After shining in Dança dos Famosos, Daiane dos Santos says she put ‘the batten up there’

Quadradinho, passinho, pirouette, sarrada, splits in motion and a lot, a lot of twerking. Last Sunday (7), former gymnast Daiane dos Santos, 40, left the public with their jaws dropped with her funk performance at Dança dos Famosos (Globo). Even the technical jury was impressed — she received a score of 10 from Ana Botafogo and Carlinhos de Jesus and 9.1 from Zebrinha, the highest score the choreographer has given since judging the contestants.

Even Daiane herself couldn’t imagine that this could happen, despite the more than 5 hours a week dedicated to learning the new steps. “It’s complicated to describe what we felt at that moment. I can’t say if this funk performance will go down in history, but our idea was to give our best delivery. Me and Dani [Daniel Norton, bailarino] we come from the community and we wanted to represent the people”, she says in a chat with the F5.

The former athlete also claims that everyone can dance, regardless of body type. “There is no standard body, this is an issue imposed by society based, in my point of view, on a standard that does not represent the vast majority of people. We overload women with that look”, she says, who does not consider herself a favorite after the presentation, but decrees: “Now the batten is up there”. Check out the interview below.

You received two 10s on Dance of the Famous at a stage when the technical jury does not usually give this type of rating. How did you feel at the time? It was a gratifying surprise for us, as I did not expect to receive two 10s. It is difficult to describe what we felt at that moment. I can’t say if this funk performance will go down in history, but our idea was to give our best delivery. Me and Dani [Daniel Norton, bailarino] we come from a community and we wanted to represent the people, the happy look of funk and the power it has in these places. I know that this presentation impacted a lot of people positively.

Is funk still very marginalized? Many only see it negatively and want to show that there is joy and it’s good for everyone. I think it opened the mind of those who didn’t have it so open. Funk is everywhere. I saw several messages from people who said that our choreography made their day better. We knew it would stir feelings, but we had no idea how big it would be.

What is your training and rehearsal routine like? We do two different jobs: one at the Brazilian national team’s gym and the other at the dance studio. In the gym, they put together a whole scheme with the help of a physical trainer, a masseuse and support from the girls and coaches. Directly from Domingão [com Huck] we also have complete support and structure with a choreography team. It’s an average of five hours of training, four times a week. I still don’t know what my next pace will be, I’m off, because next Sunday (14th) it will be the boys’ turn and then there will be a repechage.

And now, how to overcome this presentation? When Dani created the dance, I even added a few touches. The idea was for the choreography to be agile, fast and now the slats are up there. But when we reach the goal, we double the goal (laughs). I already abandoned my perfectionist mode because otherwise it gets boring and I want to be lighter and more relaxed. My feeling is that we enjoyed that dance. Honestly, there was even a step that didn’t go well, but it was more about how to handle the situation after the mistake, the energy we put in.

Do you consider yourself a favorite? It’s hard to talk about favoritism, it belittles the work of other colleagues. Everyone is there trying very hard, I just have the highest score.

Carlinhos de Jesus already said that the issue of the body does not prevent anyone from doing anything. What do you think about this? There is no standard body, this is a question imposed by society based, in my point of view, on a standard that does not represent the vast majority of the people. We overload women with this look that we have to have a stereotype of beauty conditioned to a small mass and that goes to the great mass. Dancing is for everyone who wants to have fun. You don’t need to be a dancer, you need to express joy. It has nothing to do with the body, but with a feeling of liberation.

Has this judgmental standard bothered you at some point? People look at me with the look that I was a gymnast and had a leaner body, but I trained 8 hours a day and I don’t do that so intensely anymore today. But I take care of myself, I do physical activity. It’s about you having the right to be however you want. The transformations in your life have to be done by you. In Dança, we all have different bodies.

Do you consider yourself an example for other women to feel good about themselves? I think I could be an example, yes, but I want you to understand that we have the right to be free. My wish is that people can think that way. Many suffer from anxiety, depression and ills linked to the mind by details like these that society imposes. And I don’t think it’s fair. I know cases of people who would be in a certain “pattern” and who are not happy. It’s about happiness, care, self-love and healthy minds.

You’ve participated in other shows on TV such as The Masked Singer and Super Chef do Mais Você. Think of more realities? They were opportunities and, as I like challenges, I agreed. In Super Chef I didn’t even know how to cook and I learned, that motivated me and I went to the semifinals. At Masked I didn’t imagine singing, only in the shower and for those closest to me (laughs), and it was another good discovery. And now, in Dança I realize that we never know our limit. We may not be exceptional at that, but we can be good and rise to the challenge. About the future on TV, I don’t know, it all started with my comments on gymnastics competitions, which I hope to keep for the Olympics in 2024 and the Worlds in a few months. Focus on living one thing at a time. No plans, but if I get an opportunity in entertainment I’ll dive right in.