Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Ramirez.
Hi Vanessa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my journey in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada where I was born and raised. My parents watched me climbing all over our furniture at four years old and demonstrating my flexibility in horrifying ways, so they figured it would be a good idea to keep my sister and I occupied with gymnastics and dance. I knew that dance was something special to me the moment I stepped in the room.
There was no other way I felt I was expressing myself and connecting to music and movement so deeply than through dance. I followed this feeling of pure love and cultivated my storytelling and technical training throughout my 14 years at my home studio: CM Dancing. What I’m most grateful for during that time is my mom showing me a world of dance or art beyond my little town. I traveled across North America attending dance conventions, dance conservatories, dance workshops, dance competitions, dance showcases, and along the way I developed an itch to create dance myself. At the age of fifteen, I began choreographing my own solos for competitions until I graduated high school, I also taught children ages two to eighteen and once began to choreograph multiple numbers for my studio before heading off to college. Now I have just recently graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles with my BFA in Dance Theatre. During my time at the school I partook in live and filmed productions, I choreographed, directed and produced two original dance shows as well as two solo performances of my own, and learned from amazing, thoughtful and inspiring artists on the faculty. These three weeks post-graduation I’ve choreographed and danced in a short film, I look forward to working as a dancer on a music video, and I tour the city of Los Angeles training, hungry for my next adventure.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There’s many practices I’ve included in my life that stems from the hardships I have or currently face in my life, especially in dance since the studio was where I spent over twenty-five hours a week. Any chance I have to uplift a dancer, I take it. Dance is hard enough on a person’s body, the teacher/choreographer/director/classmate does not need to make it hard on their mind too. I know for myself growing up I didn’t learn by criticism, insult, and force, so I actively pursue an uplifting, positive environment for my dancers where they can not only grow as technicians and artists but human beings as well. Had I had more of that growing up I believe it would have avoided a lot of injury from pushing past my limits to impress and the “do I actually like dance?’ conversations I’d have with my family. At eleven I tore my right hip labrum, I didn’t find out what the injury was until I was sixteen. It was discovered at that time somewhere along the way I also tore my left hip labrum and immediately began injections of medication to lessen the pain. After graduating high school, I deferred college for one year to endure a bi-lateral hip labrum repair, a double hip surgery that would be necessary if I chose dance as my career. And I had, so I did. I could not have recovered to where I am now at year four post-surgery without my family, friends and mentors. They’ve seen me fall and they continuously pick me up after each falter, I’m stronger now because of them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love being in a continuous cycle as a dancer and a choreographer and now learning the acting craft, it’s very gratifying to be able to bring all perspectives on whatever project I am working on. It also adds another layer of respect and understanding with whomever I am working with in either role. I feel as though I hear music differently than others which plays a big part in my movement and storytelling. I once had a teacher tell me that I should be able to name every instrument in the music I am dancing to, so I can truly comprehend where each accent is, why I’m feeling the way I do, what the motivation behind each connecting movement is, etc. I incorporate that and also my natural abilities like my flexible joints that help me to create seamless transitions. I’ve done a lot with dance and choreography, the most in these past five years I would say just because of college and having creative freedom with my dance studio back home. I am most proud of my recent, first full-length immersive dance theatre show PHOBIA that I created in my final semester of college. I was able to work with my best friends at school and self-produce, choreograph, direct, and design a contemporary dance show personifying different phobias and their fearful victims. We had only one performance at school because of covid restrictions, but I’m hoping the footage will be available soon so that I can share it with everyone and anyone I can.
How do you think about luck?
I know many people who are definitely lucky, but I think everything I have or haven’t received/endured was a result of my own actions or lack thereof. It does help to believe that I’m lucky and that any good or bad things I encounter are for me and my better self. I do find myself in a lot of coincidences though that could be defined as luck, it’s a “when one door closes another one opens” situation almost every time. And there is always a lesson why I did or didn’t get the best option. But yes, I like to move through life with a positive outlook that really nothing can go wrong and if it does, it would be a good learning experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ramir3zvanessa.wixsite.com/my-site-4
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessarxmirez/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessarxmirez/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vanessarxmirez
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHCAOiPKyA-C7DIUbUoLezg
Image Credits
Michael Higgins, Josh S Rose, Camden Lee Photography
