Meet Favian Herrera | Dancer/Choreographer/Dance Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Favian Herrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Favian, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
From a young age I knew that I was a creative. I didn’t understand what that entailed, but there was something inside of me that resonated this creative energy. I spent my early childhood years growing up in Wharton TX, it wasn’t a place where one is exposed to the arts outside of the school curriculum of choir and visual arts class. I remember during the afternoons I would catch a glimpse of “Great Performances”, and was captivated by all the dance performances, From Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp, Rudolf Nureyev, and so many other greats, I was encapsulated by what I was watching on the small screen box television set my aunt had sitting in her living room. I would hide into the couch as to not get caught by any of my cousins or my parents, it was tough though as I would escape into the show and become part of the performance. I would jump and twirl around the small cramped space of my aunts tiny home imitating what I could, making it quite easy to get caught. There was something about the music, the movement of the body, the passion, the energy, that took me on this journey that felt so comfortable to me. I wasn’t cut out like the rest of my family, I wasn’t going to go into the trade businesses, I felt my calling elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with those jobs, but when you were born to do something you feel it in the depths of your being, I so desperately tried fitting in, but the more I tried the more I didn’t. I was bullied by my family for my interest in music, the way I would escape through mini performances of Selena songs, or dances I would try to imitate. At school the teachers took interest to my performance energy, but now I look back at it, I don’t know if they were letting me make a mockery of myself, or really saw something in me. It was those moments that helped me develop the courage to pursue my interest in hope my hard work would help me evolve it into a career. When we moved to Dallas in 1997 I was given the opportunity to pursue a dance class and honestly from there the seed was planted and I was able to take my interest from something out of touch, to a platform where I could express myself, create, and be who I was without the influence of my family. I used their mockeries of me to be the fuel to my fire to create the things that I wanted to in a way where I was able to go beyond imitating the television, but be just as good. Don’t get me wrong there were so many that believed in me and assisted my journey, but it was those early formative experiences that resonated so much power that continued to push me to strive for my dreams.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a storyteller, I love to create dance that is going to transport you to another dimension of emotion, time, space, and experience. Not to take away from how proud I am for my commercial work (DFW Airport, Albertsons, Captain Morgan Rum), I hold those near to my heart. It’s the pieces of choreography where I have the freedom to create without restrictions, where the dancers can be more organic in their execution of movement, its this transformation of dance and music where it becomes so intertwined the perfect medley meshes into a perfect creation. One of my proudest moments is creating a Mayan influenced ballet in collaboration with the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico. Taking a piece of music thats never been choreographed to and given the freedom to create freely, allowed me to create a piece of art that will transcend anything I create here forward. It’s not an easy process, you have to jump a lot of hurdles, this isn’t an industry in Dallas where collaborative efforts always go well. We are a city of the arts that is lead by what is considered the most elite, with that comes their ability to always attain greater amounts of funding, it can make it a little harder for the smaller companies to flourish comfortably. In order to overcome one must strive with a positive perspective, innovative ideas, and most importantly forward thinking. Dallas for me is a Petri dish of creatives journeying throughout this vast metroplex, making their mark as they go. One thing I have learned is that your ideas are great, but being able to create a fondu of perspectives makes for innovative art. We tend to sometimes lock ourselves in our own minds without room for much outside perspective. Where our ideas seem unique, its the ability to share and create with others that enhances the artistry of our community, expanding the canvas for future contributions. With this knowledge I am lucky enough to be able to travel the country adjudicating dance competitions, teaching dance conventions, and choreographing with the hopes of inspiring future generations of artists.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to visit Bishop Arts, I am a huge fan of the area, growing up in Oak Cliff I love watching the growth of the area. There is that “hood” stigma which I still feel a little connected to lol, but just the blend of raza and a little gentrification creates a cool vibe. Cafe Brazil is a must for the coffee bar and my favorite “Chilaquiles con Chorizo” made without the tomatillo, sub cream sauce (thank me later), Enos for dinner, Oak Cliff Social for cool drinks and chill vibes. Trinity Groves is another area that holds a dear place to my heart, just watching how that whole area has grown is astounding, I have a lot of cousins that live in West Dallas off of Singleton so it’s definitely evolved and I love to give insight to how it used to be compared to now. Kate Weiser is a must for some of the most exquisite chocolate in Dallas, some cocktails at one of the various bars, and that beautiful skyline of the city I love so much. You can’t visit and not go to Klyde Warren, a stroll through the arts district, a view of the DMA, the sculpture garden, a trip to see the one and only Kettle Art Gallery, there is just too much to do. These are just one of the few places that make this city such a sight, each suburb is filled with so many places, breweries, bars, art galleries, theaters, its what makes us such a vibrant community of diversity.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Middle School dance teacher, Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Dance Department deserves a lot of credit. This is a group of people that turned my interest from a thought into a reality. These educators helped me to believe in myself, hone my craft and realize the amount of work that it takes to turn your ideas into reality. It was having the opportunity to be in an environment where there was never a lost opportunity, but the ability to create your own. They were not just educators they were parental guidance where I lacked so much of it. Each person played a pivotal role in my development not just as an artist but as a human being. Where I felt uncertain, uneasy, insecure, they pushed me to not only artistic limits, but to the limits as a person, for some semblance of healthy development. Later in life as I became a father and husband, my wife has been a driving force for me in the continuous motivation, and leadership of all elements of my life. She reels me in when my creative thoughts go off the deep end, the voice of reason when I become overwhelmed with passion, and just overall is the ying to my yang. She has encouraged me to go on a journey of healing, a journey of overall better mental health, which in return has allowed me to find a better understanding of my work. As funny as it is “The Giving Tree” book is a book that I read often and continues to this day help me find a deeper understanding of what the meaning of life is, and value all those around contributing to your life just a little bit more. Overall there are so many people that deserve credit for my success just not as an artist but as an overall human being.

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Facebook: Favian Herrera Jr.