Cape Town City Ballet’s Leusson Muniz is dancing the role of The Mad Hatter in Gerard Charles’ upcoming Alice in Wonderland at Artscape. He will also be making his choreographic debut, having created a pas de deux in the ballet for the White Queen and the Red King. Muniz, who hails from Brazil where he trained at the Basileu França ballet school, joined CTCB in 2019 and was promoted to Principal this year. He spoke to Weekend Special:
Aside from performing as The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, you’re making your choreographic debut with a new pas de deux in the ballet, choreographed by Gerard Charles for Cape Town City Ballet. How did this opportunity come about, and how has the experience been?
For the past two years I’ve been thinking about creating a ballet – small ideas that grew into bigger dreams. I’ve shared my crazy ideas with many people including Tracy Li, CTCB’s Artistic Manager, who encouraged me to try and see if I’d enjoy the process. Luckily for me, Gerard Charles, the international choreographer of Alice in Wonderland, loves supporting emerging choreographers and offered me the opportunity to create a pas de deux for the White Queen and the Red King, and the experience has been wonderful. I’ve really enjoyed working with the dancers and seeing how differently the same steps live in different bodies.
Tell us more about your creative process.
I built the choreography on myself – both the male and female roles. The first rehearsal was key in learning what worked and what didn’t, and I explored many pas de deux movements and positions with CTCB’s Sasha Barnes. The piece feels like a collection of all my life experiences in dance, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see it come to life.
Tell us about playing The Mad Hatter – audiences seem in for a treat!
Roles in Alice in Wonderland are assigned according to skill and technique, so everyone gets their moment to shine. The Rabbit is probably the toughest in terms of solo work, and the Red King for partnering. The Mad Hatter is a funny, quirky character role with some dancing and fun props. Since performing Doctor Coppélius, I’ve discovered how much I love character roles – they’re pure joy. They can be more exhausting than dancing a prince, but once the character takes over, I just become them.
You were promoted to Principal this year – congratulations! What has 2025 been like for you, and what is exciting that’s coming up in general?
Thank you so much! It’s been a great year, though not without challenges – our bodies always have things to overcome, but obstacles are opportunities. Besides the promotion and choreographing for Alice, the most exciting thing is that my parents are visiting South Africa for the first time. They arrive from Brazil on opening night – 12 December. Having them here for Christmas and New Year’s Eve will be a blessing.
Standout moments of your career so far?
I’ve always danced principal roles, and Romeo & Juliet was an unforgettable experience. I also loved Serenade by Balanchine and Carmen by Veronica Paeper – Don José changed me physically and emotionally, and since that role, my performances feel more authentic.
Do you have a favourite role, and why?
Giselle is my favourite ballet, and watching Roberto Bolle as Albrecht is hugely inspiring. La Bayadère is a dream ballet for me – I hope to dance Solor one day, and even the Golden Idol variation. The music melts my heart and makes me want to dance.
You’re from Brazil – when did you start ballet, what inspired you, and who has influenced you most?
I started ballet at age eight. My sister danced first and taught me what she learned each day. We saw a performance of Le Jardin, a piece from Le Corsaire, and there was one man dancing among all the girls. I said, “See, Mom? A man can do ballet too!” She took me to Basileu França in 2002, an amazing ballet school where Simone Malta, my teacher, was not only an excellent mentor but was like a second mother; I’m so grateful.
Where did you train, and what was your career path before joining CTCB?
I primarily studied the Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD) syllabus with Ms Malta (I can still hear her shouting corrections in my ear, haha!). Later I had two additional teachers: Olga Dolganova, teaching the Vaganova method, and Leidy Escobar, teaching Cuban technique. Before joining CTCB, I danced with Joburg Ballet, and I joined CTCB in December 2019 – six years ago this month.
What do you enjoy doing in your downtime?
To switch off, I play games on my phone or PC. I also love drawing, playing piano (I learned via YouTube since I never had lessons), target practice with my bow and arrow, or just watching Netflix.
Advice to aspiring young male ballet dancers?
If you love ballet, go for it. Don’t let anyone discourage you. If something feels too hard today, it will be better tomorrow – so don’t give up.
What: Cape Town City Ballet – Alice in Wonderland
Where and when: Artscape from 12 to 28 December 2025
Tickets: Webtickets
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