We recently connected with Kat Arias and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kat, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve loved dancing and the idea of dancing my entire life, but it took me becoming an adult to actually hone in on this craft. I wish I would have found dancing sooner: being a child in hip hop and ballet lessons, growing up with technique ingrained in my body that has cost me a lot to learn as an adult , being fit and filling my evenings and weekends with classes, and enjoying more of my body at its prime to tell stories through movement, these are just a few of the things I imagine I would have been able to experience in my younger years.

I didn’t formally start my dance life until I was 22 years old, I answered an ad and got the job working as a receptionist in a ballroom dance studio and I was completely enamored with what I saw. I was incredibly timid and shy, and it took me a year to work up the courage to take any dance classes at all but once I did, I never stopped. It felt like I finally found a piece of me that was missing, but I just didn’t know it until that moment.

Although I often wish that I had started earlier, I believe dance saved me – so maybe if I had started when I was a child, I would have grown out of it, or not appreciated it for what it is. I found dance at a time where my confidence was non-existent, and I had no idea what I really wanted to be in this world. I grew into the person that I am, shedding a lot of bad habits and traits and finding a purpose for my life, something I hadn’t realized I was lacking. So, while I wish, like many dancers do, that I had this for my entire life, I think I found dance at exactly the right time for my story.

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?

I am a professional Bachata Choreographer, Dancer and Instructor of Peruvian and Venezuelan descent currently based out of the Washington DC metropolitan area. I found the world of Ballroom dancing at the age of 22 and became one of the owners of the Élan DanceSport Center at 25. At this studio, I used to help a local performance group focused on Bachata which is where my love for the performing art of Bachata grew; having fallen in love with the genre, and following my ballroom studio’s closure, I created the Ferocity Dance Company in May of 2012 where I have been the Owner and Managing Director ever since.

The Ferocity Dance Company houses multiple Bachata focused competitive and performing teams and has won various accolades throughout the years including three world championship titles. My vision was to have a company that was not only focused on technique and learning, but that could also provide a space for anyone that needed somewhere that allowed them the freedom to find and be their authentic and true selves as they navigate through the art of dance.

I consider myself a Fusion Bachata artist, and I travel and receive training in order to maintain well versed in other Bachata styles. In addition to running my teams and studio, I am the organizer of the annual Masters of Bachata Takeover weekenders and I teach various styles of Bachata at different Congresses, Festivals and special events on the National, and International level. I also run weekly group classes and private lessons on request.

I am most proud of the community I have been able to create at my school, where people from all walks of life dance together as a cohesive unit.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Most of my non-creative friends don’t understand why I would choose something that requires so much of my time and money. To train in dancing is more than going to some group classes here and there, it requires traveling to the masters, taking several hours of private lessons with them, traveling to different festivals in the world and constant practicing on a daily basis. It is something that at a professional level demands a lot of commitment and happens mainly in the evenings and weekends, when most people have their free time. Most of the ones in my life can’t comprehend that while it is physically difficult, time and financially straining, it is also something that feeds my soul and keeps me happy. The benefits of training, traveling and learning greatly outweigh the risks, and the things that I miss out on.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being able to see someone falling in love with dance, and seeing them become more confident, happier and just find the best version of themselves. To be able to be a part of someone’s journey and see them literally grow and thrive is an honor and something I never take for granted.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ferocitydance.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferocitydance/ https://www.instagram.com/itskatarias/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ferocitykat
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itskatarias
• Twitter: ferocitydanceco
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/Ferocitydance
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/DYvJQpRRFtb

Image Credits
Franklin Liranzo Media Rebel Ricardo Tellez SalsaCam World Latin Dance Cup