Virginia’s Dance Teacher Comes to Defense of Carnival Queen: ‘Give Her a Vote of Confidence. She Will Deliver a Lot’

The severe amount of criticism suffered by Virginia Fonseca in her coronation as queen of the Grande Rio’s drum section not only left the influencer shaken but also led her to post two cryptic and enigmatic texts on her Instagram profile. Luciane Santtinha, a musa, recipient of the Estandarte de Ouro award and her samba teacher, came out in defense of her student and asked for a vote of confidence in the girl.
After criticism of the samba, Virginia Fonseca posts an enigmatic message: ‘They talk well about you behind your back too’
Internet users compare Virginia Fonseca’s samba with Paolla Oliveira’s at the beginning of her reign as queen of the Grande Rio’s drum section
‘In her performance, she was emotional and nervous. And that is beautiful because even I, who have been dancing on stage for over 30 years, still feel this way, as if it were always the first time. The butterflies in the stomach are part of the delivery. That’s why I ask everyone to give Virginia a vote of confidence. She will deliver a lot because she is dedicated, because she already loves this school and because she is already part of our Grande Rio family. I just hugged her and treated her like a sister. Today, she is Grande Rio’s daughter,’ she said in an interview with EXTRA.
Success, luxury, and controversies: Virginia Fonseca is an internet phenomenon
Influencer is followed by more than 90 million people on social media
Indeed, Santtinha did not leave her pupil’s side during the performance she did; Virginia was visibly nervous and stumbled a few times with the steps, bringing TikTok mannerisms to the stage of the Caxias court. ‘Samba doesn’t have right or wrong. Samba is about delivery, joy, happiness, and the opportunity to live intensely in every moment. Virginia surprised me as a student. I always wanted her to feel comfortable, to understand that her own movements are also samba, and that together we could turn them into dance. When she brought up the issue of arms, she showed how involved she was in the process,’ notes the teacher.
Virginia even said in an interview that she struggled with coordinating arms and hips during the samba evolution. She has been training with Santtinha since June, but it was still too short to refine the influencer’s steps further. The intensive training will really start now, until February, the date of the parade.
Luciene Santtinha has been with Grande Rio since she was 6 years old. At 35, she has seen many queens and muses pass by her, and a large part of them attended her classes, like Paolla Oliveira, who joined the group and is now acclaimed.
‘I always say that every woman is born queen of her own paths, her life, and her journey. And today, at Grande Rio, we are fortunate to celebrate our queens: Paolla, Virginia, and all the others who reign with brightness and strength within our school. Our baianas are queens, sustaining tradition; our Community section, the beating heart; our flag bearer Taciana, proudly carrying the flag; our vice president Feiticeira, an example of determination; our main highlight Moana, enchanting; our muses, our rhythmists, commitment, and discipline to keep the drum section always in tune and synchronized; our passistas who have the art of samba in their feet, all of them, each in their way, are part of this collective crown. Here at Grande Rio, we are all one big family.’
When Paolla announced her departure from the position, many hoped that Santtinha would finally take over after three decades at the school. It didn’t happen. But she doesn’t resent it. She has a solid history in the Vermelho and Verde da Baixada.
Santtinha, who got this nickname from a former director of the children’s section at Grande Rio, where she started in the world of samba, is currently a teacher at the Samba de Ouro Project, which has about 470 registered students, and is a producer of events, taking care of all the organization of the feijoadas and other special productions of Grande Rio.
‘This mix of teaching, sharing my passion for samba, and still actively participating in event production allows me to live the samba culture fully: as an educator, as an artist, and as an organizer. Each class, each event, each smile I see is a reflection of the love and dedication I put into everything I do,’ she evaluates.