We were lucky to catch up with Sebastian Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sebastian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

One problem I faced as a dancer that is common for many athletes is injuries and dealing with them. As a dancer, it can be very frustrating to be one minute dancing at such a high level and the next out for half the year. I was sixteen when I suffered level-one stress fractures on both my tibia legs. At the time I was still training in ballet and all I wanted was to continue my training so I could eventually audition for a job and become a professional dancer. Physically I was extremely weak in my legs. The injury tampered with how I spent my days in the studio. For countless days I couldn’t jump because of pain down my legs. I was no longer dancing to grow in my training but dancing to survive another day of no pain. After many years with this issue, my suffering did come to an end I underwent surgery and took some time off to properly get myself back into dancing physically and mentally. Looking back at this decision I was so fortunate in taking this step. I learned the importance of taking care of one’s body and the need to put yourself first in situations. After the surgery, I was able to come back to dancing stronger, mentally and physically. Currently, I am dancing professionally with the College Dance Collective and have danced challenging roles I might not have been able to do if I never had the surgery. Injuries are unfortunate but dancing with pain is not worth someone’s physical well-being

Sebastian, 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 Sebastian Garcia I am from the Bronx NY, NY. I am a professional ballet dancer who has a love for storytelling. I believe the arts specifically dance is an important aspect of human connection and the use of storytelling can teach people to be more empathetic with others. Growing up my family could not afford for me to take rigorous dance classes. I jumped around from school to school in hopes of making dance my profession. After countless struggles and patience, I was able to make this dream a reality. I am currently a professional ballet dancer with the Collage Dance Collective in Memphis TN. I not only travel around the country but am given opportunities to share unique stories with people of different demographics. My mission is not only to tell stories through dance but to demonstrate the importance of dance in our community.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

As a society, the best thing to do to support artists and creatives is to collaborate in their missions. Societies’ involvement in the arts is what will impact the artist’s overall careers. This can include but is not limited to buying tickets for performances, Investing in dance classes, donating to art organizations, and making healthcare and body services for artists more cost-efficient such as Physical therapy sessions. Communication is also key in supporting artists. As a society, it’s beneficial to tell artist and dance organizations what types of stories they want to see reflected in their community. Clear communication also offers a unique bond with an artist that will make their work that much more meaningful. Artists need people to view their work to make them feel valued.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory? During my time as a ballet dancer, one lesson I found I had to unlearn was how important dance was in my life. Asking thirteen-year-old Sebastian Garcia what he thought about dance, he would have said dance was his Life and it was everything he thought about. Now at twenty-three, this answer has changed respectfully. Dance is a special part of my life but it is not the center of my happiness. As a kid, Dance was often used as an escape space for me. When life was wild and inconsistent dance was the thing that kept me secure. As I got older dance became a huge obsession and I wanted to dance every minute of every day. I was missing out on gatherings normal kids my age were doing. I hardly participated in school dances because they conflicted with my rehearsals. I could never participate in family gatherings because of auditions and performances I had to prepare for. I wasn’t able to eat all the foods I wanted to eat because of the body image I was so fixated on achieving. Overall ballet and its demands at the time never bothered me since I wanted to do it despite my struggles. I felt it defined me. This all changed when I experienced a major Shin injury that made me rethink my life moving forward. During my Injury, I was out for months unable to dance. I found myself struggling to find my identity outside of ballet. Communicating with strangers was difficult without having to correlate something to dance. While dance was a significant portion of my life it did not define every aspect of my happiness. When I finally understood this I was motivated to find out what I liked to do besides dance. Who was Sebastian Garcia outside the dance studios? Once I was able to answer these questions in depth I regained a sense of identity. I chose to dance because it made me feel good not because it made me who I was. This clear boundary has transcended to how I work currently. There is a specific time when I give all my energy to dance and another time when I focus solely on myself. This can include self-care, trying new hobbies, or enjoying my solitude. Artist today should always create a healthy relationship between themselves and their craft. This enables a healthy way of living for themselves and their artistic growth.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Seb.ast.ian
• Facebook: Sebastian Garcia
• Linkedin: Sebastian Garcia

Image Credits
Mohammed AI-Tahe (the trio picture) Morgan Hubert Photography (Middle split in costume ) Argenis Apolinario (Jump in the air with fist) Ziggy Mack (split in air & Duet Pictures )