My mestre,
Alex de Carvalho.

He took my dream seriously.

I met Alex in 2017, when I began Brazilian Zouk. I had watched a video of William and Paloma, and it gave me a dream: one day, I wanted to become as good as William.

When I told Alex, he didn’t laugh. He told me to come and train with him, and that I would need to train a lot. He took that ambition seriously and showed me the work it would ask of me.

I still remember what that meant: to be at the beginning of something, with such a big dream, and to have a teacher make room for it.

His teaching is woven into mine.

My pedagogy is deeply imbued with Alex’s. His structured approach to Brazilian Zouk shaped how I understand the dance: how I look at movement, make sense of its structure, and organize what I teach.

I absorbed that approach and made it my own. Over time, it has met my background in education, my experience with students, and my own questions. The version I share today has my voice, but Alex’s influence runs through it.

For me, acknowledging that influence is part of being a teacher. When I explain my approach to Brazilian Zouk, I want people to know who helped me learn to see it this way.

The doors he opened.

Alex’s support went beyond training. He paid for my flights so I could have opportunities to DJ at Zouk festivals in Europe, helping open doors that could also lead to teaching.

That generosity has stayed with me. He gave from the heart, from a teacher to a student, with a care that felt like a father’s for a son. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities he helped me find and the belief behind them.

An artist who keeps learning.

Alex is one of the artists I respect most. I admire his dancing, his singing, and the way he continues to develop his art. His dance keeps evolving, and he remains open to learning from the younger generation.

That openness means a great deal to me. Even with everything he has contributed and everyone he has taught, he continues to be a student himself. It is a quality I admire in him as both an artist and a teacher.

We remain close today. Calling him my mestre describes a living relationship: the respect, affection, and gratitude I still feel, and the influence he continues to have on my work.

As I teach and develop my own approach, I want to carry that generosity forward—to take a student’s ambition seriously, make room for their growth, and keep learning myself.

Thank you, Alex.
Gab