‘They are just a detail’: Brazilian ballerina, 16, who was born without arms becomes social media sensation as she inspires millions with videos of her performances
- Vitoria Bueno, 16, from Brazil, is inspiring the world with her dancing skills
- Despite being born without arms, she is chasing her dreams of being a ballerina
- ‘We are more than our disabilities, so we have to chase our dreams,’ she said
A ballerina born with no arms is inspiring the world with her dancing skills.
Vitoria Bueno, 16, from Minas Gerais, Brazil, is chasing her dreams of being a ballerina despite her disability.
She was first prompted to take up ballet on the advice of her physiotherapist, who noticed the girl’s passion for dancing.
Bueno has since become a social media sensation, with over 150,000 Instagram followers, where she frequently posts videos of herself showcasing her talent.
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
Bueno, whose genetic condition left her without arms, drinks water holding the cup with her foot at her house in Santa Rita do Sapucai
Bueno, a 16-year-old dancer whose genetic condition left her without arms, brushes her teeth at her house
When Bueno’s mother first dropped her daughter off at ballet class when she was aged just five, she worried about her fitting in.
Born without arms, Bueno’s dream of being a dancer seemed unrealistic – especially in a small town of Santa Rita Do Sapucai 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.’
Bueno catches food products with her foot at a small market near her house on February 6
The girl is pictured talking with friends holding her phone with her foot at her house in Santa Rita do Sapucai, Brazil
Bueno is embraced by her cousin Kennedy Pietro at her house in Santa Rita do Sapucai, Brazil
Vitoria Bueno, a 16-year-old dancer whose genetic condition left her without arms, warms up before performing with her teammates from the Andrea Falsarella ballet academy, at the Inatel Theater in Santa Rita do Sapucai
But Bueno, now 16, focused on her dancing and 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 theatre 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.
She is pictured performing with her teammates from the Andrea Falsarella ballet academy on stage at the Inatel Theater
Vitoria Bueno, a 16-year-old dancer whose genetic condition left her without arms, receives water from her teacher Mayara Falsarella from the Andrea Falsarella ballet academy at the Inatel Theater
The 16-year-old poses for a picture in her neighborhood in Santa Rita do Sapucai, Brazil, February 7
Bueno walks home after buying food products at a small market near where she lives
‘I don’t feel like I need them at all,’ she added.
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, 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.
Bueno, a 16-year-old dancer whose genetic condition left her without arms, smiles while cooking with her friends Davy Lucas and Mariana Ribeiro at her house
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