Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Valle Cruz.
Hi Stephanie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, I started dancing when I was four. Funny enough, my mother wanted me to start in ballet, but I was not interested in it. I started dancing Bomba and Plena which is Puerto Rican Folklore. We were taught from an early age, learning to also play the pleneras and the drums are barriles, depending on the form we were going to perform. By the time I was in middle school, I wanted to dance more. I actually dared to leave the school after classes were done and occasionally hide by a window to see ballet classes and try to replicate the movement; this is something that my mother will find out about now as I was quite sneaky about it. Once I was able to work and make money on my own, I started looking for classes. My knowledge when it came to dancing as a whole was quite limited. On the island at that time, dance was not something you could easily find unless you lived in the city area, and I did not live there. I was a teen joining classes with smaller children; as awkward as that may feel, I did not care. This was something that went beyond a want, it was a need. I needed to grow. I needed to dance. I am thankful for everyone that added their part to the large collective that was my early learning experience. From Prima Ballerina Marcela Figueroa to Lilly Castro, Mishkja, Artistry Performing Arts, Danzale, and the amazing Prima Ballerina Laura Valentin.
As a young adult, I continued pursuing not only technical abilities but knowledge. On the island, there were no degrees in Dance. I had started one relating to the medical field. Unfortunately, I had a medical emergency that led to me not continuing the degree. As a patient with epilepsy, there are limited areas in this profession to pursue due to the possibility of a seizure while dealing with a patient. I thought I would feel hopeless or empty. As frustrating as it was to start over again, I saw this as an opportunity to continue doing what I loved and needed so much. I still studied and received a degree in ultrasound technology but then the first dance degree opened on the island. Sadly, the spaces were quite limited, and with requirements, I could not fulfill them. I was not going to give up, and I wanted so much more. I was driven, determined, and inspired. At this time, the first opportunity arose for me to create, and I did. With the help of mentors, I presented a full evening-length work called “Transformacion,” which was presented in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and I am proud to say that it sold out. This event made me desire even more to further my education. What I knew was not enough; how I moved was not enough; there was still a voice I needed to really explore, my own.
The opportunity arose of moving to the United States, and I looked for Universities with a dance degree that I could apply for. Lucky for me, I was accepted into Texas Woman University Dance Department. I was thrown to so many diverse styles; it was like looking at colors, all vibrant in their own ways. It had me mesmerized, and I loved every second of it. I was able to explore movement in a different way that allowed me to explain my own voice. Within this journey, I was able to perform for phenomenal artists like Jordan Fuchs, Jalila Bell, International Dance Company under Dr. Rosemary Candelario, and others. It provided me opportunities to even perform in and out of state. One of the beautiful opportunities I’ve also had is being part of the impulse Dance Project. A dance company based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area. Currently, I am pursuing my Master’s Degree which also focuses on dance at Sam Houston State University, where I am a second-year graduate candidate. I describe myself as someone who has a lot of energy to spare. I perform and continue in Dallas with the impulse Dance Project. I have participated in festivals in the area and performance venues for artists like Artstillery, Arts Mission Oak Cliff, and Muscle Memory Dance. In my spare time, I also participate in theaters, both teaching workshops and creating choreography for shows. Now during the week, I continue my university courses with the hope of having the degree I long for and achieving one of my goals which is to continue educating with not only movement but history and everything that encompasses dance and being a dancer.
Alright, 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?
There have definitely been challenges coming from multiple areas. From finances, health, and discrimination, to even the impact of such a change. My home is 100×35. It is a small island filled with color, and while it is not perfect, it is my home. From the music to the personalities, the food, and the environment, it is a beautiful place that I carry with me. Moving to the United States was already hard because my family stayed behind. This was my journey to make. Being in the states and technically being a second-class citizen makes things more complicated. This also includes the unfortunate encounters you will find in which people don’t respect you just for being Hispanic and those that need a way to define you. Even within all of this, I continue walking with my head up and working diligently in what I love so much. My health conditions don’t define me, but the struggles? I find them necessary as they have helped me grow stronger and acknowledge what happens around me. But also, it has sparked a fire within me that is the leading force of the focus of my research and works.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am Boricua! I am a queer Puertorican woman who’s not afraid of her roots. The island was conquered by Europeans but we carry heritage from the Taino Arawako, and the African Continent (Yoruba, Bantu, Igbo). I am someone who struggled at times with a sense of belonging, not knowing how to connect with my heritage and ancestry and felt unworthy. Now, I study it proudly, and I share my knowledge as part of my creative voice to create awareness and show that change can happen. I am working on learning modern Hiwatahia, which was our native tongue, I create works that speak on our history and our struggles, and through it, I call for others to do the same. I speak against the way we were indoctrinated through colonization. My research centers on the idea of Marianism and male chauvinism, something that was brought to the island during colonization and the indoctrination process to Catholicism.
Some of the works I have created are “Oubao Moin” which is an ode to those who work. Inspired by a poem of the same name which narrates the exploitation that happened on the island. “Layered” is a work that focused on the hyper-sexualization of women. “Roots” was a beautiful trio that celebrated the strength of the hands that worked, inspired by Lavandera which were women who washed clothes in the rivers. A recent duet that I choreographed was “Dos no Uno,” which played on shedding the idea that was fed to us of masculinity and femininity. I am currently preparing for work with a larger cast that will focus on the shipments of Puerto Ricans to different countries under the excuse of overpopulation, how those being sent were abused, and how they tried to find freedom. I am unafraid and unapologetic about my beliefs and my ancestry. I am aware that at times this might not sit right with many, but it is something that is necessary. To those, I say: Usa kasakabo luku (Good day, people)
How do you define success?
Success can be subjective to the individual’s experience. For me, it is a place in which I feel happy and fulfilled. I do not wish for riches or to be an artist plastered all over the TVs. I wish to create the works that I do, works that make people question them, take parts of what they saw with them, and for those parts to still linger in their heads. I want those thoughts to become questions that spark a need of looking up information and being more aware of what has happened and things that we can do about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: stephanievalle.com
- Instagram: stephv_cruz
