Sofia Rolão hurries into the cafe in Palma where we have agreed to meet, her chihuahua Tissot trotting along beside her. Sofia’s bobbed hair swings away from her face as she sits, and turns her full beam smile on me. The last time I saw Sofia she had long hair and she wasn’t the winner of the 2024 season of “Portugal’s Got Talent” so some significant events have occurred in the last six months… Sofia’s gymnastic career began at age 6, when she tagged along with her elder sister and joined a local club. She didn’t find it particularly easy at first and despite her attempts to drop out, she was encouraged by her mother to stick with it. It was the right choice and before long Sofia was successfully competing in national events. Throughout her teenage years Sofia’s consistent training and determination, resulted in becoming European Champion. She stopped competing to study Physical Education at university soon decided that performance acrobatics would be more rewarding than competing. She joined the cast of Son Amar in 2022, and the rest as they say is history.
Once a big glass of OJ for her, and a coffee for me have arrived at the table, we begin.
Let’s start with the hair! When did you have it cut?
I was doing a performance for a hair stylist in a fashion show and they wanted to cut it live! In the end they didn’t cut it during the event, but I had been thinking about cutting it for a while, and that was the perfect time, after the end of the Son Amar season for 2023.
How did you get involved with Portugal’s Got Talent?
I decided to do it in October last year. They have invited me on to the programme before but it has never felt like the right time and I wasn’t physically in Portugal. But last year, it felt like the right thing for me to do. It’s a big challenge to get through the stages and you have to commit a lot of time to getting the performances perfect, it is not easy to do that if you have other contracts in other countries happening at the same time. And the artists do not get paid to perform in these types of shows, so it is also a big commitment financially.
I loved the different acts that you did, and the costumes you chose were gorgeous! So sexy!
A friend of mine who is a designer did them for me. Each costume I had was very intentional. The first one was white, without any sparkle, it was raw, you know? That was for the first audition where they don’t really have any lighting or staging, I wanted it to be as pared down as I could, to show myself and my art and be striking. Then the second costume, was black and more powerful, and my performance in that was reflected through the costume, and then the costume for the finale was gold. It took as some time to decide on the final outfit, but in the end gold was the right choice. The concept was to be able to show the different elements of my personality through the performances, the music, the costumes. The final costume, the gold one, it felt right to do it as the performance in the water became something quite epic.
And you did all of the choreography and music choices yourself?
Yes, it is all me. This process has given me the opportunity to explore myself. Up until now I have always had a director giving me the moves, but this time I had the chance to do it all for myself. It was a big challenge to me, but I also really enjoyed it! I did always ask the opinions of my close friends and family as I developed the numbers. I don’t think I could create an act for another artist though, it was so personal to me and to my own journey, I wouldn’t know how to do it for another performer, that is where the skill of a choreographer comes in. In the live finale I had the opportunity to use the dancers from the show, and also include another gymnast, Igor, who I had met in the months before. We had a few days to rehearse but it was a risk to go from a solo performance to me with a group. But it worked! As an individual artist you get used to working on your own and not trusting or relying on other people, and this in itself was a lesson for me to remember to trust others. A move in the finale is when I fall into the water, after that of course you are then wet, and that means you are slippery, so it was a test for me to trust that I would not be dropped or slip out of Igor’s hands.
How was it to receive not one, but TWO golden buzzers?
I could never have imagined that this would happen to me. They were extraordinary moments, it was like being in a dream! It was very special as well because I was in my home country and my family could be there to see me. That was wonderful, and very special to have their support.
What about the training, it must be continuous.
Yes, you have to train every day. When I was rehearsing for the show I worked a lot with the water, which is not very warm! You have to tell yourself that you can overcome obstacles and that you have to try to enjoy the process. When you are reaching for a new goal you have to put yourself in positions which are not comfortable. You have to be ready to experience pain, and work hard.
You were a competitive gymnast before becoming a performer, how do those two worlds compare?
The world of competitive gymnastics is tough, I don’t remember many of my competitions, you become kind of numb to them. The world of competition is a hard way to live but I made some very good friends there. Now that I am a performer my life has changed a lot, I am much happier, and I love to play different characters through my performances. When I am onstage at Son Amar I am the princess in Ohalá and I know that I make an impression on the children who are watching, I love to see their faces! I am much happier and fulfilled as a performer than I ever was as a competitor, and I am excited to see how I will grow now as a person. I am excited for this year at Son Amar and the new elements of the shows that we are working on now. I hope that 2024 is going to be a wonderful season!
You can find out more about the show and book your tickets online at www.sonamar.com
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