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

Alright, Kat thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

During a particularly rough patch in my journey, one of my former students turned friends asked me to be honest and say the truth about how things were going. When I broke down and told the truth, he lent me a sum of money and told me not to worry about it, that he knew I would pay it back when I could. He knew I would never ask anyone for help so he just asked me to take it and said “Ferocity needs to make it.” I worked really hard until I did indeed pay him back, I don’t know if he will ever actually know what that moment meant for me beyond the business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

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 in Bachata which is where my love for the performing art of Bachata grew; having fallen in love with the genre, and following my 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 focuses on Bachata Fusion pieces: mixing ballroom as well as other dance styles with Bachata to create a distinct viewpoint and style. I have three Ladies teams, a student performance group, a competitive group, and the Professional Company.

The mission statement of my Company is: Fierce Is For Everyone.

Most of the students that attend Ferocity are currently performers or striving performers. I pride myself on offering teams that have different bachata styles so that my dancers learn new things, new styles, and new perspective! It is my hope that through constant support for the dance community, friendly behavior on and off the dance floor, and a distinct respect for all dance styles, that we can create a safe environment for all to learn and enjoy dancing. Anyone that wants to be family, can be.

I am a Fusion Bachata artist, I travels and receive training whenever possinle in order to maintain well versed in other Bachata styles. In addition to running my teams and studio, I teach various styles of Bachata at different Congresses, Festivals and special events on the National, and International level. I am dedicated to creating opportunities for high quality learning and inclusivity for all – it remains the driving force behind my workshops and events and I hope to inspire and connect with people everywhere I go.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have felt out of place most of my life due to my weight, when I started dancing and even today there are people that tell me that this world and this activity isn’t for people like me. I have found throughout my journey that there are lots of people who feel the same way for different reasons and so I aim to have Ferocity be as inclusive of a space as possible where the only thing that really matters if the effort you put into your dancing. Within my doors and my space, we are one group – regardless of where you come from, what you look like or any other factors, we are all dancers.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Very few in my circle understand the amount of resources, time and money that I spend to be able to do what I do. The amount of sacrifices I’ve made to prioritize my business and my students year after year is a frequent topic of discussion amongst my connections and it usually comes with a lot of criticisms. I always come down to one point: I would rather live my life passionately going after what I love and taking longer to have the things that are traditionally pushed on us to have than live an existence devoid of this art. What good is a home without a heart to fill it?

Dancing is something that will give you so much love, self fulfillment strength and tenacity, but she also demands hard work, sacrifice, practice and prioritization. It is not just a hobby for me, it’s my entire life.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ferocitydance.com
• Instagram: ferocitydance
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ferocitykat/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ferocitydance

Image Credits
CR Open Dance Fest Franklin Liranzo Shine Media