The Brazilian Marcelo Gomes began his dance training at the Helena Lobato and Dalal Achar Ballet Schools in Rio de Janeiro. After receiving the Revelation Prize (1993) at the Festival de Dança de Joinville in Brazil, he continued his studies in the USA, among other at the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, as well as at the schools of the Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Cuballet, where he studied under Alicia Alonso. His other awards include the Prix de Lausanne (1996) and the Prix Benois de la Danse (2008). Between 1997 and 2017, he danced as a Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre and performed in almost every full-length classical ballet in the companyʼs repertoire. 

International guest appearances have taken him to dance festivals and to venues including the Royal Ballet London, Het Nationale Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, State Ballet of Georgia, National Ballet of Canada, Houston Ballet, Teatro Colón, Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre, Mikhailovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, Sarasota Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, New York City Ballet, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro and Matthew Bourneʼs dance-theatre company New Adventures.

As a choreographer, he created works for the American Ballet Theatre and its Studio Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, The Kings of the Dance, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Sarasota Ballet and the Washington Ballet. In 2020/21, he was engaged as a Principal Dancer and Ballet Master at the Semperoper Ballet. After being appointed Artistic Advisor to the company in 2022/23, Marcelo Gomes became the Artistic Director of the Semperoper Ballet in a dual leadership role alongside Ballet Operations Director Adi Luick in 2023/24.

Since the 2025/26 season, Marcelo Gomes has been the Head Ballet Master at the Vienna State Ballet.