Carl Ponce Cubero
As a gay kid, dance saved me. I suffered from depression and anxiety starting in high school. A lot of it came from my sexuality and the fact that I never felt I fit in anywhere. There was never a time where I felt I was fully a part of anything...The only time I would leave my room was to go to dance, because in the studio I felt I had something to offer. I felt my being there was helpful in some way, and so whenever I don’t dance for a long time it is very hard on my mental state. It probably has to do with being in a space where I feel like I am seen and that what I bring has worth.
COVID-19 hit us right before our NYC season. It paused all plans until we have more information. There are still so many questions in the air. We had other touring opportunities in the spring that are also at a stand still or have been cancelled entirely. It has not only affected where and when we will perform, but the trajectory of my career is also on hold. COVID-19 created an environment where dance as a whole has to rethink itself and how we can work all of it within the coming economic crisis. I think it hit the dance community earlier and harder than anyone had anticipated.
Carl Ponce Cubero (Porterville, CA) began his dance training at the age of nine in his hometown. He attended the University of California, Irvine where he was a part of his mentor Donald McKayle’s performance group, Étude Ensemble and received his BFA in Dance Performance with a minor in Anthropology. Mr. Cubero also trained at The Ailey School Summer Intensive and later as a scholarship student. He has worked with choreographers Donald McKayle, Lar Lubovitch, Jennifer Archibald, and Bradley Shelver. This is his second season with the company.