AARON ARIZALA

Brand Ambassador for thevividvida | The Arts

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TVV: Hi! Thanks for interviewing with us. Share a little about yourself!

"My name is Aaron, I'm a student at UC Berkeley, alive for 20 years, and dancing through most of it. I love browsing through Youtube and watching anything movement related, whether it be gymnastics, ballet, or hip hop at dance studios. Dance has pretty much always been my go to outlet for both expression and exercise." - Aaron

TVV: A DANCER! So cool. How long have you been dancing?

I started dance when I was 5 years old at a studio wear I first learned jazz techniques. I've been competing at studio competitions in the US and around the world ever since I was 9. Now, I do urban dance and competitions in California where I have a broader dance community and am able to express, share, and learn around many diverse individuals who have completely different backgrounds from me. - Aaron

TVV: It seems like dance is a huge part of your life. Were you just thrown into it or was it something you asked to be a part of?

My siblings all danced, so naturally I took a class and I thought it was fun, so I stayed with it for so many years. - Aaron

TVV: Now, as an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, I'm sure your schedule is packed with classes and just being a young adult in general. Do you still dance and make time for it?

I have danced with Main Stacks Dance Team for 2 years, Truelement for a semester, Cal's Pilipinx Cultural Night for two performances, and am currently taking two weekly dance classes in lyrical and ballet, with hopefully more on the side. - Aaron

TVV: How do you plan to continue growing in dance?

I feel like I have had more growth in my past two years in my university team, than I have had in my last few years of high school. This is because I had been placed into a new environment in a style of dance that I have had minimal to no experience with; it really has been such a humbling experience. I plan on growing more by taking more class, whether it be by regular teachers or a teammate or peer just hosting a workshop. There is so much to learn from other people regardless of perceived skill or background. I'm also signed up for a regular lyrical and a ballet class in my schools PE department this semester, which I know will improve my technique and my dance vocabulary. - Aaron

TVV: Do you have plans to dance after college?

I currently am not planning to dance after college. Maybe I'll take a few classes here and there, but I won't be dancing in a team; college is the last time I will be dancing as intensely. - Aaron

TVV: Totally understandable. Do you think there's ever going to be a time in your life that you just stop dancing like 100%?

I will be a dancer until the day I die, regardless of team membership, work, or any other circumstances in life. - Aaron

TVV: Before we dive deeper in, can you share your favorite experience you've had while dancing?

Through dance, I once had a judge come up to me and say that my dancing changed his life. My favorite experience was having the power to make at least one person feel by a single performance. - Aaron

TVV: What impact has dance had on you? Emotionally, physically or even socially?

Physically, I have gotten to exercise while having fun at the same time. Socially, I have been able to meet some of my longest and greatest friends through dance. Dance has also allowed me to spend so much time with otherwise busy people every week. Mentally, I have been challenged by dance and have been constantly pushed to be a sharper dancer and a better person. However, I do find that after dance, I am best able to pay attention in class and in my studies. - Aaron

TVV: To anybody reading this who is interested in dance - whether that means taking classes, learning more about the industry or just practicing their styles - what advice would you give them?

Dance is something that many are able to do, but choose not to because of lack of experience or exposure to the form. To someone just starting to dance, I encourage you to just play music and observe how that makes you feel. You are able to translate that feeling into movement and it doesn't matter what other people think about how you do it and what you are doing. If the music makes you feel something, then it's something worth expressing through dance. To the person who has had many years of training in dance, it's always a good idea to take class and to take the time to learn different styles, or work on styles that you are uncomfortable with. Diversifying will give you a whole different perspective on dance and it will allow others to share with you things they've learned about dance through their style and life experiences.

For all dancers, I recommend taking class in all sorts of styles, you'll never know what you'll end up liking. Whenever you're taking class, always keep an open mind and try everything you know you can do safely. I also recommend watching Youtube videos, not just for advice, but to soak up different styles and gain an appreciation for how others decide to move. I also recommend recording yourself dance at practice or at a freestyle session, that way you can appreciate what you have done and you can figure out things that you would do differently. For urban dancers especially, I recommend reading articles on blog.steezy.co to gain tips and tricks on how to execute and improve your dancing. Lastly, but most importantly, join a community, so you can learn from many others as well on work on yourself and what you can improve. - Aaron

TVV: DREAM CHOREOGRAPHERS AND DANCERS YOU'D LOVE TO WORK WITH. GO!

I'd love to work with dancer/Youtuber Lucy Vallely some day. She has such an incredible energy and distinct style that I could only dream to work with. - Aaron

TVV: As a dancer, I can imagine that there are times you receive harsh criticism from peers, teachers or anybody who is watching you perform. How do you handle it?

When I get harsh criticism, first I try to step back and process how it makes me feel. Once I understand fully how I feel about the critique, I brush my feelings to the side and see what I can learn from it and how I can improve on it. Behind most critiques, there is definitely a lesson to be learned from it. - Aaron

TVV: Thank you so much for sharing with us today. We can't wait to share more of the collab we've done with you. Any last words you'd like to share to the readers?

I hope readers will know that their dance journey is theirs and theirs only to create, but that doesn't have to be done alone. Readers, I implore you to reach out and meet as many dancers as you can and to diversify your style. Often times, dancers with more styles tend to pick up choreography easier.

Dance if you can, it's the freest thing you can do; all you needed is music. - Aaron