City News, Ana and Coco fly together

He grew up in a placement centre. She grew up in a normal family that attended to her every needs. Together, they make the perfect whole. As if nothing could stop them from reaching for the sky.

Ana Veres and Cornel Constantin Cimpoeru (Coco) are the leading dancers in The Firebird, the first community dance show in Romania. Ana is 17. She is fragile, has a delicate smile and graceful movements. She seems more shy than Coco, even though she grew up in a normal family and he lives in a placement centre. Now, Coco is 19 and studies graphic art at the Arts High School. He comes from the Gulliver shelter. His look turns dark when we talk about the differences between children who have parents and orphans. “The only difference is that a placement center is not a real home. Apart from that, we all play, eat, talk just like all the other children” he firmly explains.

Ana confesses she started off with some limitations and preconceptions regarding orphans. She admits she would have never imagined having friends who grew up in shelters. Now, she adds, smiling and gently touching the shoulder of her stage partner, “Coco and I get along extremely, extremely well”.