Broadway Around the World with Myrthes Monteiro
First of all, how beautiful is Jasmin doing Dandayamana Dhanurasana?! (also known as Bow Pose in yoga) *applause* Last weekend, Myrthes and I linked up via Instagram Live before her second to last show for a deep dive into what it's like being Fit for Broadway around the world. Despite the ocean between us, Myrthes shares many of the same lifestyle values we love on The Great Well Way.
Connect with Myrthes
Instagram: @myrthesmonteiro | Facebook: Myrthes Monteiro
Q: You've travelled around the world to follow your dreams! Let’s start from the beginning... what’s been your journey to the role of Jasmin?
A: My journey with Aladdin started 3 years ago.. right after it opened on Broadway we heard rumors that the next production would be in Germany, where I’ve been living for 11 years, so I started preparing myself straight away to get my dream role: Jasmine. I left my hometown Sao Paulo, in Brazil, 11 years ago with a contract as a dancer in the musical "The Lion King" in Hamburg and since then, I never stopped fighting and reaching for my dreams. Right now I'm living one. Jasmine has always been my favorite princess and Aladdin was the only Disney movie I had as a child, so it is a real dream come true to be able to live this story every night on stage.
Q: How have fitness and health been a part of your journey as a performer?
A: My life is all about body and mind health. As a performer, we need to be fit basically every single night on stage, so we learn to have a lifestyle that allows us not only to be healthy but also in peace with our body and our spirit. Our job is not only physically exhausting but also mentally. Sometimes if our body is not well, when we are tired or feeling weak/sick, that also affects us mentally because we feel the responsibility of having to deliver an elevated quality on stage, and that of course, could cause us more stress and nervous instability. So it’s a cycle that we don't want to get in. We do every thing we can to be always in balance, in and out. We learn to listen to our body and treat it well through exercise, a balanced diet, lots of water and rest.
I'm a trained dancer as well and I don't even know what life is without exercise. I go to the gym, I take ballet classes, yoga classes as well and the most important of all: I meditate. I try to get in touch and listen to my body, to see what it needs from me. Once a year I travel to take part in a meditation/yoga course so I can reset and recharge for the next months of performing 8x a week. I think the mental health is as important, (or even more) than the physical health.
Q: Top 3 tips for maintaining energy in the show.
A: My 3 tips are:
sleep and eat well (very important)
make your dressing room like your little home. Where you can feel perfectly well so you have a good mindset to start the day. (mine is my little sanctuary, with scented candles and cushions)
never just take the show as a job. Try to start every single performance as a fresh new one. I always think of the people out there who are watching the show for the first time and that motivates me :)
Q: Top 5 products, brands, or practices that are shaping your lifestyle right now.
A: My lifestyle is shaped by:
meditation
exercise (dance class, gym, jogging in the park, playing loud music and dancing like no ones watching lol)
healthy diet. I'm dairy and gluten intolerant and I have gastritis which is basic a tommy inflammation due to stress, so I eat always fresh, I cook every day, drink lots of water, and I' always really aware of what I'm putting in my body)
trying to be in contact with nature, recharge as much as I can
practicing gratitude
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: I am lucky to have many people around me who inspire me. My friends, my family, my mom. She is also a singer and more than anything she is a fighter who has been through so much in life and never lets those things effect the light she has inside. I do follow many motivational instagram accounts (@the_higher_self__ and @thegoodquote for example) and one of my hobbies is to write down inspirational quotes. I try to share them as much as I can and that makes me feel always joyful and grateful for life. Thats how I get inspired.
Q: What is your advice for aspiring performers?
A: My advice for the aspiring performer is: dedication, discipline and persistence. This is not an easy job so be strong and keep your goal in mind. Don't let the first obstacles effect you, because obstacles will always come our way. Keep always the love for what you do alive in you, because this same love is what will break those obstacles. Practice and practice and practice until you feel confident and ALWAYS believe in yourself. Never let anyone tell you different. We can choose our own future and our own destiny, no one can tell you what YOU are capable of. Just believe in you, invest your energy and put your heart in it and you can achieve anything you want. <3
Interview by Jane Jourdan. Photo courtesy of Myrthes Monteiro.