In the words of Obi-Wan, “Hello There!”
My name’s Dario, I’m a grade 12 student and I’m really stressed. No honestly, the thought that in 3 months I graduate, still hasn’t sat with me without being a main stressor of mine. All jokes aside, let’s get to know me. I’m 17 years old and I’m a dancer/choreographer. When I say dancer/choreographer, I don’t mean it lightly.
Dance Is My Life
Monday through Sunday. No joke. I’m always dancing or creating new choreography. I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember, however this year I’ve really changed my perspective of dance and I began to fully realize that I enjoy creating dances more than doing others’ dances.
I really started getting into the arts in grade 7 when I auditioned for my first musical at MBCI. I was pretty much an absolute nobody in the school until I hit that audition and scored the lead role of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka. That musical sparked my love for the arts, and it opened my eyes to how much I love performing on stage. The next musical, I landed another lead role, and this was the turning point for me as a creative. I constantly wanted to go against the grain because I had so many ideas of how to make something better, but I was not in that position of power. I regret a lot from those times and won’t get into detail but now I always tell myself that, my past is a lesson. Not a life sentence. I must forgive myself and focus on the right now and what’s to come.
The Here and Now
Skip forward a few years and here we are now. I focus and specialize in hip-hop and many subdivisions of hip-hop. I teach occasional dance classes and I’m constantly in my basement innovating and experimenting with new dance concepts. Playing around with new things and creating things that no one has ever seen before is my favourite thing.
Some days I can’t stop thinking about dance ideas and other days I wonder why I’m wasting my time. But when you care about something, every little thing that has to do with it makes you paranoid and gets you second guessing it all, that’s just human nature.
Variation
Right now, I’m constantly asking myself who in Winnipeg wants more? More than dancing for mediocre social media clips, more than doing the same dance all the time, more than a fake community. Why do people not push themselves? Once you find your “brand” as a dancer, that doesn’t mean that you must create the same stuff every time. VARIATION. That’s how you get better, No? Since last year, I’ve expanded into SO many subdivisions of hip-hop. I’m 17 and still in high school and I’m pushing myself more than most people I know. I want more, I want to push myself, I want to create so much and I’m at the point where it’s so hard to solidify my ideas because of all the new ones popping in my mind. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I want more, I’m not going to get that in Winnipeg.
My journey is going to be a long one, but passion never sleeps, and this is my passion.
If I want it, I will work for it.
Dario