Today we’d like to introduce you to Doriana Sanchez.
Hi Doriana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an award-winning Director/Choreographer and Creator. I started dancing as a child, my Father Frank Sanchez was a Mambo King who had an act with his sister Lola and he also was a Ballroom Dancer and instructor. Dancing was in my blood and as a child Sundays were for watching Fred and Ginger, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller and all the fabulous dancers of the great musicals. We are from a very small town, so all of the incredible movies filled my imagination with beautiful images of movement and light. We were on of the only Hispanic families in our town, so when I was young and found the Cher show, little did I know what was to come:) I loved everything about her, her beauty, sparkle, costumes, hair, voice, humor, but most of all, she kinda looked like me, a brown eyed brown haired girl. I started studied dance seriously when I was pretty young and that was all I really wanted to do… When I was 18, I came to Hollywood and started to work…
My first jobs were in clubs like the Playboy Club in Century City (I kept my clothes on but they were very tiny) and Peanuts Disco where I was in several shows, one of them being the ultimate Drag show called the Cosmetics. I was the only girl in the show. Loved being there so much with the fabulous Queens, they taught me so much about being who you are:) One night a super cute guy came up to me after the show and said he wanted to work with me sometime. His name was Kenny Ortega, this was many years before his fame as a creator for Michael Jackson, High School Musical, Newsies, and the original Hocus Pocus among all his wonderful work. I became his assistant choreographer for many years and danced for him in Dirty Dancing and many music videos of that time:) One of the projects he was working on was a new show for Cher. She saw me in the movie and wanted dance lessons from me. So I went up to her house and we hit it off immediately. I have worked with her as a show Director/Choreographer and Creative Consultant now for 35 years.
Other movies I loved being in are Breaking 2/Electric Boogaloo and Fast Forward which was Directed by Sidney Poitier. I have Choreographed and Directed Water in the Crane Dance in Singapore Harbor, dancing paper for the Crayola Experience, World Premier musicals in London-Barry Manilow’s Copacabana and Senior Discretion Himself Arena Stage Washington DC, and been the Disco Queen on So You Think You Can Dance for 16 Seasons on Fox. Been very grateful to work with legends such as Frankie Valli, the OJAYS, Shakira, Janes Addiction, Peter Gabriel, and on TV with the Grammys, American Music Awards, Dancing with the Stars, Euro VMA’s and many more. The work has brought me so much joy and I have been blessed with an Emmy Nomination for Cher’s HBO Special and a World Choreography Award. Currently, I am working with new and emerging artists, creating new shows and working on a book.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has defiantly been an interesting one…Started out as a dancer, became an associate choreographer, then a Choreographer then a Director. At one point had a production company that did music videos. I think have had a few bumps in the road, like being the only girl and a Latina, in a room of men, so I learned how to handle myself. One of my mentors said to be an iron fist in a velvet glove, so I always remembered that. Also, I really believe in doing the work not letting others do it for you, always lead with kindness, be authentic, and operate from a place of love, even when it is challenging. My biggest challenge happened 12 years ago when I became partially paralyzed. I fell on a set piece during our Cher show at the Colosseum at Caesars in Las Vegas… Had lots of physical therapy, tests and needles. It got so bad that I could no longer drive and was dragging my leg behind me… all the time thinking it was my back, and as dancers we always say, “I’m Ok”… Cher decided it was time for me to see her spine specialist in LA, so after the show one night we flew back to LA and I saw her Dr. the next day. He sent me for an MRI and discovered a massive brain tumor. I ended up having a seizure at her house that night and an ambulance took me to UCLA. There I had nearly 19 hours of brain surgery by the brilliant Dr. Neil Martin and his team. I truly believe I had a miracle because I could walk after that. Stayed ten days in the hospital and then had to go to what I called Brain School the Musical to learn everything else again…so that was probably my biggest struggle, but all good now 🙂
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think what sets me apart from others is I’m still here!!! I’m interested and learning all the time. There is so much gorgeous movement and beautiful creations happening, it is a very exciting time.
Probably am best known for all the tours and TV specials with Cher over the years, and also my work on So You Think You Can Dance. I have done a number of International circus so I understand how to use momentum to put bodies in the air quickly, and that has really been fun to bring onto the SYTYCD stage.
I love what I do and am so excited to be in creation of any kind 🙂
Most proud of the Cher Living Proof Farewell Tour, it was like being in a magical love sparkle bubble for three years with all your best friends, traveling the world and making people happy. Also loved the Galaxy Stars Circus I did in China, it was amazing!! 5 different languages were spoken, 150 international artists, and we gutted and rebuilt a 15,000 seat outdoor arena! Such beautiful memories.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Just by being an artist, we are taking a risk. As creatives, we have so many ideas that bounce around and when we have to present our ideas and dreams to the powers that be, it can sometimes be very interesting. We really put ourselves out there. But I also think its our job to just do it, and then if there is something to be changed or modified we get on with it… It’s really not that scary.
Contact Info:
- Website: DorianaSanchez.com
- Instagram: iamdorianadance
- Twitter: iamdoriana
Image Credits
Cher – personal photos Dance on Fox -SYTYCD Sidney Poitier- Fast Forward Tropicana Hotel Las Vegas – Imaginarium Hollywood Bowl – from the lighting console
