Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Paula Cabano. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Paula , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

When I was a little girl I couldn’t stay still for more than 10 seconds. Always running around the house, singing, acting, doing cartwheels, dancing. I always had this need to express through movement and instead of calming me down so I don’t bother people, my parents encouraged me to be myself and keep moving. That’s why when I was 4 my mom took me to my first dance class, and without realizing it, she changed my whole life.

Paula , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Dance has always been part of my life. It has been with me while I was a kid discovering life, learning how to communicate and interact with my surroundings and when I was a teenager having trouble being confident with who I was. It’s been with me when I first fell in love, when I met my best friends in the world, when I booked my first job, when my grandma passed away, when I graduated from college, when I moved from Uruguay to pursue my dreams. Being a dancer is more than my profession, it’s a core part of who I am.

I´m proud and grateful of being part of the generation of Uruguayan dancers to step out of the country and be recognized in the global dance community. It’s an honor to represent Uruguay teaching abroad and working with international artists. Thriving to prove that it doesn’t matter where you are from because with discipline and consistency you can achieve what you set your mind to.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

My parents where my biggest supporters. They spent countless hours taking me and picking me up from rehearsal at crazy hours. They saw every play, competition, event I was in. They would constantly ask me things to better understand my dance world and how was I doing in it, even when I was a cranky teenager and didn’t want to explain things. I always felt their support but now i’m mature enough to understand that that was key in my development as an artist.

If you have a son, sister, cousin, friend that is an artist, support them in any way you can. Get involved in their craft even if it’s just by talking to them about it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I was 14 I join my first hip hop dance crew. We rehearsed on Saturdays, so I was waiting impatiently all week for that day to come. I felt so amazed by my teachers and my crewmates, I was learning so much and having fun doing it. That is probably why I didn’t notice the red flags of a toxic crew leader- crew members relationship. Not being able to go to other dance classes, being embarrassed in front of your colleagues, working for free, being told there is no place for you outside the crew are a few things I normalized through my years there.

When I became a teacher and a leader I had to unlearn this old ways. I decided I didn’t want people to go through the same toxic environment that I went through. For me, the he best way to make people grow is to let them be free, let them choose their own path. If it’s with you it’s okey and if it’s not with you it’s okey too.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @paucabano