Q: Do you have any mentors or important people in your life that have shaped the way you dance and or think about dance?

Another person I looked up to is Amy Marshall, who I danced with for more than 5 years. She has had her own company for the past 20 years. Amy danced for Taylor 2 and David Parsons. I took her class and she hired me from her class. It’s amazing before you get your foot in the door to have a teacher who has had the career you want. To even just get to listen to her audition and touring stories is amazing. Going into the dance world is crazy. It’s not a normal job. I remember being in college and I would say to myself, “Of course I want to tour!” But then you get there and you are like, “Oh no, what am I doing?” I think it’s important to listen to people who are really honest about what the dance world is really like.  Being a professional dancer is hard and I appreciate Amy.

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Q: What have been some challenges in your pre-professional or professional dance career?

When I graduated from college, everyone wanted to get into a contemporary ballet company. I thought I couldn’t do it. I can’t put on a pointe shoe anymore. I was trying to take as many classes as I could to figure out what worked for my body and what I liked. I have short legs and a mobile torso. It works for Taylor and that is a blessing. I had found a technique that doesn't require such high legs and feet! It can take a while to figure out what style you like if you want to teach and not perform. In the dance world you need to put in time to figure out what works for you. It takes time -- at least a year. Being rejected is very hard but if you are committed and keep trying it eventually pays off. It could be that you find out you love teaching pilates and you open a pilates studio.

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Q: What inspires you and drives you forward as an artist and a person?

I am proud that I’m a working dancer, that this is my number one job and who is paid a salary. I have my dream job; I’m the first person in my family to have their dream job. Neither of my parents graduated college. They are first generation from Puerto Rico and Sicily...I remember when I got the job. I said, “We made it, we did it!” It was such a huge deal...My parents are my biggest cheerleaders...I’m living the American dream of working hard towards what you want to do and having it actually pay off is the most inspiring thing that will probably ever happen to me.