For years, I found myself trying to understand people—how they behave and how an immigrant can fit into their structures. What type of event would they like me to produce? How would they like me to teach? How should I communicate with them to create a greater connection? Furthermore, how could I establish a group of people who enjoy, learn, and vibrate with us?
I know you can see the plot twists miles away, but it wasn’t easy for me. I really tried to fit in, changing myself to be accepted. I was scared of rejection, judgment, and racism. I really thought that was the only way in. The more I did what they needed, the less I showed the real me—from teaching and talking the way they expected me to, to hiding parts of myself. But the signs were clear from the beginning: Australia really embraces Latinos. In Australia, I found the courage to grow my hair. Here, I found a lot of self-love.
The shifts were internal, built on a steady upward slope of love, kindness, and acceptance—from you, from the people around me, and from myself. Together, we all built this beautiful community that started by being loyal to myself.
December 15th was the day of our La Familia Showcase 2024—our first event where we could do what we wanted, in the way we believed it should be done. We realized we had more people who trusted us and our vision. We had the connections and the knowledge to create something beautiful.
Years of choosing people we love and trust, 10 years of finding real friends who support us, culminated in an event we could be proud of. Our greatest reward was seeing people enjoy themselves in ways they will remember for the rest of their lives. The different participants in the event all felt proud to be part of it:
- The performers, who created a little family that loved and supported them.
- The band, who, despite playing at many different gigs, were grateful and proud to be part of an event where they were the central theme.
- The producers, staff, and volunteers, who felt they created something amazing, something different, something beautiful—and were proud to be part of it.
I love that this time, for this event, I was ready to scale things up. We adjusted this event many times, trusting that we were capable of building it up. When it was time to make decisions, we trusted ourselves to step up. We said “Jes” to our commitment to this beautiful community. We said “Jes” to ourselves and our experience. We said “Jes” to our friends and students, and to all the people who trusted us. Today, I keep saying “Jes” to our ideas and to the vision of Cortés Dance.
Boundaries is the word that appears again and again. Having boundaries is important, but knowing how to enforce them is even more important. Making things happen the way you want requires a group of supportive peers and leaders who are clear about what they want. From friends to staff, we managed to surround ourselves with people we knew would respect and support our ideas.
I remember one of my friends helping me with the programs. She said, “That’s not what a program is.” I answered, “It is for me.” Yet, I liked her ideas, and we adjusted the program to what worked best from both perspectives. Because I trusted her and trusted myself, I was able to adjust.
We also found a dancer who was disrespecting what was happening. It was too late to enforce any decisions during the event, so we waited until afterward and made the decisions we needed to make. We were flexible but clear that we are not willing to allow people in the school who disturb or transgress our ecosystem.
Restrictions, variables, and humans will always be part of anything I do. I will always adjust and respect those restrictions. I will try to understand the variables, and I will keep learning better ways to communicate with others. Yet, my main priority is to listen to myself, be myself, and find ways to execute my plans in ways that respect me first.
Because I value people, progress, and quality, I will find a way to create with love, self-respect, and community in mind. I am part of the group of people who create culture. I want to tell the stories of my abuela, my little hometown, and how my dad and my brothers dance Salsa. I want to keep my heritage alive.
I will take the opportunity of this community that we have created with love, respect, and joy to tell my stories, spread my culture, and trust the way I do things. I thought people would reject me for being selfish in this way, but in reality, the community felt connected through my culture. I feel so grateful for it.
Gracias for reading,
Pedro