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Born and raised in Brasilia, Brazil, Silva was just 17 when he jumped at the chance to join Texas Ballet Theater (TBT) under the artistic direction of Ben Stevenson, OBE, in 2003.

“I’m so in love with what I do that it was such an honor to be in a professional company at such a young age,” he says.

As a member of the company for 12 seasons, Silva performed several lead roles and over the past 10 years immersed herself in the choreographic side of the creative process. Comparing choreography and dance, Silva describes the latter as a guided practice, delivering what someone else wants you to do. With choreography, you have to consider everything – the music, the counts, etc.

“I always listen to and discover new music that I can use to create a piece,” he says.

Silva got dance gigs across the country, and he felt like he had finally found his voice when the pandemic hit in mid-2020. Left without a platform to perform, Silva turned to TikTok and Instagram to create dance-related content and explore new styles. But the pandemic has also caused a new wave of homelessness that Silva has seen around his downtown home. While scrolling through his TikTok feed, he came across a dance competition hosted by New York singer Frankie Zulferino for a $1,000 prize and inspiration struck. Silva entered and was selected as the winner from over 1,000 entrants. He donated his entire prize money to True Worth Place in Fort Worth.

“I wanted to help, but I didn’t have the money at the time,” he says. “Then I saw this competition and immediately knew what I could do.”

As Silva continued to post, his followers continued to grow. Collectively, Silva’s social media accounts have attracted nearly 70,000 followers. At first it was a platform for exploration and expression. Today, Silva sees himself as a rising influencer on social media with the goal of inspiring people to perform at their best and pursue what they love to do.

“I just love being able to support the community in any way I can, whether it’s donating money or sharing my art,” Silva says.

At the top of André’s playlist

“Small Village Boy” Bronski beat

“The curse” Agnes Obel

“Love Funnel” Wanda Jackson

“The fall” Rye