Bio
Marcella Solimeo is a South African Latin and Ballroom dancer best known for partnering comedian Siv Ngesi on the SABC3 reality competition television show Strictly Come Dancing.
Solimeo started dancing at the age of three with ballet and movement classes until the age of 8 when she moved to Milano, Italy. She joined a dance company under the auspices of the Scarlatti association receiving training in modern dance and completing several exams.
At the age of 12 she returned to South Africa and did Spanish dancing, achieving the highest award in her category. Her Latin-American dancing started at age 13, entering competitions a year later winning the "Battle of the Giants" title in the youth section held at Sun City.
She continued on this path receiving technical training and accumulating regional titles including Gauteng Provincial Adult Open Championships in 2012. In 2011 and 2012 she was runner up at the South African Adult Open Championships.
In 2010 she danced for South African singer Lira featuring Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte in their music video for their song "as mascaras". At age 19 she was invited to join the international theatre production known as "Burn the Floor" where she performed in Tampa, Florida USA, for the winter/spring season.
She performed with "Beyondred Entertainment" company twice in the Seychelles in 2013. In the same year, she achieved top 24 on So You Think You Can Dance South Africa and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing as a guest performer.
Marcella also toured with the stars of Strictly come Dancing UK, Katya Virshilas and Pasha Kovalev, in their theatre show "An evening with the stars of Strictly come Dancing". The tour started in March 2014 traveling to numerous theatres in England, Scotland and Wales, completing over 74 shows around.
This included her West End debut where she performed alongside Katya and Pasha to a sold out crowd at The Lyric Theatre in the heart of London's Shaftesbury Avenue.
In 2014 she was one of the professional dancers competing on the seventh season of the SABC3 reality competition series Strictly Come Dancing. Her celebrity dance partner was Siv Ngesi.