'Those two weeks at Eurovision were completely surreal'

Kevin Simoes Loureira, known as Simi since an early age, actually grew up doing martial arts. When he stopped at the age of 15 and took a break from sports, a friend convinced him to join a dance club. That's how it all started.

"It was never planned, I wasn't a dancer. But somehow I liked it and I just didn't stop."

Simi started with hip-hop, then tried other dance styles and now mainly dances experimental and hip-hop. But how does one get from a Luxembourg dance studio to the big stage of Eurovision? "Coincidence", says Simi.

In fact, it was the make-up artist Luca De Michele, who recommended dancer Randy, a colleague Simi had been dancing with for years.

Randy Rocha, a well-known dancer in Luxembourg, also met with the production company for the Luxembourg Song Contest. But he was made aware of their decision too late, meaning that other dancers were on stage at the national competition. For Eurovision, however, Randy would be there.

Randy also created the choreography to Tali's song Fighter, as well as curate his dance team.

The choice quickly fell on Simi. Randy and Simi had been dancing together for the artist Edsun for years, performed in the theatre and they work well as a duo.

"We understand each other on stage without speaking. One brief look is enough and we know how and what. We work so well and quickly together. It was important to me to take someone with me to the ESC stage whom I can trust and count on. And of course to give him that chance," Randy says.

And so Simi boarded a plane to Malmö with the whole team and singer Tali.

In Sweden, the daily agenda is rehearsals, rehearsals and rehearsals. A choreography is worked out. Besides dancing and training every day, photoshoots and other official appointments are on the programme. But even besides work, the whole team spends a lot of time together around Tali.

"Eurovision is like a different world", says Randy, "We were able to visit Malmö, take part in activities. The two weeks went by very quickly."

"We were a very good team, it couldn't have been better", says Simi.

They then had their first big performance in the semi-final, where Tali and her dancers convinced the jury. Days later, in the final, they were able to convince a global public again.

Tali's dance team, with Randy and Simi on the right.

"But for us the semi-final was actually the most important. We wanted to convince. The spot in the final was rather a bonus", says Simi.

The so-called "post-ESC depression"

On the Sunday after the final, the whole team from Malmö returned to their homeland and since then the mood has been a bit depressing, as Simi says. "Everyone told us about the post-ESC depression. And in fact, you live like this for two weeks and you experience such euphoria that the way back to reality is not easy."

It will take some time to process all these experiences and find one's way back to work, says Simi. He currently studies at the University of Freiburg. From the stage back to studies - quite a change.

His performance at the ESC opened many doors for Simi. He met many international people and one or the other contact resulted in a future project. The dancer and academic cannot imagine giving up his work completely at the moment.

"My work challenges me mentally. Going to training and dancing after work is the physical and creative part of my day. The two combined balance each other very well. I don't know if I could give up either."

Now he needs to concentrate on his work again. No matter what comes next, Simi doesn't want to settle, yet.