Today we’d like to introduce you to Tatiana Birenbaum

Hi Tatiana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Throughout my life, I was exposed to so many different aspects of the arts – from music to dancing, from singing to producing. The arts have been part of my life and a big component of my foundation and development as a person.
I started dancing at the age of 4 years old in an Israeli Folk Dance group at A Hebraica de Sao Paulo. It is very common in the jewish community in Brazil to grow up dancing as dance plays an important part in the school’s curriculum. I fell in love with it and continued to dance, year after year, until I joined a professional company at the age on 17.
Singing wise, I had a music teacher in school who once asked me if I have ever thought about joining a chorus. She invited me to check it out and I never left. The chorus joined forces with a theater company and that’s how The Sound of Music became not just my favorite musical but also the first professional musical theater piece I performed in. I played both Gretl and Martha and the show was performed in Portuguese but all songs were sung in English.
Between dance and chorus performances, I started taking voice lessons and connecting with people in the industry back in Sao Paulo. My first job out of school was teaching creative movement and dance at a preschool as well as choreographing for a few children’s companies.
When I was 18 years old, I joined the team at a music school called Centro de Musica Naomi Shemer, where I quickly became the assistant director and one of the producers of the biggest band festival in South America called FestBandas, with bands from Argentina, Rio de Janeiro, Israel and more.
It was clear that my path would be somewhat in the Arts, and even thought I did get a Bachelors in Social Sciences, my final thesis was written about Villa Lobos, a famous classical Brazilian composer from the Impressionist era. All that to say – the arts have been part of my life since the very beginning with no doubt.

When I was 22, I moved to NYC with two suitcases and a big dream. All alone, I came to New York the attend the American Musical and Dramatics Academy (AMDA) in the two year conservatory program. Excitement was an understatement. I was leaving my life at my birth country to start a new life elsewhere, with a new culture, a new language, new friends and all. I could’ve never imagine still being here after 11 years.

In New York I learned so much not just about the industry but also about myself. That if I really want to make it, I need to work really hard. But above all things, I really need to belieive in myself, focus on what’s important and work hard to achive all objectives.
After being here for so long, studying lot (I graduated from a Teaching Artist program this past May), and learning from mentors, peers and the day to day challenges, I feel so happy and grateful for where I am at and I’m looking forward to more growth, not just professionally but also personally.
I came here with a big dream and throughout the years I think the dream evolved. I now produce and perform at one of the longest running cabaret shows in the city and I’m incredibly proud of what we (Ashley Ryan, my partner in crime here) accomplished in making the show the best version of itself. As a Teaching Artist, I am able to pass along my knowledge and share my creativity and talent with young creatives, assisting them to become more confident and a better version of themselves.

I’m proud to say that all my experiences, my move to the States, the challenges and the infinite support of my family shaped me to be who I am today and helped me get to this exact point of my life.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Definetely not! Moving to New York at 22 years old, with two suitcases and a big dream was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life. To be completely honest, I didn’t think I would be in the city for so long. Back in the day, when I came here for school, in my mind, I would complete the 2 year program and go back to Brazil to continue with the life I somewhat left behind.
But there is that saying that we don’t really choose who we fall in love with, am I right? The way I fell – and truly still feel – about being and living in New York is a magical kind of feeling.
In regards to the challenges, I think having the idea my fluency in English was perfect and having to accept that, unfortunately, at the time, it was not the case. Having to learn how to communicate in a different language and not being able to fully express myself was very tricky, until I had a great teacher that told me “Taty, I’m going to teach you how to talk like a true American!”. He taught me the melody of the language, something I have never heard before, and in that way, I slowly started being able to talk and speak more naturally. Not only people started to understand me better, but I also learned new vocabular. For all the people that tell me I have no accent at all, thank you. I still have my accent, and I’m very proud of it.
Being an immigrant here is not easy. You have to constantly proof yourself, your worth and your talent and it is very challenging. It’s a weird feeling of bellonging without fully being part of it. Bus I think that sense keeps giving me the strenght to keep moving forward.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I’m a half Brazilian half Argentinian performer, choreographer, teaching artist and producer. In the theatre world, some of my credits include the shows Legally Blonde, Brigadoon, Into The Woods and Hunchback of Notre Dame. I also performed with big names of the Brazilian music like Toquinho and Jair Rodrigues back in Brazil. Most recently, I choreographed a production of the musical “Working” for the company St. Jeans Players where not only I’m a prod member of the Board of Directors but I also choreographed the musical “Open Up the Curtains” in 2022. I am the Dance Captain and Associate Choreographer for the Israeli Folk Ensemble Parparim. Most recently, I joined the Yiddish Phillarmonic Chorus and will be performing at Kaufman Music Center in June 2025. In the theatre world, I currently produce, co-direct and perform at Let’s Broadway Showcase Series, a monthly themed concert with homebase at Sid Gold’s Request Room. Every month, we bring in a different cast to perform songs carefully curated to match the theme of that month’s show. Some of my favorite themes include “Anything But Broadway”, “Tradition – songs from where we came from”, “Villanious” and “Down With Love”. Let’s Broadway was created almost 10 years ago and I’m so proud to be part of it!
For the past two years, I’ve also been performing with the only Brazilian Theater Company in New York, Group.BR in their immersive parties called Opa! at House of Yes, in Brooklyn.
I think there is a beauty of being a multifaced artist and being able to share your creativite and talent with people. In my case, besides all of the performing, I am also a Teaching Artist at a few institutions, including USDAN – Summer Camp for the Performing Arts. I’m very passionate about sharing my knowledge with younger audiences and making them feel comfortable in their own skin to develop a love for creating and expressing themselves.
It’s tricky to talk about yourself and “what sets me apart from other” but I truly believe my extensive resume and experiences I’ve lived in the last twenty something years of my life made me who I am today and make me a better creative.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?

You can check out my adventures and future projects on my website www.tatianabirenbaum.com or follow me on IG @tatiana.birenbaum

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tatianabirenbaum.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatiana.birenbaum
• Other: https://www.letsbroadwaynyc.com/

Image Credits

Mike Petrie Jr.

Alexia Haick