Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
Cristina Ribeiro, a Black Brazilian icon, that opened a talent agency honoring the existence and resistance with strength, competence and resilience, a paramount in uplifting global Black girl magic . Like Angela Davis said, “When Black women move, the entire structure of society moves.”
Cristina’s experience with creating, directing, producing and managing is outstanding. She is a diplomat of acting, dance, modeling and a coach who was focused on teaching life skills through fashion shows, dance, theater and other performing arts and events.
An expert in the entertainment business, drama, commercial modeling, production, film, television, voice-over and education, Cristina’s passionate spirit and professional dedication is contagious and she made every production a great success.
Cristina has worked with many celebrities including Mick Jagger, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, Buddy Spencer, Terence Hill, statesmen Arnold Schwarzenegger(Arnold Classic),Henry Kissinger, Nelson Mandela, Taye Diggs and more.
Cristina has received Six awards as The Best Afro-Brazilian Dancer, Rio Brazil, holding the title from 1976 til 1994, and The Model of the Year by Area (Brazil) in 1987, Best Kids Productions in 2010, The Mentor of the Year by Mélange Productions in 2011, San Francisco, Bay Area, and Best Kids Show Producer from the San Jose City Council in 2012. She was nominated for the best Artistic Creative Director in San Francisco, California in 2013, 2014 & 2015 and The Women of The Year in 2017 representing her country Brazil in Guatemala and she’s executive producer of New York Fashion Week “Diverse”
In 2019 she opened her own talent agency, during the Covid-19 pandemic
I want the world to know about me so I will be able to help the new generation of aspiring actors, with my knowledge, and passion I will take them to next level of their careers. I’m a philanthropist and I celebrate what I accomplished being a Brazilian entrepreneur and a woman of color in US, working on that so competitive industry bringing the Brazilian creativity, compassion, expertise and something special with glory.
Some of my successful talents are Halley Pullos ( General Hospital, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia ),Albert Tsai( Trophy Wife), Jennifer Fuentes ( American Idol Finalist) she was also ,The Ringlin Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus first in history female ringmaster), American Idol finalist Adam Roth, Top Model Staniel Ferreira, Nicole Bonifacio ( Gotham, Power, Falling Water, etc. also videos for Coin, Joe Budden, Shaggy and more ),Cassandra Bankson, she has been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, she has been featured in magazines including Vogue,Seventeen,Glamour, Forbes, In Touch Weekly, and the cover of Reveal Magazine and newspapers she is a model and online personality . Alex Magno , choreographer who has performed with Madonna, Yanni, Britney Spears, the Ringling Brothers Circus, the 62nd Academy Awards, In Living Color, Lord of Illusions a Clive Barker film, Somebody to Love, starring Rosie Perez, Liquid Dreams , Cannes Festival, The Golden Eagle Awards for Nosostro TV, Judson Emery , he has worked on shows as Glee, The Academy Awards, The Emmy’s, MTV VMA’s, The X- Factor US and UK, The Voice and with artists as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, film Ted 2 , Acura and EA games as a dancer. Marcos Vedovetto, San Francisco Opera, Brazilian dancer and celebrity.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I’m one of the first generation of Black Brazilian actors who had notable visibility on big and small screens. I collected many awards for my work around the word as a producer, actor , director and a philanthropist helping talents from communities in need making their dreams coming true. In this new diverse world.
I talking about love, passion and beauty as well I love to be challenged —especially during my work managing aspiring talents and developing an agency with a new creative and revolutionary approach. An approach being a human dealing with sensitive humans (my clients) at the time they have bad time or good time, getting connected with them 24/7, always reaching out to place them at the right productions or giving them strength ,so they can keep moving to conquer their spot on the silver screen or just be happy.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
My journey start at age 12 years old, performing in plays and dancing for the largest dance company of Latin America directed by Marisa Estrella.
At age 18 years old I was choreographing for TV shows and working as a dancer for TV Globo, shows ,formerly known as Rede Globo, a Brazilian free-to-air television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Grupo Globo. The TV station is by far the largest of its holdings.
Globo is one of the largest media companies in the world, and produces around 2,400 hours of entertainment and 3,000 hours of journalism per year in Brazil. Through its network, the broadcaster covers 98.6% of Brazil’s territory. Recognized for its production quality, the company has already been presented with 14 international Emmys. The international operations of Globo include seven pay-per-view television channels and a production and distribution division that distributes Brazilian sports and entertainment content to more than 190 countries around the world.
After couple years working on Broadway musicals on tour, I signed a contract with Globo TV performing miniseries and soap operas, til 1994 a time I moved to US.
I studied Drama, Film, Production, Voice-Over, On-Camera- Commercial & TV,Improvisation, Singing,Dance formally trained in many diverse dance forms including international folk dances.
I was trained with international choreographers including Ana Nunez, Spain, Pina Baush ,Germany,Maurice Bejart, Belgium, Jojo Smith, Bill T Jones, Martha Graham,Falcon,Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey techniques in North America. I also studied business, fashion, cosmetology, ballet( Rio de Janeiro Brazilian
Opera) ,hip-hop, tae-kowdo, kickboxing, full-contact ,capoeira a Brazilian Martial Arts ,Yoga,Hot Yoga, & Pedagogy. I plays piano, guitar and congas. Photography, culinary, movies, sports, books, catering ,traveling, observing and being creative are some of my passions, besides being philanthropic sharing my art with low-income communities bringing workshops, lectures and preparing aspiring artists in Central America ,South America,& North America every year in Guatemala, Ecuador,Mexico,Dominican Republic and Brazil.
My experience with creating, directing, producing and managing are outstanding.I’m a diplomat of acting, dance, modeling and a coach who is focused on teaching life skills as a form of art through fashion shows, dance, theater and other performing arts and events. I’m an expert in the entertainment business, drama, commercial modeling, production, film, television, voice-over and education, I’m a passionate spirit and my professional dedication is contagious I make every production a great success.
When I was performing I realized that I was doing what I was born to be.
Today I help my clients because I feel that each one of them is a piece of me. Together we are stronger.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
My accent used to be a barrier, a challenge but I overcome, being an excellent professional and with my reputation. Also taking classes.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
I do have a big list, but since I can mention only three, here you go : John Papsidera , Sarah Halley Finn and Cesar A. Rocha. They are casting directors that I always submit my clients to their projects and I wish I could meet them in person for more opportunities working with them.
Drop your social media links.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-ribeiro-206422b/
FAFAFOOM: https://www.fafafoom.com/san-francisco-bay-area-scenes/miss-brazil-usa-san-francisco-2012/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/be-that-kid-productions-san-jose
Wowmagonline: https://www.wowmagonline.com/pt-br/cultura