Brazilian ballerina born without arms soars with her attitude

Vitoria Bueno, a 16-year-old dancer whose genetic condition left her without arms, jumps during a solo performance on stage at the Inatel Theater in Santa Rita do Sapucai, Brazil, February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

By Leonardo Benassatto

When Vitória Bueno’s mother first dropped her off at ballet class, she worried about her five-year-old fitting in.

Born without arms, Bueno’s dream of being a dancer seemed painfully unrealistic – especially in a small town in rural Brazil, where her disability made her a social curiosity.

“People would line up outside the house to see her,” said her mother Wanda, 39, still hurt as she recalled the insensitivity. “They would lift up her sleeves to look.”

But Bueno, now 16, focused on her assemblés, pirouettes and other technical challenges.

She took up jazz and tap as well.

Now a regular at the ballet academy in her hometown in the state of Minas Gerais, Bueno’s talent has made her a social media star and an inspiration to many.

“For me, arms, they’re just a detail,” Bueno said at the theater where she performs. “I follow with my eyes, as if they were there.”

Watching her glide across the wooden stage, synchronized with her colleagues in a dazzle of green and white, it is easy to forget she dances without arms.

“I don’t feel like I need them at all,” she added.

She started ballet on the advice of her physiotherapist, who noticed the young Bueno would arrive dancing.

More than just realizing a dream, the strength and flexibility gained through dance have proven crucial to Bueno, who does everything from brushing her teeth to picking items off the supermarket shelf with her feet.

“There are things she can do with her feet that I can’t do with my hands,” said her stepfather, Jose Carlos Perreira.

With over 150,000 Instagram followers (@vihb_bailarina), Bueno is glad to be a role model for others too.

“We are more than our disabilities, so we have to chase our dreams,” she said, flashing a broad smile.

—Reuters

Global Heroes Logo Grey

Get your free copy of Global Heroes, jam-packed with positive news, straight in your inbox.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Global Heroes Podcast

GET YOUR FREE COPY OF GLOBAL HEROES’ POSITIVE NEWS

Subscribe to our Newsletter and Access all issues of Global Heroes News straight in your inbox. 100% free, no purchase necessary, for life. Uplifting stories, highlighting the inspirational efforts of everyday people, celebrities, and organizations, who are diligently working together towards practical solutions to global problems.

FOLLOW US