We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bella Lara. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bella below.

Hi Bella , thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

At four years old, I knew I wanted to pursue ballet. My parents exposed me to the arts and books when I was very young. At the age of four, I was reading, and my favorite book was “Angelina The Ballerina,” about a mouse that danced ballet. Yes, I was inspired by a dancing mouse! Seeing my first Nutcracker performance validated my desire to dance. I started training at the San Diego School of Ballet when I was four and never stopped. I quickly fell in love with the art and the challenges of learning the beautiful art of ballet. The most fulfilling part of my day was going to ballet school. By age twelve, I was training six days a week, and the studio became my second home.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an independent ballet dancer, teacher, model, and entrepreneur. I founded Balletcrazie to inspire other artists; I post about body image, motivational quotes, women’s issues, human issues, and the challenges/ triumphs we have as artists. And I post things just for fun as well. I have taught and trained young ballet students for the past three years. I love sharing this art with young dancers; I take a different approach than the old-school ways of teaching. I keep in mind that not all young dancers want to be professionals; many dancers do it recreationally, which is wonderful. I want every student to feel important and empowered, and they learn to enjoy dancing while gaining proper technique. I have been a dance model for six years, working with leaders in dance products. Modeling is a different way to express what I do as an artist, and I enjoy working with photographers as they have a beautiful talent for creating photos. However, my favorite place in the world is to be on stage dancing!

In addition to my work, I am a content writer and a social media manager. This work is fun and creative, and I’m available for long-term projects or something short-term.

Giving back to our community is very important, and as a Latina, I’m passionate about supporting my community. I have volunteered for many different nonprofits over the years. I have recently worked on a large project supporting the Latin Community with events where Latin Leaders inspired others as they shared their stories. I’m currently working on my project, “Latinas Juntos” we are working on our first event, which will take place in early 2023.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

This past September, I was in a bicycling accident; I often cross-train and was home visiting my parents on this day. My Dad and I went out for a ride, going about 28 miles an hour; I lost control and crashed. I ended up in the trauma unit at our local hospital. I had a compound break on my nose, fractured my orbital bone, and had a road rash cover my entire body. I had surgery and a two-day stay in the hospital. I had a pretty bad case of post-concussion syndrome, but with my doctor’s help and the support of my family and friends, I recovered quickly. I was wearing a helmet, and it saved my life. I share this story because it has affected me physically and emotionally. I was not allowed to train or perform for three to six weeks, and it was incredibly hard. This experience has taught me how strong and fragile I can be simultaneously. I lost a job during this time and gained some other fantastic opportunities. Returning to dancing took time, and feeling confident took even a little more time. I’m happy to report with hard work and advocacy for myself; I’m returning to the stage this weekend!

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

Every artist plays a different and necessary part in contributing to our society’s overall health, development, and well-being.
Creative thinkers and makers provide their communities joy, interaction, and inspiration. The most direct way to support artists is to hire them or buy their products. In addition, you could subscribe to their online platforms, spread the word, and promote them on social media.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balletcrazie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balletcrazie/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bellalara0902/

Image Credits
Patty Martinez Scott Edwards Al Ponce