Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Borja.
Natalia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in California (Chula Vista). I got started performing when I was really little – I think my mom said I came out of the womb performing (singing, shouting, you name it!). When we moved to Texas in 1995, I got involved with a local community theatre in Brownsville and started to do the youth shows there. Eventually, I moved up to doing mainstage work and continuing that through High School and moving onto learning about the production aspect of theatre. I stage managed my first production when I was a sophomore in high school. Besides theatre, I was always involved in some aspect of performing arts. I am a musician and have played with orchestras since I was in middle school and was lucky enough to get to participate in a great program of high school musicians supported by a local university, at the time known as UTPA (University of Texas Pan-American). We got to work with professional musicians, learn from the professors and meet like-minded artists in our community. Music was a really major part of my life growing up – I play trumpet, baritone, bassoon and was Drum Major in high school.
When I graduated, I went to Stephen F. Austin State University for my Bachelor’s in Theatre. Originally, I was going for a BFA, but I was denied it twice, so I went with a B.A. in Theatre with a minor in vocal studies. While at SFA, I jumped into as much as I could both performing and production-wise. It was here that I grew to love the backstage aspect of theatre and directing. I also found out that black box spaces and more intimate theatre are a love of mine. The closer I can get to the audience and make that connection more purposeful, the better I feel about the job I have done. When I graduated in 2010, I moved to Houston and got involved in theatre there while navigating post-collegiate life. I’ll be honest, it was a rude awakening. I was not prepared at all for what I wanted and I didn’t take it seriously enough. I decided to take a break from theatre, performing, etc. and travel for a bit. With some help from my mom, I went to study Spanish in Spain for four months. My time in Malaga is one of the dearest memories I hold close to my heart and it helped me become a better artist. I came back and moved to Dallas in 2012.
After a year of day jobbing and trying to get my feet wet, I started to work more and more consistently. I was a teacher for 5+ years at an IB International School in McKinney and also recently taught at a Performing Arts Academy, all the while continuing to pursue what I wanted from my acting career. I’ve gotten involved more in the comedy world recently and am loving every minute of it! Improv, sketch and stand up have challenged me as a performer and made me better for it. I’m lucky that I have gotten to do a plethora of work in Dallas and the opportunities given to me by casting directors, producers, and companies. I’ve gotten to do musicals, straight plays, comedy, drama, readings, new works, old works, the whole mix. I recently got married and have been enjoying the first year of that! We have two dogs in our wonderful townhome in Plano; he works a 9 – 5 while I teach online and continues to audition, write, rehearse aka chase the dream.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I was eight and told my mom I wanted to be an actor, she told me the best advice that I hold to my heart: you’re going to hear 100 no’s before you hear your first yes. Let me tell you, I’ve heard my no’s and keep hearing my no’s. The no’s are what keep me going, because I know the yes is out there. Especially as female-identifying artists – we are so used to seeing other artists and getting that pang of “well what about me?” I don’t think any career is a smooth road. If a dream is worth having, it is going to take a lot of time and effort and sacrifices. No, it has not been a smooth road. I spoke earlier about not getting BFA twice.
At the moment, that hurt a lot. I felt like I wasn’t good enough for this industry and felt that if I couldn’t even get this now, when would I ever get it? I thought all the negative thoughts – I’m too tall, I’m too fat, I’m too pale, I’m too outspoken, I’m too loud, my teeth suck, my nails suck, maybe if I straighten my hair, and on and on and on and on. I was fortunate to have a good professor get me back on the right mindset. He told me that I will get where I need to go, but I’m going to pave my way. I think that speaks volumes for the entertainment industry. We are so used to seeing how performers of the past have gotten their ”big break’ and we want to copy that because we think it can paint success. I am guilty of seeing another actor’s career and thinking I have to do that. It took a lot of time, growth, soul searching, tears, doubt, fear, nausea to understand that my path is my path. I lost my way and my focus for a while, allowing outside influences to get the best of me. To my young friends starting in this industry – DON’T DO THAT! Don’t compare your art or your worth to another. Everyone has a spot in this industry – because the world is so full of so many different stories.
My last piece of advice is to just keep going. Find your tribe of artists that both challenge and help you to become a better performer. I wasn’t getting the roles I wanted, so I started writing with other people, creating stories that reflect us and, because of that, I just wrapped up a deeply personal project that we took on the road to share with the city of San Antonio. It’s nights like that with shows like that and people like that that make the sacrifices worth it. I need to give a shout out to my family for being so supportive with this career. I have missed out on a lot of moments. Birthdays, celebrations, family reunions, etc. My last piece of advice is that, if your family is supportive, remember to always thank them for that. Some artists are not lucky enough to have families that back them up 110%, so remember to be grateful for what you have but also uplift those around you who don’t have that support base. Be each other’s support.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m an actor. First and foremost, I am a comedian. I was raised on the comedies of Mel Brooks, El Chavo del Ocho, Disney, Looney Tunes, on and on. I love making people laugh; especially after a long day or week, you can make them forget their troubles and just have fun. The biggest compliment I can ever get from an audience member is ‘that was fun!’. I love to get to stretch my legs and do other types of work but mainly I have stuck with live performing up to this point. I’m getting into more film/tv work and that is a whole new beast that I’m so excited to get to do more of. I’m known for accents and character work. I love getting to create new characters and the discovery of who they are as the process continues.
I’m an improviser and am fortunate to get to be part of an amazing new troupe called Colorguard (Instagram: @colorguardtroupe) and getting to bring new exciting short form improv to Dallas. I’m also an educator mainly working with youth ages middle school and high school. With education, I specialize in using theatre for life skills. I love getting to help the next generation learn how to use these skills in the workforce. I’m also a Diversity Advocate for Stomping Ground. My parents are both from Mexico, so I have a really strong tie to my heritage and want to see the voices of my family members echo on stage. I am committed to Latinx/Hispanic representation on stage at Stomping Ground. I and another advocate are currently working on events to bring the community out to Stomping Ground through laughter, advocacy, and purposeful dialogue.
I’m an enigma. What you see is probably not what you think you get. I’ve also been told I have a very strong presence both on and off stage. I bring an old school vibe of performing to the 2020s.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Don’t ever say “I’m doing a thing”. You are creating Art. Don’t diminish your art because that is the cool thing to do. Be strong and confident in what you do. Be true to yourself. Don’t ever break your morals for a piece.
And also, please, give yourself a break. This career is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the journey. You’ll get to where you need to get to on your own time and terms.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @natalia.s.borja
- Other: @colorguardtroupe
Image Credit:
Jonathan McInnis, Jacie Hood, Mandy Rausch, Jeny Siddall, Alan Abair
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