‘When you stay in Ireland, it’s not like another country, it’s like another planet. Everything is different’

At the age of 11, Mariela Mira’s friend spoke about starting ballet classes, which unlocked an insatiable passion within her for the arts.

“I thought ‘Oh my God, I need to do that’,” Mira says of hearing about the ballet classes. “I told my mom, but in my city it is very hard because it is very expensive. But we had a few free spaces, and my mom said she would try to find somewhere.

“She found a municipal theatre which did lessons for free, but my dad had to stay in the queue for hours because there were a lot of people. But he queued and he got the place.”

And that began what has become Mira’s purpose in life. That ambition to pursue dance is the main reason she moved from her native Brazil to Dublin nine months ago, believing there were better creative opportunities here.

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As a child, she progressed from taking twice-weekly classes, to travelling to a school an hour away from her home by herself to study dance full-time, before she auditioned for a Brazilian dance company at the age of 16, kick-starting her professional career.

Working hard is more important than talent. If you don’t work hard, nothing will happen. You need to believe in yourself

“That’s when I really started to dance. Every day, I danced five to six hours during the week. I had a lot of opportunities with my teacher and director,” she says.

“There were professional choreographers and we did a week where we danced for eight hours a day. It was amazing. I did that for seven years.”

Despite her love for her home country, the now 25-year-old wanted to try to find new ways to advance her dancing.

“I love Brazil, but everybody knows that it’s really hard for art and dance, so I came here to try and find something better for me,” she adds.

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That is one of the things she says she feels strongest about in life: that no matter how difficult things appear, everyone should follow their dreams.

“Working hard is more important than talent. If you don’t work hard, nothing will happen. You need to believe in yourself,” Mira explains.

Mira decided to move to Ireland after speaking to a friend who had already relocated to Dublin.

“He talked to me about Ireland, about Dublin, about work, English [and] about opportunity. My eyes were just shining. It seemed like such a good idea,” she says.

“I came here after one month. It all happened very quickly, very fast... I really wanted something better. I sold my car, I worked very hard for 14 days, and then I came to Ireland.”

Brazil, she says, is a beautiful country, with warm weather and a blend of cultures.

“When you go to some states, like São Paulo, you have a culture there. When you go to another area, there is another culture there that is totally different,” she says.

“It is a big country, we can learn about many things. I really love it there for that reason. We have people from everywhere. There is just a really great mix of culture.”

The country has difficulties, too, she says, particularly on the economic side.

“Brazil, I think, is busy because you can’t just have your things. You really have to work, work really hard,” she says.

A few months ago, I would never have been able to talk to other people, so I’m so happy for that. It was a hard nine months, but now I think I’ve found my way

“We usually work there for 10 hours all day, just to have a basic life. It’s not a rich life, but a basic one, because it’s an expensive country. We learn to work hard. Whatever you are doing, you need to work hard. You have basic things, but to have good things, you need to work more.”

This is a major difference to life in Ireland, she says, where it is easier to have a “really good life”, if you work hard.

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When Mira first moved here, her biggest priority was learning English. She went to school from Monday to Friday and then worked in public-facing jobs to continue to work on the language, as well as to earn money to allow her to live comfortably. That commitment is beginning to pay off, she believes.

“I’m so happy I can talk [in English]. A few months ago, I would never have been able to talk to other people, so I’m so happy for that. It was a hard nine months, but now I think I’ve found my way.”

Other than learning a new language, the other difficulty she has encountered since leaving Brazil has been moving away from the people she loves.

“A challenge I think is being so far from my family, my friends. When you stay here, it’s not like another country, it’s like another planet. Everything is different,” Mira says.

“When I needed to cry, I didn’t have my friends, I didn’t have my family. The special people are not here with me, so I think that was the first big challenge.”

I have plans to stay here for a long time. I really like Irish people, I really like Ireland

The large Brazilian community in Ireland means she has mainly made friends with other immigrants, which reminds her of home. However, the Irish people have been very friendly, she says, and she would like to make more Irish friends.

Mira has many plans for her future, with her dance career in Ireland only just beginning. She is about to take part in the Irish Youth Dance Festival (IYDF), which will return to the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, on July 1st and 2nd.

“I’m working on a musical. I am a dance teacher. We are working. I have been teaching ballet class for one school here. I think I have worked hard but I have more plans, more classes, I want to do more dance for me,” she says.

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“I have plans to stay here for a long time. I really like Irish people, I really like Ireland, but the dance life is about movement. You are never only here. You are here and there and wherever the dance is. So I don’t know about the future.”

We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish