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

Tiffany , appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

There is no doubt I am passionate about dance and all things that encompass dance. It is the only art form where you have to be 100% artist and 100% athlete in order to be successful. Your JOB is to not let people in as to how hard it its. Your body is the instrument, the paint brush, the voice that tells the story. Do you want to know why dancers have such respect for what they do? Because LITERALLY blood, sweat, tears, injuries, rejection, criticism is what has to be overcome to get them where they need to be. Why endure all that? Because you are also an artist who has a passion for creating your art on stage and having a voice through choreography. People also underestimate how emotionally hard it can be for your passion to be your career and money maker. I hear all the time about how “lucky” I am to be doing what I love. As if I don’t have a right to complain because my career is my passion, my hobby, my outlet. well that’s tricky. If your career is all those things, then is that who you are? Or should I say, all you are? And what happens when you face all the criticism about your work? Is that you or just the work? It’s a very complicated dynamic to dissect. Most people go to work in the morning, come home and do something they love to release the stress of what might have happened during the day or the criticism they may have faced. But that’s ok, because that’s just how they make a living. It’s not personal. What happens when your career embodies all of who you are? I don’t have an answer to this. I know to most dancers, teachers and choreographer the studio is their church, their therapist office their school but also the cause of so much of their pain. THIS part of the puzzle piece go unspoken. Remember, we can’t make it look hard.

Tiffany , 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 Tiffany Spataro. I am currently a wife and mom to my amazing wife Candace and incredible son Kole as well as the Co-Aristic Director for Dance Theatre Of New Jersey(DTNJ). At this point most of my time at DTNJ is spent teaching jazz, tap and contemporary as well as doing choreography for our student company. Like most, I started dancing as a child. It was clear from a young age I had a passion for the art form. Specifically creating work. As I grew my passion got stronger but I starting facing some difficulty. It started with a very bad case of Mono that took me out of dance for quite a while. After that it was hard for me to regain the endurance needed to train the way I needed to train and put in the hours needed to be successful. also started getting some criticism about my body type. I developed a lot of anxiety and insecurities about how I looked or how good I was. I tried to go the performance route for some time. I do love the stage. However, I found I had a greater voice through choreography and that’s where my true passion lyes. I use my struggles from my years as a dancer to create the most well balanced experience I can for my dancers. ALWAYS encouraging them to embrace who they are and be their authentic selves.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Hands down the most rewarding thing as a choreographer and dance teacher is to reach people! Both in the studio and on the stage. When you can get in the souls of your students and audience and know you’re making someone feel something or learn something. When you see that authentic reaction or their authentic selves. In those moments I am the artist I’ve always wanted to be.

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

I had to really recognize and unlearn, grow and move on from some really negative thought patterns and insecurities. It’s hard to face so much criticism about your body or your work and not let it get in and become your truth. Through many years of navigating different forms of enlightenment both medical and spiritual I am finding my highest authenticity. You are your best artist when you are your most whole and free self. But it is always a growing process that I will continue to work on each day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tsdancenj/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/visions.spataro
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhBfHM09We0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIS6TejoGCY

Image Credits
Photography By Sky