Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliette Martinez.
Hi Juliette, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story with dance started nineteen years ago when I entered a dance studio for the first time at the age of two. Now at 21, I have been able to craft a career out of dance while also using it as a catalyst to pursue my other passions. I am entering into my fourth and final year at UCLA, where I am a Dance major and Gender Studies minor. In the active pursuit of justice for all, I plan to use my education at UCLA to open up a career path as a lawyer. I am currently applying for top law schools around the country to potentially gain the skills to become an entertainment lawyer in order to further the rights and recognition of dancers in our industry. Although dance has been with me my entire life, this new chapter will open up doors for a healthier and more productive relationship with the art form.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
My life is nowhere near a smooth road, but every experience has bettered me and shaped me into the woman I am today. The most difficult experience was around 2016 when I had to receive knee surgery due to a minor injury. It was the first time in my life when I had been forced to find myself without dance, but I jumped at the opportunity to re-enter the industry and practically ignored the lessons I had learned. I was reminded of this self-discovery last year during the onset of the pandemic. As opposed to spending a few weeks on myself, away from dance, I have now spent over a year learning about my interests and simply about myself. Hence, the decision to take my extensive dance training and knowledge and apply it to an untouched field of law.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I pride myself on my education and dedication to furthering the communities in which I am involved. Most of my proudest accomplishments have found their way to me through dance, some of which include: Youtube Streamy Awards, So You Think You Can Dance, LA Opera’s La Traviata, and furthering dance education with Velocity Dance Convention and ASH Dance Convention as a convention assistant. While at UCLA, I have become intensely involved with ACA Dance Team, which I now direct and co-coordinate, and have also started to pursue modeling. My specialty in dance has always been contemporary and modern-based styles since I grew up training with Evoke Dance Movement and Mather Dance Company. In college, however, I began to study street styles with my wonderful professors at UCLA, Jackie “Miss Funk” Lopez and Leigh “Breeze-Lee” Fooad. This exposure to new forms of Hip Hop movement has led me to be in constant search of learning opportunities and has pushed me to become a better person and share my knowledge with my community. I truly feel that what sets me apart from others is my undeniable energy and experience that I can bring to any room. My hope is that I leave this world better than when I found it, and by pursuing a career where I learn the in-and-outs of our capitalistic system, I can later work to reform it and help my community to thrive.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The simple things make me the happiest. Growing up, every time I wanted a sibling (I’m an only child), my parents would instead adopt a cat. So by the time I was off to college, our family of three had become outnumbered by our four cats. Last August, I had officially re-moved out into a place of my own (after living at home during the pandemic), and a few months later, I decided to adopt a cat of my own, Venus. She brings such joy to my life and I love every minute I get to spend playing with and taking care of her. Also, I have reignited my passion for reading! I was, and still am, a Harry Potter nerd growing up and take pride in that, which I think led to my recent obsession with Marvel. Something about these make-believe universes challenges me to rethink my own life, which I suppose is the beauty of literature and cinema. Performing has always been one of my greatest joys and I see that translated in the screen in these films, even if it is not through the art form of dance (but my love for dance on screen is also why I have been obsessive watching anything by Lin-Manuel Miranda lately). Lastly, just spending time with the people that I love and cherish is the most important thing to me and makes me the happiest gal in the world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/juliette.martinez
Image Credits:
Gail Bowman
