Daniel Guzmán: “I took a bus in Porlamar in search of my dreams”

“My family used to work on the streets of Porlamar. We sold coffee, candy. One day my mom had left me alone working at the stand while she ran errands and that was when three boys dressed in ballet clothes passed by and I was very interested. Without thinking twice, I asked them if they were dancers and where they danced. They ignored me for a second. They kept walking, but came back to me. They gave me all the information, I memorized it and the next day I took a bus and went alone in search of my dreams.”

This childhood memory of Daniel Guzmán Girón reflects the genetic determination that is as important as talent. The door he knocked on that day that would change his life was the Ballet de la Mar Foundation, a school in Pampatar run by Martha Ildiko Gómez, a teacher trained at the Ballet Nuevo Mundo and the Ballet Teresa Carreño in Caracas.

Daniel knew nothing of that, nor of many other sweet and sour things about life and human nature. When he arrived, “the school was closed. That didn’t stop me because I went the next day, but found it closed for the second time. I felt sad because I thought that my dream of finding a ballet school had been just a dream. It wasn’t until the third day that I found the school open and they welcomed me with open arms. Of course they called my mother on the phone since I was only 12 years old. She answered scared because she didn’t know where I was… until the secretary explained everything for me and asked her permission for me to be there and take a trial class. From then on, the whole school supported me and supported me.”

As a student, she won several competitions in Venezuela and after graduating from Ballet de la Mar, her goal was to train in the United States. She arrived in New York after experiences in Colombia and Florida. “In April 2023, I participated in one of the most important competitions in the world – Youth American Grand Prix 2023 – and there, winning first place, was where I received the most important opportunity of my life: a contract to join the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company (ABT). But it was not until January 2024 when the stars finally aligned and I was able to begin my career in that prestigious company.”

Since then, he has been a member of the ABT in Manhattan, under the artistic direction of dancer and actor Sascha Radetsky. Now 20 years old – he will turn 21 in September – sitting in the famous Lincoln Center in New York, perhaps the most famous and competitive cultural complex in the United States, Daniel tells his story naturally, but it is difficult not to give glimpses of a fairy tale along with an innate and very select talent: dancing ballet.

-They say you can spin like a top. How and when did you start dancing?

-It all started when I was around 6 or 7 years old and I was the only boy who danced traditional dances – joropo and tambor – with all the students in my class. From then on I noticed that I felt a deep attraction towards the world of dance. But it was not until I was 12 that I began my studies at Ballet de la Mar.

-What differentiates dance from other artistic expressions?

-For me, the difference is the ability to create art with your body and make movements that express and transmit messages, ideas, forms; and above all, that release emotions.

-What is the most difficult part of your professional ballet routine? How do you take care of your body?

-I would say that this happens to all of us, but the hardest part is when I lose focus for a moment, when I accidentally forget why I do what I do and that is when I remind myself that it is all worth it because I love and enjoy what I do. I take care of my body with good rest, good nutrition and good hydration. In addition to having support from our physiotherapists.

-Coming from Margarita, having been born in a country in precarious conditions, arriving in New York without speaking English, etc… do you feel that you are an example of perseverance, overcoming, luck or what other factor? What have been the keys to this rapid progress?

-I would say that the key to every dream or goal is perseverance, faith and discipline. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what matters is to be clear about where you want to go and how much you would be willing to give of yourself to achieve it. Personally, I can say that I had the support and backing of people who believed in me and I am so grateful for that…

-Who have been those supporters?

-Over the years I have had the great fortune of meeting wonderful people who have influenced my training, growth and have supported me significantly. Just to mention a few names, I would say Martha Ildiko Gomez, who was my ballet teacher in Venezuela; without a doubt she is an important pillar in my life, as is my mentor Ernie Prinz and María Cristina Anzola (founder of the International Ballet of Caracas with Vicente Nebrada and Elías Pérez Borjas, and current member of the board of directors of the New York City Ballet). They are my angels to me. And of course the emotional support of my mother, Belkis Johelys Girón Díaz.

-How do you see yourself in 10 years, professionally speaking?

-I see myself being a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater, having a successful career and traveling the world.

-Does Margarita miss empanadas, the sun, the beaches?

-Of course I miss Margarita, but above all I miss the people who saw me grow up in my ballet school.

Daniel Guzmán’s awards and performances:

2023: 1st Place Grand Prix Winner at Youth American Grand Prix Tampa & Finals.
2023: Grand Prix at Youth American Grand Prix Nashville Semi:Finals.
2023: Universal Ballet Competition 1st Place Senior Classical & Contemporary.
2023: Universal Ballet Competition Grand Prix & Legacy Awards Finals.
2023: Universal Ballet Competition Finals Gala “Talisman” 2023 The Arpino Centennial Celebration Chicago Gala ~ “Birthday Variation”.
2023: Shake the Ground Fort Lauderdale 1st Place Classical & Contemporary.
2021: Europa in Dance Competition 1st Place.
2020: Danza Activa Panama Competition ~ 2nd Place.
2019: PURADANZA (Colombia) 1st Place.
2018: PURADANZA 1st Place Classical Solo and 1st Place Pas de Deux.
2017: PURADANZA Grand Prix.

New York / Andres Correa Guatarasma