We had the good fortune of connecting with Constanza Toro and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Constanza, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My passion for dance has always been important to me, even guiding many of the decisions I have made in my life. I have a professional career in Biomedical Engineering, and I never stopped training as an artist in parallel with my studies and work. I knew that no matter what paths I had to take, the obstacles I had to overcome, and the time it took me to achieve it, dedicating myself to dance was going to be a certainty for me.
Dancing is a necessity for me, it’s not something I chose to do, but a part of who I am and how I express myself. I have been dancing long before dedicating myself professionally and I will continue to do it after, until my body allows me to. And when I can no longer dance, I know there will be other ways to live and connect through dance and art.
What dance makes me feel is something addictive, a unique feeling that made me fall in love with how I feel when I dance, and with the person I become when I’m dancing. And not only when dancing, but when you dedicate yourself to a creative work like dance or teaching, you create very deep connections with other people, you learn to work as a team, overcome frustration, develop your self-esteem, become a better person, and develop responsibility, discipline, patience, and many values that are important for life. I am very grateful for the development that dance has brought to my personal life.
I admire my creative self so much, and I’m deeply proud of her for all she has achieved. I’m fulfilled and inspired by the experiences, people, places and personal achievements that dance gives me every day.
Please tell us more about your career. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I am proud of my consistency, perseverance and professionalism as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. I feel that the obstacles I have had to overcome and the different stages in my life have led me to deeply develop these skills.
I never considered the possibility of studying dance as a professional career. At 11 years old I had a disease called SCFE and had hip surgery, as a result I have a large screw in my hip that saved me from a possible disability but left me with less range of motion in my hips, and the uncertainty of not knowing if I could project a functional career as a professional dancer. I didn’t know if I would ever dance again, so when I recovered, I slowly returned to dancing and appreciated much more everything my body was capable of doing. This taught me not to take for granted the fact of being able to dance and move my body, so I began to live it more intentionally, always grateful and appreciating each thing I was achieving.
In my home country, Chile, I started dancing in high school competition teams in my city, a small town in the south-central part of the country. Then I signed up for a summer intensive at a dance academy in Santiago, and when I finished high school, I moved to another city to be able to start college. At that university, around 2007, I auditioned for a dance company, which is where my professional training in Jazz began.
Throughout all the stages of my life, no matter what my occupation was, I always found a way to continue to dedicate myself to dance. I studied Biomedical Engineering for 6 years and worked in Hospitals and Medical Equipment Companies for another 6 years, and although it was not easy, I always managed to balance studies, work and family, with my passion for dance.
After classes at the University or a day full of work, I would go straight to classes and took different styles (from Jazz to most Street Dance styles, Ballet, Latin Rhythms, etc.), I worked in different types of events as a dancer (sometimes at night), and many times I traveled by bus for around 6 hours to have access to masterclasses with dancers who traveled from abroad to Chile to teach. In 2015, I began my journey as a dance teacher and a year later, I created my own dance company with my husband (who is also a dancer), until we decided to move to Atlanta in 2018. Now for the first time, I live only from dance.
All of these experiences allowed me to become a versatile, disciplined, very organized and responsible dancer and I’m grateful for the path that brought me here. I learned to be very intentional with my training because I knew I had to take advantage of the time, and also always being grateful that my body allowed me to continue fulfilling my dreams. Thanks to this, I also managed to find my own style, using my physical condition as an inspiration to find new ways of movement, always exploring and finding out what worked for me and what didn’t. Today, at 36 years old, I’m grateful for the vitality that movement has given me. I have developed much better as a dancer, I continue training and teaching, and I feel very authentic when creating, even when teaching, I know that I have a lot to contribute to the new generations, from my perspective, my movement, my sensations and experiences.
The path of dance or any art is not easy, there are many sacrifices but that is what I call consistency and perseverance, never giving up no matter the obstacles, if you know that something is for you and makes you happy then keep going.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I don’t drink or hang out much at night, so a daytime stroll sounds better. I think the scenery in and around Atlanta is amazing, I think I’d like to take her to see Stone Mountain, Tallula Falls, and Helen. And go to see a Musical at Fox Teather also a must!.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this to all the people who have supported me in some way throughout this journey. My mother Carmen, who always shared this passion with me; my husband Felipe, because he has always believed in me, even more than I do in myself sometimes; my first dance teachers Sandra and Javiera, who gave me the confidence and tools to take the plunge on this path; to all those who have given me the opportunity to work with them and develop my talent; and to all my students who value my work and continue to inspire me every day.
Instagram: @constanza_gabriela
Image Credits
Andrea Pernia
Daniel Jimenez
Jennifer Peña Baila Atlanta
Flame by Sam Photography