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

Lily, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Lily Ontiveros and I’m a professional dancer born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. I began dancing at an early age in my hometown and started taking it seriously and competing at around 13 years old. My love for this art form led me to moving to the United States and pursuing it in my higher education at Chapman University where I graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance in 2017. I then moved to Los Angeles where I’ve had the opportunity to perform for organizations like Adidas, LA Opera, Heidi Duckler Dance, and KQED Arts, artists like Baby Keem, Alemán, Rodney Chrome, Carmen DeLeon, and Naomi Wild, and work under many renowned choreographers. I am also a part of the faculty at The Artist Collective, an award winning pre professional dance studio. I enjoy being part of artistic processes where I feel valued as not only an artist but a human being and hope to foster a love for dance (and the many life lessons it teaches us) for the students I teach.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is the constant push for growth. With an artform as physical as dancing, it takes a lot of discipline, constant practice, and a desire to be the best you can possibly be. Many times, that feeling can come from achieving a goal, but many times it comes from looking back and seeing the physical difference in my movement. As a teacher, the rewards come in different forms, from seeing the collaboration and team building that develops between students, to seeing a student find their own voice within their movement.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience is key as an artist. Being a dancer comes with a lot of rejection in an artform that feels so personal and close to your identity. In a city as competitive as Los Angeles, I’ve learned to trust my training and know that rejection is not personal. Some of my biggest opportunities have come when I least expected them. For example, being in Baby Keem’s “The Melodic Blue” short film was a spur of the moment decision to hop on a redeye to Mexico City for the chance to work under a choreographer that I had admired for years, Charm La’Donna. You never know when you’ll get a call, and for me a lot of motivation comes from trusting that the next one is around the corner. Staying prepared in the down periods of the rollercoaster that is being a performing artist has been not only useful, but essential to keeping my love for this art alive.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/lily.o.z

Image Credits
2 Stage Photos Courtesy of LA Opera Photo in brown top by Himerria Wortham Rest of photos n/a