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This is a section of Forum Artistico that we dedicate to our Artists. A member randomly selected will be interviewed by our staff, giving them the opportunity to share their experience and career goals.
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Annabella Gonzalez: Dancer and Coreographer
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Forum Artistico: Hi Annabella, you have the honor of being selected as the first Dancer to be interviewed by Forum Artistico. You are a Dancer and Choreographer for over 30 years, can you please tell us what made you decide to become a dancer?
Annabella: Thank you for this wonderful honor.
I attended a Movement Class for Actors at the HB Studio in New York City as a teenager which turned out to be a dance class. By the end of the class, I knew that I wanted to be a dancer, not an actress. I also knew instinctively that my ultimate goal was choreography because I love to combine steps and ideas into a whole.
F.A.: Is there any person in your life that influenced your decision to become a dancer?
Annabella: No. I just fell in love with dance.
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F. A.: You are originally from Mexico, how was starting a dancing career in your country at that time?
Annabella: I was born in Mexico City but I only took a few ballet and flamenco classes there as a child because I was very sickly and kept fainting in class so my mother took me out of classes. I was too young to know what I wanted although I knew from age three that I was going to be an artist because I loved the colors and shapes of the art and art books in our house.
F.A.: You have been in this business for a long time and worked in Europe and the Americas; have you found any differences in the way to work in the two continents?
Annabella:Not really. There are wonderful teachers and choreographers in both continents. I had the privilege of studying and performing professionally in Geneva, Switzerland, for seven years. I also took classes for a few months each during the summers in Paris, London and Stockholm.
F.A: Not long ago you celebrated your 30th anniversary of your company “Annabella Gonzales Dance Theater”, congratulations! How has been this journey? Any difference between the way to work with dancers of different generations and countries?
Annabella: No. Good dancers everywhere are bright, sensitive, focused, punctual and dedicated. It is a privilege to work with such intelligent and creative people!
F.A: I understand that you do a little of everything in your company, dancing, choreographing, fundraising, office work…how do you manage to attend all these very different responsibilities…?
Annabella: I’m not alone. I have an Assistant, a Board of Directors, an Advisory Council, and volunteers for mailing list updates and yearly Spring Series. I also work with terrific fundraising consultants on special projects.
F.A.: Are you currently working in a project or a production?
Annabella: Yes, we’re preparing our first concert series in Mexico for the 5th International Chihuahua Festival with six dancers and two drummers that I hope will be the beginning of international touring.
F.A.: What are your future plans?
Annabella:To continue to develop as a choreographer and Company, to increase the number of concerts and residencies (and budget!) and to tour internationally.
F A. : Based on your personal experience, what would you advise other young artists that are thinking of undertaking a career as an artist?:
Annabella: Do what you love and need to do regardless of financial considerations. The profound satisfaction you will get from this more than compensates for hardships or difficulties.
F.A.: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?
Annabella: I would like the United States to support dance more and to respect dancers and artists generally more not just because we are creative but because we are essential to all societies. Europe is very different in this regard because it supports its artists far more than we do. This, I believe, comes from the patronage of Kings and Queens that was passed on to their modern governments.
F.A.: Because, our website has just been launched, we would like to have some feedback from our artists. What do you think about Forum Artistico, and in your opinion, can this project help artists in general?
Annabella: Forum Artistico is an excellent and important website that is needed here, nationally, and internationally. The more we connect and interact, the better. Congratulations on such a great initiative!
F.A.: Thank you Annabella for you time and good luck
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Interview by Leonardo Tapino for Forum Artistico copyright©2009
Past Artists of the month:
Felipe Bonilla (Actor)
Rossella Rago (Actress)
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