At the age of 6, Alejandro Vargas had an abundant energy that his parents hoped to channel in sport. After having traveled all the conventional options, nothing seemed to remain. Then, to connect Vargas and his sister to their Colombian inheritance, his parents enrolled them in a salsa class in a local studio in New Jersey. It was then that everything has changed and that Vargas found his passion.
As Vargas aged, he grew up more serious about the dance and began to attend dance conventions with his studio, Dancin 'in the Spotlight. The owner, Liz Lebar, cultivated her versatility, encouraging her to train in all styles. “She taught me to be an enchantable dancer,” says Vargas, “like an adaptable chameleon.”
Vargas carried this lesson with him from high school to college, where he attended Juilliard. “I have always been interested in touching different ways in my career, whether Broadway, concert work, commercial work, a television or a film,” explains Vargas. Even if Juilliard focuses on concert dance, Vargas remained open, which has largely paid. During his last year, he was offered a role in the musical of Justin Peck's dance Illinoise.
Vargas made his debut in Broadway before graduating with his BFA in Juilliard. A few months later, he moved to Lyon, in France, where he dances now with the contemporary company acclaimed National Opera in Lyon.
We spoke with Vargas to speak more about his last year and the lessons he learned throughout.
On Juilliard: “Juilliard taught me about what I don't like or that I am not necessarily attracted. Fortunately, we were given many opportunities to work with different choreographers, and all the processes were not my favorites. But I think that knowing what you do not like in a medium is just as informative as to know what you like, because it helps you do. Which is an important life skill.
During his beginnings in Broadway Illinoise:: “At school, we had a two -day workshop with Justin Peck, and I approached it like a class because, for me, that's all. IllinoiseAnd I was more excited. Although we said that the workshop was not a hearing, because the dancers we have this instinct to treat everything as if it were a hearing and to be prepared. It is not necessarily to add pressure but to understand that you never know who looks or where it could lead. I am happy to have had excitement in the workshop and that I focused on pleasure without expecting a result. »»
On the choice of business life in France: “I was offered a contract with Lyon Opera a week before opening Illinoise In Broadway, my emotions were at a record level. I decided to take the contract instead of staying in New York. I had to wonder where I was going to find the most growth, and move to France was the option that scared me more. But I also wondered, “Why is it scareing me?” Just because it scares me, I will be unhappy. I imagined where I would feel the most out of my comfort zone, then I made the jump. I didn't know what to expect, but I appreciate it.
On advice for a diverse career: “First and foremost, stay open -minded. Do not have an emlintes on what you want to do. If you say “I only want to do something”, you could close experiences that could bite your interest. I always knew that I wanted to explore different aspects of dance in my career, but I was not sure of the trajectory. Upon entering my last year, I thought I would have companies before trying Broadway later. But it turned out to be the opposite.
Who knows where I will go to the future, but I agree to stay open to all the opportunities that present to me. »»
