Brazilian ballerina born without arms soars with her attitude

Vitoria Bueno's talent has made her a social media star and an inspiration to many

Last updated: February 12, 2021 | 11:25

Reuters and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

2 MIN READ

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

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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.

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"People would line up outside the house to see her," said her mother Wanda, 39, still hurt as she recalled the insensitivity.

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"They would lift up her sleeves to look." But Bueno, now 16, focused on her assembles, pirouettes and other technical challenges. She took up jazz and tap as well.

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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.

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"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."

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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