Journeys in Dance: From Spain to NYC with Alberto Cortés

Journeys in Dance: From Spain to NYC with Alberto Cortés
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Alberto Cortés is a professional dancer with more than 15 first place wins at the Rising Star American Rhythm Championships. Originally from Caceres, Spain, Alberto’s career has taken him everywhere from Madrid to New York City, where he currently teaches Dance professionally for the East Side’s Fred Astaire Dance Studio. In only 3 years of residing in the United States, Alberto has become one of the most decorated professional dancers in the country, with over 10 wins at the Rising Star American Rhythm Championships. I interviewed Alberto to learn more about his career path, his plans for the future, and more.

Hey Alberto! Your career has seen you perform all over the world, including your native Spain and the United States. How did you first find yourself getting involved with dance on a professional level?

When I was 10 years old I started to dance in a dance studio in the city which I grow up in Spain named Miajadas, located in Caceres.. My first professional dance competition was when I was 15. Two years later I moved to Madrid to take my dance career to the next level. It was there where I considered dancing as a part of my life and started to make a living. I had the pleasure to work with extraordinary teachers and mentors from all over the world in the studio named "Interdance -- Madrid" where I have also worked for 5 years as a dance teacher right before I left Spain. After winning many competitions and show dance events, my professional dance partner at that time and I were requested to work in dance education and performances for many of the regions in Spain including Extremadura, Madrid, Cataluña, Canary Island, Andalucia and Pais Vasco. We were also part of the cast for musical concerts around the Spain like Dirty Dancing, Grease, Flashdance and the Beatles.

At 24 years old, I left Spain searching for new opportunities outside my country with desires to meet different cultures and experiences. I was hired by the American companies "Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line" and "Princess Cruise Line" as a featured ballroom dancer to perform in the shows they have on board their fleet.

Being on the ship, I kept looking to grow as a professional dancer and develop my dancing to the top of the field in the United States. I was hired by the Fred Astaire New York East Side Dance Studio where I currently work at pushing myself everyday to reach my goals.

Your style is heavily influenced by the city of Caceres -- how would you describe the Caceres style of dance? How does it differ from other styles originating from Spain?

The Dancing in Caceres Region changed drastically during the years. When I was living there, the dancing was not as popular as it is today. I moved to Madrid when I felt my dancing didn't met my desires in Caceres. Once I have my life established in Madrid, I was travelling a lot with my professional dance partner to make the region of Caceres grow in our field . Our work, with the help from other professionals put the region as one of the top of dance couples activity competing in a professonal level in Spain

You and your dance partner Jessa Mae Briones have been named Rising Star American Rhythm Champions 17 times in a row -- how do you keep up this level of competitive intensity and focus? How has your relationship to your dance partner changed after winning these awards?

Jessa and I have been dancing from January 2016. From the very first moment we had the try out, we felt the intensity of the team we could create. Desire, dedication, and hard work is what we are focusing on every day. We really do a great team sharing the same desires based on communication with each other and understanding of what it needs to be done to get as far as we can. Getting all these achievements in only a year and a half dancing together has made our relationship even stronger, and we feel grateful to be surround by people who support and believe in us. It makes us push every day even harder to see how strong and far we can go. We are both very honored to be the 2017 United States Dance Champions in our division and we feel delighted to be able to represent the States in every international competition.

You’ve worked as an instructor for Fred Astaire Dance Studios for a number of years, and the company has even recognized you for your abilities in both teaching and performing. Does teaching help you with your own performances and routines?

Fred Astaire New York East Side Dance Studio is where I currently work. I’ve been there for the last 3 years. Teaching dance is very attached to my professional dance career. I love to teach and share my knowledge to my students, compete with them in Pro-Am division, see their constant improvement and make them happy with what I love to do. It also helps to improve the understanding of my own dance techniques by sharing and creating new ideas with my students. It’s very pleasant to work as a dance teacher and see people grow in their physical and mental abilities. I could not see my professional dance career as a dancer without teaching and I truly believe that United States is the place I want to be.

What tips would you give an up and coming dancer who’s looking to break into the industry?

Many young people start dancing because of the desires of their parents or families. My family, at first, was not too happy until they actually saw the potential of the career and the life I was creating with. First, I think it is very important to consider your decision. Even though everyone can be taught how to dance, I think professional dancers should be the ones who take it seriously and are willing to keep up the hard work necessary for improving. You must be born with it. Passion for your job and a lot of dedication to the process are key.

What are your plans for the next 5 years?

I am always looking for ways to grow in my profession. As a teacher, my plan in the next 5 years is opening my own dance studio within the Fred Astaire Dance Studios Franchise and continue to keep sharing my knowledge to those who dance recreationally. I also want to dedicate my time to those students who would like to became a professional dancer by creating strong programs to improve their dancing and help them to reach their goals. As a dance competitor, I’d like to keep the same high standards and get as far as I can go in the new dance division, Open American Rhythm Championship where we’ve already had some great results. The 2018 United States Dance Championship is lit up in our professional calendars and we’ve already started to work towards it. We’ve been prepping since the day we won first place at the 2017 United States Dance Championship in the Rising Star American Rhythm Division.

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