We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dariel E. Vega Seda. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dariel E. below.

Dariel E. , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Being a dancer at least for me it’s always about taking risks because i have to deside on whether I go the “normal” or “standard” way or follow my dream. It’s always been like that because when you’re starting in this business you still have to have a normal job to pay your bills. The wish of every professional dancer is to live dancing and being able to make enough to just dance plus other things that comes with it. So in my case I am still thriving to make this goal happen in the meantime all it takes is risk, if you fail you learn from it if you don’t also learn from it to make you succeed.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Dariel Enrique Vega Seda born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Im 25 years old, type 1 diabetic and my passion is dancing, choreographing and creative work. It all started when i was 8 years old that i notice that i like music and vibing with it. I’m the youngest of 3 and we all dance but the one who started it was the oldest, my brother Gabriel. He was Michael Jackson’s biggest fan and he used to dance all of his songs and i used to try to make fun of him by mocking him, so i used to act like i was dancing but it started being something that i enjoyed really well. So i started to look up videos in YouTube in 2008 to learn certain steps and styles so i can say that i learn from YouTube. One of my biggest inspiration growing up was the movie “Step Up” and “Stomp the Yard” and in music just everything that was coming out, Chris brown, michael jackson, usher, rhianna, you name it. That’s were everything started. I grew up between Mayagüez, San German Puerto Rico and Brockton Massachusetts. Just a couple of days that i turned 7 i moved to Brockton. It was all new because of the culture , food, people and language, but I still managed through. I managed through depression and the hardest one, bullying, i was bullied hard for being small, my skin color and for being a good person. But dancing was that fuel in my soul, mind and self esteem that got me going and with success i got through it all. Once i moved back to Puerto Rico in 2011 i got in a dance group were i learned all the basics, the counts, what was choreography and concepts because all i did was freestyle. I did many recitals and even competed in Florida were we won 1st place in concept, hip-hop and overall. Once i kept going there was no stopping me so I started dancing with artists just with 15 years old. I started to learn about the business and creating. So i did soooo many videos with my own choreography and kept getting better and better to the point were just 15 years old i was choreographing 15añera dances, private school talent shows, my own workshops and even artists numers by then i was already locked in. When i was 17 years old i got a call to join a dance company and there is when i started to do professional jobs like music videos, events, local shows, concerts in and outside of puerto rico. I traveled to st. Kitts, New York, chicago, florida. I learned even more about this business by getting to know people and people mentoring me through. With now 25 years old I’ve choreographed 3 artists shows and also co-choreographed various concerts and projects and was a hip-hop teacher at Time to Move in Hatillo, PR. With diabetes I’ve dealt with a lot but it has never been an excuse to not do it so i try to motivate in social media people by this condition that i have. Ive done a couple of videos showing a hole day in my life as a diabetic dancer and things like that. Now that i have 7+ experience as a professional dancer i can say that diabetes is not something to hold me back but motivating me to do more. Also, from 2019 to 2021 i did music to and did a lot a shows too, it was something that i wanted to try so i did it, i dont limit my self to anything. And so right a this moment i just moved to Lexington, Kentucky two weeks ago and already im teaching classes at crestview Studios in Louisville, it has been a blessing for real because everything i do adds more to this amazing experience ive had with dancing and im excited to see what blessings awaits me.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is first to feel that moment when you’ve made it and the other one is to inspire. Ive had people write me or just come up to me and tell me how I’ve inspired them its just a whole different feeling and its just gratifying.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

That this matters. What we as in my case dancers and creatives is work, is entertainment and it matters is not something that you can look or put down upon. What you think is a “hobbie” for us is our job and our life. So have empathy and don’t judge.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: dvrielpr
• Youtube: dvriel official