually challenged in both my technique and artistry but always in a positive and encouraging way. I have never felt more freedom to grow.
Vanessa: It has been an incredible experience working in GOTRA. Because it is a small company just starting out, I have had the opportunity to grow far more than I would have coming into an established company. Although it has been a time full of challenges, it has resulted in my progress as not only a dancer but a person as well.

Q: What has it been like working with your sister throughout college and now professionally?
Melissa: Working with my sister Vanessa has definitely been an amazing blessing but at the same time a lot of work. It has been incredible having someone so close who shares the same passion as me and can understand me in that way. Along with that, though, we have had to endure being compared. We have also had to work on not taking our personal issues into our professional work. Overall, though, I am thrilled to share my experiences with her and couldn't imagine it any other way. It was an answer to a prayer for us to be in the same company.
Vanessa: It has been an absolute blessing to have my sister by my side to walk with through every new adventure!

Q: How did your work at SMU prepare you for this job?
Melissa: It gave me a strong foundation in technique. It also provided me the opportunity to focus on several styles of dance, which gave my dancing more versatility and made it easier to pick up on Joost's style. 
Vanessa: SMU’s training helped me become a well rounded dancer with a solid base from which to embark into the work field. I have found that the Graham technique has benefited me tremendously in the work I am doing now as well as the various repertoires that I was privileged to perform. The diversity of the department has been the main asset to my career as a dancer.

Q: When you were a senior in high school, what made you decide to go to SMU?
Melissa: I decided to go to SMU because it focused on a variety of styles and provided the opportunity to grow equally in each one. It also was highly recommended by Patrick Corbin of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. And, it was close to relatives!
Vanessa: SMU provided ballet, modern, and jazz, which were all areas I wanted to pursue. The dance department is also highly ranked among other schools.

Q: What are you currently working on?
Melissa: The next project we are working on is for the Orlando Festival. Joost was commissioned to do a piece that took inspiration from both chamber music and ethnic principles. The performance will be called TURO and is made up of two parts. The first part is based on intimate letters and is dedicated to 9/11 with music from Janacek. The second part is a collaboration between Joost and the composer Marijn Simons. Simons used Joost's concept to compose music for a string quartet with prerecorded percussion. This part will be based on the story from the Bible of the tower of Babel. Both sections will have a tower for their set but it will be used in different ways. Joost hopes to use this choreography as a bridge between Europe and America in their philosophy and culture.

Q: What plans do you have for the future?
Melissa: After I finish this project with Joost, I hope to continue working with him. Right now we are looking to tour in America in the coming season with our last piece, “I Have a Dream...”, as well as other places in Europe. The future is still unclear but I feel God has connected me to Joost for a special purpose. So I hope to stay for many more years to come.
Vanessa: I am thrilled to continue to work with Joost and can't wait to see where that will lead. I am trusting the Lord to guide me just as He guided me to The Netherlands. I know there are many more exciting things God has for me to discover and embark on.

Q: What advice do you have for other aspiring dancers?
Vanessa: The moment you stop receiving correction and stop being open to learning is the moment you stunt your growth and refuse every possibility to develop as an artist and a person.
Melissa: My advice for other dancers is to go for your dreams whatever obstacles may come against you. Don't stick to what is safe and comfortable because anything less than your dreams isn't worth it. Also know that no matter how many talented people are in this field, you are needed and valuable because we all have something special to offer that can only be given by us. 

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