Marcelo Santos was born in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, where he completed his training as a ballet dancer at the INEARTE (Instituto Nacional das Escolas de Arte – today Escola Estadual de Dança Maria Olenewa). After graduation, he danced for several years at the Guaíra Theater in Curitiba in southern Brazil, until he began his international career as a soloist at the Ulm Theater. Later he danced for many years at the Städtische Bühnen Augsburg.
Marcelo Santos is the founder of Teatro dos Três, where he developed and directed numerous pieces as artistic director and choreographer. In addition, he worked as a guest choreographer in Augsburg, Rudolstadt, Ingolstadt, Berlin, Constance, Stuttgart and Munich.
In the Education project through Dance and Movement (together with the Bosch Foundation, Tanja Liedtke Foundation and vhs Stuttgart), he supported the movement education and body awareness of young people through conception and artistic project support.
Marcelo Santo’s ambition is to develop and promote contemporary dance. As a jury member and expert, he is a welcome guest at festivals and competitions worldwide.
An important project is the International Solo Dance Theater Festival Stuttgart, which is held annually in Stuttgart. He is the founder of this competition for young choreographers and dancers and its artistic director.
He is regularly on tour in Germany and Europe with the winners of the competition (Switzerland, Greece, Portugal and Netherlands). Since 2008, the artists have been touring each year in cooperation with Mostra Paranaense de Dança, Viva Dança Festival International, Encontro de Dança Contemporanea de Natal and MID (Movimento International de Dança Brasilia) in Brazil.
He has also initiated and led other cultural exchange projects where choreographers and dancers from two different countries are developing a show together and showing in both countries:
2016: Project Brazil-Germany
2018: Project Brazil-Israel