We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natalia Sanchez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Natalia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

Taking in consideration my context, I think the decision came to me right on time. I was 16 when I decided I wanted to pursue an artistic career, it felt natural so I always knew I was going to end up in that world sooner or later, didn’t exactly know when or how but I kept being open about the possibilities and paths that I could possibly enjoy doing for most of my life.

Being a teenage Mexican girl that wanted to pursue the arts in a city where the job and education opportunities are limited was extremely hard, thankfully the right people got aligned in my way, teachers, colleagues and people who did what I wanted to do, so I just talked to them and learnt from them and they guided me through those confusing times.

Very cliché but if it is meant to be it will be.

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

My name is Natalia Sanchez, I’m a Mexican born and raised artist, more specifically choreographer, dancer and photographer. I’m interested in storytelling, in music as a support for an idea and I often combine more than one creative outlet when creating. I rely heavily on modern media resources, some inspirations for my general aesthetic are Sofia Coppola movies, Sofia Ayarzagoitia’s photos, the books and stories of Carmen Maria Machado and Mariana Enriquez, and bands like Cocteau Twins and the Durutti Column. I would describe my work as quirky, raw and feminine.

Currently I’m showing my choreographic work in various venues across New York City alongside my very talented movement collaborators who are also very close friends of mine and I work as a freelance photographer with various dance companies across the city.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

To stay as truthful as possible with what I want to say when creating, and allowing my voice and projection to be malleable so that the audience can receive a cohesive and honest translation of the work.

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.

In the past my dad and I had a hard time understanding each other when I decided to pursue the arts because obviously, it is not an easy path when it comes to financial stability and he just wanted me to be as comfortable as I could by my own, as any other parent would want their kid to be. It took me a while to realize that specially because I was a teenager.

I think it is a 50/50. I don’t expect anyone to understand me per se, but I would hope some certain type of empathy towards people who decide to pursue a career ‘out of the norm’ depending on their cultural and geographical context. It is a very lonely road when no one seems to be doing the same as you, and I think it can become a little bit too judgmental on both sides plus when you’re a teenager with a lot of emotions and decisions to make, every comment feels very personal. Just for the record, my dad is very supportive now! I just showed him a little bit of my world, the shows I took a part in, my rehearsals, the works I was creating, etc. It is very easy to judge a world you have no knowledge of.

I would say, if you have a relative or friend who is choosing a different path whether it be creative or not, don’t judge them, try to be as open as possible, they will be really thankful for that helping hand.

Contact Info:

• Website: nataliasanchez.me
• Instagram: @uataliasauchez
• Youtube: @nataliasancheez

Image Credits
Natalia Sanchez, Owen Burnham, Elyse Mertz,