Artist of the Month: "Ursula Verduzco"

For July, we have the pleasure to have as Artist of the Month Ursula Verduzco, dancer, choreographer, actress and dancewear stylist. Ursula, originally from Mexico City started her dancing career in Austin, TX, and for so many years she has been preforming as a professional dancer in New York. In the last six years she has performed as a Soloist and Principal with the Staten Island Ballet. In 2008 she created The Latin Choreographers Festival in new York City.

Forum Artistico: We always want to know from our artists why and how they choose their artistic discipline, so why dancing and ballet?

Ursula: Dancing has been my love since I can remember; my mother took me to ballet when I was 4 years old and since then I could not stop wanting to be a part of this world of dance. I remember my mom taking me to ballet school; she bought me a red leotard, red tights and red shoes..... cool right?! and with my hair in two braids I was so happy moving and dancing to the music, going around a circle on releve with my hands on my hips. That was fun!

In that school I had my first performance dancing the bird in "Peter and the Wolf", after that day I knew that my 4 year old world had changed, and since then I accepted this "curse", this passion for dance that has been and will be my life. Dancing is my way of being, my way of passing through this world, when I dance I feel free and with a purpose, when I dance life is wonderful and I feel complete. Ballet, because is so challenging and it keeps me striving, fighting and getting better, because I love the lines that are created with it and because after being able to create those lines, then you can deconstruct them and create a freer movement if you want to create something more contemporary.

F.A.: Is there any person in your life that influenced your decision to undertake a career in the arts?

Ursula: Yes my mother and father, he is a musician and an actor and my mother is an actress too, I was always surrounded by art in general, classical music ( the Beatles too!), theater and books at home and seeing my parents fight for their dream gave me the inspiration to fight for mine. They are amazing!

F.A.: You were born in Mexico and moved to US, very young, to pursue your dancing career, what was your family reaction, did they support your decisions?

Ursula: I was very lucky to have them both on my side, they really trusted me a hundred percent and believed I needed to experience other worlds, but they honestly did not believe, that a trip that looked like an adventure was going to become my future and my dream come true. It is hard to be away from them and my brother and we miss each other always.

F.A: Tell us about your journey in the US , the type of training that you had in the US and professionally what were you missing in your country?

Ursula: I studied at Ballet Austin Academy and then at the Joffrey Ballet School in NY, after graduating I trained with Nancy Bielski and Mme Peff Modelski; I have been so fortunate to be able to have this experiences in this schools and with this talented teachers, their support through the years has been invaluable and I am so grateful to them. In my country the opportunities in dance are not so many, we have a very limited number of ballet companies in the country and because of that is very hard to get a job. There are many dancers looking for very little amount of contracts, so after spending a lifetime training for a career, you find yourself sometimes incapable of fulfilling your purpose.

F.A.: Looking at your biography I see that you are also a co-owner of UB Costumes and Dancewear. Being a dancer helps you create your own designs or are the pieces and performers that inspire your designs?

Ursula: Being a dancer is wonderful and it can help you in so many fields if you know how to take advantage of it, I design for dance thinking of what I would like to wear, how do I want it to feel in the skin, how comfortable I need to be in it and of course how I like it to look. I love to design for dance, specially designing costumes for companies and choreographers, I can use my skills and be creative. I love to see a piece and imagine the costumes, the dancers, the vision of the choreographer and the movement inspire me, it is great to see the transformation of fabric and materials into a costume that will be part of the vision of the choreographer and the message he/she wants to convey. I Co-own this company with Benjamin Briones who has been also a dancer and now a choreographer and director of his own company (Benjamin Briones Ballet) and together we have used all the knowledge and love for dance we have to be able to deliver the best product.

F.A.: What is your favorite ballerina and your favorite dance production?

Ursula: Wow! that is a tough question..... I love Alessandra Ferri in Romeo and Juliet obviously, her freedom of movement is beautiful and her acting skills and what she is able to express with her face and her body transport me places. Margot Fonteyn is also one that I admire a lot, she was beautiful and very gutsy, I love her partnership with Nureyev and the wonderful work relationship they created. Carla Fracci..... timeless.

F.A.: For dancers is very important to be fit to avoid injuries, how do you keep yourself in shape?

Ursula: For me it is a combination of different things.... I take everyday class at Steps on Broadway with Nancy Bielski , or at least everyday that I am not rehearsing somewhere else, I try as much as possible to go to the gym and get in the elliptical machine and do some weights, I keep in mind all the PT exercises I know I need to do and Gyrotonic is also something I love to do.

F.A.: You are a Gyrotonic instructor, do you recommend Gyrotonic to other dancers and what are the benefits for dancers?

Ursula: Absolutely! Gyrotonic is so beneficial for dancers because it works your flexibility, strength, coordination, your mind body connection and your feeling of space. It works in a 3 dimensional way, creating circles and waves that get your body feeling longer, taller, oiled, strong and ready! Come take class with me!

F.A.: In 2008 you created in NYC the Latin Choreographers Festival, tell us more about it and why you wanted to create this festival ?

Ursula: I created this Festival with the intention to promote established, new and rising talented choreographers; we live in a world of dance where we are used to leave all this type of endeavors to organizations, companies or directors and I think is the responsibility of all of us to maintain and empower dance in any way we can. Why not create a Festival while I am a dancer? And so, the idea of it came along in my head... The Latin Choreographers Festival turns 3 years old this July and I can not believe time has passed so fast, we are growing and moving to a new venue, this year festival will happen at DNA Theatre, and the choreographers participating are so talented and inspiring. I am grateful for the support of Teatro IATI who has been opening its doors to The Latin Choreographers Festival since the beginning. We have had the honor of showcasing choreographers from various backgrounds including Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Costa Rica and Ecuador, this year we add to the list, Chile and Spain.

A lot of exciting things have happened lately, I was part of a series of interviews for the July issue of Dance Magazine, dedicated to Race in the dance world and there, I talk also about the Festival and how I was interested in opening up the eyes of people to see what the Latin community had to say through dance and movement. Check it out!

Also, Point Magazine asked me for an interview with one of the festival choreographers, Roman Baca for their E-Newsletter coming out July 14th.

As you can see this is the mission of the festival, promoting and showcasing artists, getting their vision across and creating opportunities for them. Please join us at the performances, I can guaranty you a wonderful and exciting night.

F.A.: At this stage of your career you dance classical and contemporary pieces but also you choreograph your own pieces. What is the difference between dancing somebody else’s choreography and your own?

Ursula: Currently I am most interested in getting the opportunity to work with as many choreographers as possible, I enjoy immensely working with different choreographers and getting to know, feel and interpret their way of thinking, it is so interesting and fulfilling. I want to enjoy different ways of moving, on point , off point, exciting, difficult, challenging, adding all this journey to my dance life. Dancing somebody else's work is exciting because is a foreign concept that I get to make mine, that I borrow for the time I dance it to believe in it and feel what it is to be that person or that vision. The relationship and the nourishment that I get from a choreographer is invaluable, it leaves me feeling wanting more. When I choreograph, I only do it when I have something specific to say, I don't mean there needs to be a specific story or a script , but for me there needs to be a reason for those steps to exist on stage. So dancing my own work is great because I get to be my own reason, I get to say with my own body what I would like to also say with words. I enjoy it too. Although it is very hard to do since I can not see it from the outside... Now a days I try to create my work first on my dancers and after is done and performed then I might take the opportunity to feel it on myself.

F.A.: As a choreographer, what inspires you ?

Ursula: life inspires me, my personal life too, my struggles and the struggles of people, of human beings and the feelings that come with it. Happiness, enjoyment, pain, desire, love.

It all comes thorough images in my head. What happens in the world and the reaction of all of us to those situations. Sometimes a piece of music gives me the idea, sometimes a reason makes it happen or a costume that I thought to create; others is about a picture I create in my head and sometimes it is all combined at the same time.

F.A.: Professionally, where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Ursula: 10 years! That is a long time from now... the only thing I know for sure is that I will be dancing in one way or another and that my life will still be dedicated to this art form in a lot of ways.

F.A. : Have you ever thought of having your own dance company?

Ursula: Not really, I find it very time consuming, there are so many details to having a company and I want to concentrate my life on having the time to dance mainly and then produce work, but you never know, I never thought I was going to be a choreographer and suddenly I am! That is one of the things I love about life, there are so many options, as long as you keep yourself honest to your dream and fight for it, life becomes such a wonderful adventure directed by you.

F.A.: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?

Ursula: I would love to invite everybody to the performances of The Latin Choreographers Festival this season JULY Sat 16th and Sun 17th @ 7:30pm and Sun 18th @ 3pm at DNA Theatre (280 Broadway 2nd floor- entrance on Chambers St. New York, NY, 10007) Join us for an exciting time of dance, you will enjoy the wonderful dancers and talented choreographers. Come to support dance and enjoy a wine and food reception after each show where you will be able to mingle with all choreographers, dancers and audience, I am sure the conversations will be intense.

Let's Keep Dance and Opportunities Alive!

Photos by Rachel Neville

Past Artists of the month:

Nadine Lavi (Writer)

Hernan Justo (Choreographer)

Maria Riboli (Actress)

Kat Wildish (Dance Theacher & Choreographer)

Tony Duncan (Variety Artist)

Velia Calderon Clavijo (Opera Singer)

Merrin Trombka (Dancer)

Mariangelica Cuervo: (Actress)

Annabella Gonzalez (Dancer Choreographer)