Q: What has been your professional dance journey, and how did you come to dance with  Dance Theatre of Harlem? ‍

My parents are from Mexico. Both my parents came to the U.S. as immigrants. My parents were full time workers—my mom cleaned hospitals and my dad was doing construction, so to keep me busy, my dad put me in ballet class. I continued, and I remember at a certain point we couldn't afford it. But the school gave me scholarships, and tried to find ways to help me continue, which helped. I remember when I was 15 years old, and the director's son, Daniel Wilkins, who was a dancer with the New York City Ballet (NYCB), would come and teach us classes, and he ended up staying for the year because our director got sick. It was audition season and all the girls were getting ready to audition. He told us there was an NYCB group coming to the audition. This was in Seattle, Washington. I was the only one who wasn't going to audition; I didn't have any pictures or money. But he said “you have to go”, so he drove me to the audition. I didn't want to go. I never really believed I could be a ballerina. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and do something that would make money for my family, and I thought of ballerinas as unicorns. Pretty and majestic, but not real. I ended up going to the audition, and somehow I got in. So, that summer I went to the School of American Ballet, and I remember not being able to afford it. But my dad’s boss donated money so I could go to the summer program. Then, I went to the program but I didn't apply to stay (at the school) because I didn’t really think it could happen. When I went home, the directors in my small school said they wanted me to move up in the world, so they had me audition for Pacific Northwest Ballet. I auditioned and got in, and I started going to Pacific Northwest Ballet from 15-18 years old. At 18 I was asked to be in the professional division, which is kind of like being a trainee. I remember my first summer we did an end-of-the-year showcase in the professional division and after the show, I got an email asking if I would be interested in taking an offer from the Sacramento ballet. I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting it, and I didn't even want it because I didn’t feel like I was prepared for it, and I didn't believe in myself. But everyone told me to take it, so I did. I remember I got really sick and I had to go back home. I took time off, and I thought I would just quit and go to school instead. I went to the University of Washington for a month, and I remember sitting in the classroom and asking myself, “what am I doing? How many people do I know who are professional ballerinas?” That was my last day. I remember getting online and researching ballet companies that were close. I ended up going to Oregon Ballet as an apprentice. They were in the middle of Swan Lake, and they put me in right away, even though there were other girls waiting in line. I was terrified because I was young and had already had a position in another company, but had quit, so I didn't know where I stood.

After 3 years at Oregon Ballet, I went to Ballet San Antonio in Texas for 5 years and became a soloist. I had a friend in Dance Theatre of Harlem and he really liked it, and said I should audition. I said no at first because I really liked being in a small company. I got opportunities, I got to work with Ben Stevenson (the artistic director of Houston Ballet), and got a lot of hands-on work because it was a smaller company. But then, I ended up auditioning for Dance Theatre of Harlem because they lost a dancer. I flew in and had a private audition that was 3 hours long. The actual audition is an 8 hour long cattle call. So I was grateful for the private audition. I got in, and it's been a whole different experience because it's a touring company with 16 dancers. This will be my third season. ‍

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

It's always been money, to be honest. Whether its shoes, or going to auditions. For me it's always been the money. I've had the drive to do it, so I think the financial part was the hardest part for me and my family. My family always has tried to help me as best as they can, and I’ve always had a second job to supplement my income from dancing. This is the first time I haven't had a second job. ‍

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Q: Do you believe dance can be a platform for social justice topics? If so, how? and/or Have you used your art form to make a difference?

I do. I feel like a lot of people can learn, and their attention can be grasped if they see it in an art form. Audiences can feel something and [social justice topics] can click when they see it through an art form. ‍

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

What inspires me is the fact that I am doing something that I love, and that not everyone can do what I do. It's really rewarding because you work your whole life to do this. I know it's cliché, but I really feel like dance is a part of me. My culture and my family also inspires me. They have always shown me hard work, and taught me to work hard for whatever you believe in. That inspires me daily. ‍

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Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you as a performing artist?‍

It has affected me a lot from day one, which was two weeks ago. We were on tour in Detroit. We had just finished a school show. We were so thankful to perform for over 2,000 students and it was so rewarding to share our art form with young people. Right after that, we were told that the rest of the tour would be cancelled. After that, everything was shut down, so we didn’t even get to perform for the public in Detroit. Our New York season is in April, and we usually perform at New York City Center. That was cancelled. The Washington State performance was cancelled. It’s been really upsetting, going from being so full and enriched with dancing every day, to now, not knowing when I will be able to dance again. It’s hard. Now, I realize that it will pass. We just have to take a step back and continue to do whatever we can, like doing barre classes online, taking a walk, talking to family and friends, and just seeing what we actually have—without any of the outside stuff. I find myself going online to see how I can learn from what people are posting and what they are doing. I think this will make our dance community stronger, more eager, and inspire more ideas. ‍

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Q: Do you think the pandemic will make us a more socially conscious society? If so, how? ‍

I think so. You don't realize what you have until it is taken away from you. I think this is the third time I have felt this way in my career. I’m more aware and open to what I have to lose. We don't realize how much we connect with each other socially, and how that relates to everything else. ‍

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Q: Using the idea of “worldmaking” how do you imagine the performing arts world after the pandemic? (Worldmaking: How you can re-imagine the world in your own terms, the way you want it to be. Using this tool one can construct new worlds and write themselves into narratives that have excluded them and systems that have disabled them.)‍

In my ideal world, the performing arts would become more appreciated and more versatile—not just artists supporting artists. I hope that everybody starts appreciating the arts, and realizes how art impacts both the younger generation and the elderly. I hope there is an understanding that art is for everyone.