Denis Vieira passed away on 29 December 2022 in Nicosia, Cyprus, following an accident at home when he fell and hit his head. He was 31 years old.
Denis was born on 12 December 1991 in Joinville, Brazil, initially studying at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Joinville then from 2010 to 2014 he was a soloist at the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro.
In 2014 he moved to Europe, becoming a first soloist with the Zurich Ballet before joining the Staatsballett Berlin in 2016 and Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich in 2019.
After the pandemic, Denis celebrated his return to the stage at the London Coliseum in November 2021 as part of the Ballet Icons Gala with his long-time stage partner Ksenia Ovsyanick.
Denis was living with his partner Andreas Winiarski and training in Nicosia and Larnaca in Cyprus, and preparing to mount his first ballet gala.
His mother said that the pain was eating her away.
I am very proud of him. His smile, his life, his special performances. My son was an example for many! It is a sad loss.
She added,
We are respecting the work of the police and forensic experts. It appears to be a tragic accident at home, but I'm going to wait to see the conclusions of the authorities. We have to wait!
In a statement, the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro said,
He had a fun and caring personality… he was the owner of a rare talent, recognised among his peers and the public.
The funeral will take place on 6 January 2023 at 11am in Nicosia. Friends and fans are cordially invited. Instead of mourning and black, Denis wished for a celebration full of colour and joy.
The family plans to donate a Denis Vieira ballet scholarship for young dancers.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
May he rest in peace
Any more forensic evidence available?