Alessandra Mattana (Switzerland)'s story

Alessandra Mattana was first professionally hired at the age of 18 by the Brazilian Dance Theatre de Belo Horizonte. She followed an international career dancing in companies such as Vienner Volksoper, DV8 (London) as well as for companies based in Scotland, Germany, Australia, Switzerland (Alias/Guilherme Botelho). Alessandra Mattana is certified from the Royal Academy of dance (London), holds a BA in communication sciences and also diplomas in German and English languages that she worked on at the same time as being as professional dancer. While leaving the stage, Alessandra obtained a Master IOMBA International Organisations Management. She was hired straight away as Project manager in a multinational firm and is now Coordinator for the BA in contemporary dance at HETSR/La Manufacture.
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Dance has always plaid a predominant and regular role in my life. Thanks to dancing, I have learnt at an early age to appraise what’s immaterial and to get to it through discipline and concentration. Dance allowed me to travel the world, to learn languages and foreign cultures. Thanks to dancing, I have experienced the importance of group work and learnt the importance of respecting each other’s rhythm. I have learnt the value vocation carries and the effort it demands. It is also through dance that I got in contact with the Association pour la Reconversion des Danseurs Professionnels (RDP).

I consider that RDP’s success goes beyond the help it provides for the professional dancers at the moment of their career transition. The association supports above all the perpetuation of this ephemeral and beautiful art form. And at the same time, it takes care of its actors until their last grand jeté. Indeed, this big leap between a career on stage and another occupation means in most cases a big challenge.
Personally, to stop dancing has been a great loss for me, but the need for a change has allowed me to dive into an unknown and immense universe, outside of the artistic world, to discover new professions and, finally, other ways of living.
I warmly thank Karine Grasset (former RDP Secretary general) who has been the first person to encourage me in my transition project and who has serenely provided me with explanations about the transitory nature of this anxiety-causing phase. I also thank Sarah Guillermin, actual RDP Secretary general, as well as Fondation Inverni-Desarzens who have supported my project over two years. I also thank each RDP committee members for their support. I also would like to thank my daughter Lina, who still is the leading force of this transition and my main motivation, and my partner Thiago who has been next to me throughout my career transition. I would like to thank The Geneva University who granted me with a scholarship and finally all my dancing friends who shared their lives and experiences with me over the dancing years as well as after.

After my Master International Organisations Management (IOMBA), I started working at Procter&Gamble in Geneva as Project manager in the marketing and design field. Nevertheless, I stay very interested in the arts and culture fields. I am the first RDP grant recipient to be a member of the RDP Grant awarding committee. I occasionally work for Rencontres Professionnelles de danses de Genève and Ornithorynque dance Company. I additionally teach yoga at Ballet Junior in Geneva.