Today we’d like to introduce you to Celia Zaga.
Hi Celia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started dancing since I can remember, I’ve always had this passion for art, dance and music, so I started taking after school ballet probably when I was 6 or 7, and I stayed there till I was 12 and decided I didn’t want to do it anymore, so I transitioned into sports and I started taking soccer lessons and doing horseback riding which was fun for a while but I realized it wasn’t my passion and it was not what I wanted to do, I still love doing it when I have time but I decided that I wanted to go back to dance, a studio in Mexico City which I attended for 7 years, it was rough , I learned a lot but I was constantly reminded that I wasn’t good enough, I auditioned for the competition team year after year and never made it but that gave me a reason to keep fighting and even though I never made it there it gave the guts to decide I wanted to take my art to the next level, so after I graduated high school in 2019, I decided I wanted to move to New York for a couple months before attending college in Mexico, little did I know that New York City would steal my heart and soul. I was doing a training program at Broadway Dance Center. The first month I was here, I saw Wicked the musical, and I was blown away, speechless, completely in awe; I was so excited to see art on a different level, and I wasn’t a theater kid growing up at all; we don’t have Broadway or a big theater industry in Mexico so it was never in my radar, till I found my love musical theater and the game changed for me, I started to see more shows and become really passionate about it. I wasn’t able to finish the program because of Covid, so I was heartbroken that I had to leave, but from the second I left, I knew I belonged here, so I started doing some research and figuring out any possible way to come back!
Luckily, everything was online, so I decided I wanted to give my musical theater dreams a shot and learned how to sing and act on Zoom.
It was a rough couple of months, but I decided that I wanted to study musical theater professionally, so I auditioned for The American Musical and Dramatic Academy here in New York and when I got in, I couldn’t believe I was going to have a chance of coming back to New York to continue with my dreams and learn all the things.
AMDA was the best experience of my life, I learned everything, it gave me lifelong friends and the tools I needed to be brave and bold to come out to the real world and give my dreams a shot.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There has definitely been many ups and downs in this journey; packing my whole life and moving to a different country was something big in my life, but I’ve never been happier in my life since the day I made that decision, right now it’s been rough working hustle jobs to survive, trying to get seen at auditions, especially recently dealing with preparing myself for the visa process getting all the things together, hiring a lawyer, it’s a very exhausting and complicated process but I’m willing to risk everything for this, also the burnout is real you know as artists and performers our main tool is our bodies so we constantly have to be in class training cause the learning never stops, that’s what I’ve learned from a lot of the most inspiring and successful people in the business that you never stop being a student but we’re also constantly dealing with a lot of rejection or uncertainty so I truly believe that this career is not for the faint of heart.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a performer, a creator, an artist. I love to sing, dance, and act, and I moved to New York City from Mexico to pursue this dream cause it fulfills me more than anything; I also love to collaborate with other artists, especially my friends who are also in the business, but performing and inspiring other people is what makes me the happiest, I truly believe that we come to this life to be happy and if something makes you happy even though it doesn’t make someone else happy give it a shot, cause dreams don’t expire, and I’ve learned that the hard way, but also I’ve also learned that nothing makes me happier than performing and being onstage. I specialize in musical theater, but I love all the 3 areas of it.
I’m also so proud of the people that I’ve met along the way and that have become my family here; I always have to give a special shoutout to Jessica Lee Goldyn. She is my friend and my mentor and the person who believed in me before I believed in myself. She’s the kindest, most loving, and most talented person I’ve ever met, and she also happens to be the reason why I still fall in love with dance every time.
What sets me apart from others is that I truly believe in myself sometimes. I don’t show it, but I believe that working on yourself and being kind opens doors, and I think I’m ready for my big break.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Never giving up and working as hard as I possibly can, I feel like if you quit, you’re never going to see the result, and I certainly didn’t come this far only to come this far.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: celiazaga24
- Youtube: Celia Zaga
