NDI Alumni Profile: Danny Rodriguez ('06)
Danny Rodriguez is a proud NDI alum (’06), a graduating Dance major at LaGuardia High School (’09), and an aspiring ballet star. He recently assisted Master Teacher Emily Meisner during NDI’s 2009 Irene Diamond Summer Institute, where we caught up with him to talk about his NDI experience, his new role as a ballet teacher, and his future plans.
NDI: What was it like being an intern at Summer Institute?
Danny: Being an intern at Summer Institute was an amazing experience that taught me so much about dance. Suddenly, three years after my final Summer Institute, I made my humble return. But I was no longer a dancer…I was a teacher! I was there as a model to demonstrate ballet positions and movements. I was thrown by how much I got from it. I worked with amazing kids who were inspired by me, and it pushed me to work my very hardest, even if the steps were very basic for me. Ballet is no easy art form, and since it’s not easy, it can be very hard to stay focused and determined, especially at such a young age. It takes a long time before you can really become a ballet dancer. You do not know what ballet can be until you establish your technique and realize the beauty and freedom of it. But those kids beat all my expectations and it was such an uplifting thing to witness and participate in.
NDI: What favorite NDI memories would you like to share?
Danny: I have so many memories that choosing one seems unfair. There are so many moments that are utterly magical. Through NDI I was able to live in Shanghai, China, for a month–a whole month! Being able to dance in historical venues in America, such as Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, City Center, and Symphony Space was incredible. Then there are all the rehearsals, from the easy simple ones to the arduous exhausting ones that you pull through together with your fellow dancers to put on an incredible show. There's honestly way too much to even fathom…I am barely scratching the surface!
NDI: How have the arts and dance affected your life outside of NDI?
Danny: The arts have had an incredible influence on my life. The arts just give you something as a human being…the ability to express yourself in whatever medium you chose. Also with something like dance, it demands the highest discipline and commitment, which does not leave you when you leave the studio. The physical and mental strain you go through gives you a strength unlike any other in the world, so that you are ready for anything. The arts give me the ultimate joy and I could never imagine my life without it.
NDI: What are your dreams and aspirations?
Danny: My aspirations are to be a concert dancer, doing ballet, essentially. I have classical training, so I am looking for a job in a classical ballet company. Hopefully, I can have a career in the classics and move on to some contemporary work. As a graduate of LaGuardia High School, I have thorough modern training, and I love contemporary dance as well as classical.
NDI: Do you think you would have found dance without NDI?
Danny: I really do not think that I would have found dance without NDI – let alone ballet. I had no knowledge of the dance world and never really thought about dance other than socially. As a kid, I never would have thought about it as a career until I was shown that I had potential and then given the opportunity to flourish.
NDI: Why do you think people should support NDI?
Danny: I want people to support NDI because of how it has changed my life. It was such a powerful force in my life, and it still is to this day. NDI is all about kids and helping them in any way they can. There is so much love, so much happiness and, of course, so much dance. Dance is a very expensive art, and that is why so many people cannot experience it. Thankfully, NDI is there for children in New York City, but it all depends on people’s generosity to keep NDI alive.
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Alumni Association of National Dance Institute
NDI Alumni Profile:
Danny Rodriguez ('06)