Life & Work with Anthony Velazquez of Miami

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Velazquez.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began my artistic journey in athletics, initially participating in football before transitioning into music, where I played the trumpet for 17 years. During my junior year of college, at the age of 21, I auditioned for the New World School of the Arts and was accepted into the program.

I went on to earn my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, after which I joined Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in Chicago. I also danced with Ballet Chicago before returning to South Florida, where I performed with DanceNOW Miami for approximately nine years.

During that nine-year period, I relocated to Los Angeles for a time, working extensively in the commercial dance industry—appearing on television shows, touring, and engaging in a range of professional projects.

Currently, I have shifted my focus toward education and am teaching dance at Hialeah Middle School. While my career has naturally slowed due to my commitment to teaching, I continue to perform when significant opportunities arise.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It wasn’t at first because I got hired 3 months after school started and never taught as a public school teacher, only at studios which is very different.

I was mostly overwhelmed, had major anxiety, and missed being a performer but thankfully I had great mentors and a great principal supporting me. I also found I was able to still go after my dreams while teaching my students how to accomplish their own.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love to choreograph! I’ve choreographed for several commercials, music videos, and tv shows. My specialty is contemporary and jazz, I love to incorporate different styles and really allow the music to guide me.

I’m definitely known for visuals and dynamics! And speaking of that Susie Garcia gave me an opportunity to choreograph on a dance reality show and I was super proud of that.

What sets me apart from others I feel is my ability to just create without worrying about what others may think, I believe I have a unique voice and that it can’t be replicated. It always come from my heart.

How do you think about luck?
I’ve always been lucky in terms of business, I think that because I’m genuinely happy to to working in my field of dance and just overall being a great person to others I interact with it carries over to the next job always. It’s something that’s lacking nowadays.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ant_dancelife?igsh=N2l3eWJxejJkdDhv&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AbqwKzs8t/?mibextid=wwXIfr