Geanderson Mello brings Vegas pizzazz to The Silent Goodbye
210May 2019.

photos by Cylla Von Tiedemann & Bryce March

Geanderson Mello has just flown back from Las Vegas, where he was at a conference and took in a few shows. The hot young contemporary dancer did a bit of research on burlesque while there, which is good, because in a few days he stars in High Society Cabaret’s remount of their successful show, The Silent Goodbye. 

“I haven’t rehearsed the whole show yet,” he admits. “I know my choreography but not the full show. I’m joining them tomorrow.”

Inspired by film noir, The Silent Goodbye follows private eye Emmett Humphreys as he tries to solve the murder of the club owner of a Chicago speakeasy. Written and directed by Kate Knox, the show features costumes and choreography right out of the film noir era. Period pieces are a specialty of High Society Cabaret, which promises “a little nostalgia with a hint of now.” Geanderson tells me he plays one of the suspects.

Geanderson used to be a ballet dancer back in Brazil. “But ballet is hard, and I wasn’t fully happy. I had to be lean and strong and it wasn’t good for me health-wise, so I decided to quit. I got too skinny. Contemporary dance isn’t about your shape. I like burlesque because there is no shame of showing the body, and its powerful.”

So how much of that body will be shown in The Silent Goodbye? “Burlesque is very sexy in a relative way. It’s not like stripping, but I do take off my clothes.”

Geanderson has been in Canada for six years now. “I like it, but I don’t like the cold. I bought a house, so I’m focused on that. Beyond that, I don’t know. I want to do everything, whatever appears in front of me. Dance is who I am and always will be. Dance transcends language. I love it.”