Meet Virginia Santucci | Professional dancer

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

Hi Virginia, why did you pursue a creative career?
My family taught me the importance of self expression at a very young age. Obviously there are many ways to do it, and not all of them are artistic; but the more I danced the more I learned that this is how I best express myself.
It wasn’t about being artsy- I’m actually a pretty practical person- but it was just an extension of how I communicate. And it works the other way too in where I can understand the world and the people around me through dance. So sure I chose this career, but it’s just who I am so it was never really a choice.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Pursuing dance as a career was not easy – spoiler: It still isn’t. I started dancing when I was very young, so dance was always a part of my life. It followed me throughout my childhood, my teenage years, and even when I moved around the world; obviously making sacrifices is part of the process. Everything from the practices after school, the weekends spent in the studio, the money on pointe shoes and leotards. The more I grew up the more those efforts became bigger. To get to the position I’m in now, I had to leave my family, learn new languages and restart my life from square one every time I moved for dance. The love and the passion that I have for this art form kept me going, but what really helped me was always remembering my priorities. Taking dance for granted was never an option, even if sometimes it was hard to remind myself that since it has become such a constant part of my life. So whenever I struggled, I just had to breathe and remind myself what I want to do and why I want to do it. Reminding myself that I am my number one priority, and my happiness comes from dance.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
New York City is such a magical, but also touristy place, so as soon as you arrive you’re overwhelmed by things that you have to visit, experience, and eat. In my opinion the best way to visit the city is just to get lost and observe all the façades this city has. For example: How does the energy change from a borough to another? You really start to understand how this city can be so many things in one. There is one specific place though that somehow is not as popular within tourists’ guides: Roosevelt Island. In my opinion, it’s such a unique place. Starting from the tramway that goes over the East River, to the long promenade that lets you enjoy one of the best views of Manhattan, and the very cute and artsy park at the tip of the island. It’s usually very calm and serene and it holds a special place in my heart. It ‘s beautiful in every season, but it really comes alive in April and May when the cherry trees blossom.

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?
I owe my shoutout, my recognition, my time, my love and my passion to my parents. To my mother, who signed me up at the age of 3 when I asked if I could go take dance classes. To my dad who learned how to make a ballet bun and sew tutus. Their support is everything to me and without them I would have never reached where I am right now. My gratitude goes towards the money they spent on my training, all the comfort through long calls late at night after a hard day, or all the times they showed up to a performance. They are my number one supporters and I am forever grateful for that.

There is though, another shoutout needed, towards music. From my point of view dance would not exist without it and it has such an important role in my life that I cannot avoid this cheesy shoutout. It moves me emotionally and physically. Music is the reason why to many of my dances.

Instagram: @virginiasantucci

Image Credits
Paul DuBois @the.thief.of.time