an artistic journey with jonathan batista

@jonathanbatista.dancer

"Play the music and 
let me dance."

Jonathan grew up dancing ballroom. He switched to jazz and hip hop, then later, to classical ballet. ​When asked if he had a favorite genre, his simple response was: “Play the music and let me dance.”
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Jonathan has had the opportunity to perform in historical theaters in Cordoba and Buenos Aires in Argentina; Lausanne and Geneva in Switzerland; Munich in Germany; Sao Paulo, Barra Bonita & Belo Horizonte in Brazil; London in the United Kingdom; Toronto, Banff and few small towns in Canada; New York, Salt lake City, Memphis, Miami, Boston, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Tulsa, and Oklahoma City in the United States.

“I've danced all over. I made sure I enjoyed my stay in each place and acquired their knowledge as much as I could,” he said. “I studied their principals and soloists and sought to understand why they were in such a position they were and how they got there. I was inspired to experience their passion and how they would lead themselves throughout their day, week, and month. Once I separated myself from that one company, I took those lessons with me, and developed myself.” 

 Because Jonathan gleaned so much in his travels from others in the industry, he believes it is important to talk within the dance community, especially with young kids, about your journey. “The ballet world can be tough at times and there is a lack of discipleship and a lot of confusion with the youth coming up as the next generation. It seems that the ballet world does not have much time to shape their minds and bodies with knowledge on how to begin their careers and have longevity within it.”

That is why he is grateful for the teachers, friends, and mentors who became his inspirations, helping to shape the dancer he is today. He said he had the opportunity to be trained and coached by "...the greatest dancers from back in the day - from Anya Evans to Cynthia Harvey, Rudolfo Castellanos, Karen Kain & Edward Villella and many others."

I remember each piece of advice, small word,  and conversation; and I still remember words from the schools throughout the companies I have joined and left… leading up to when Robert Mills offered me to join Oklahoma City Ballet as a Principal Dancer,” he continued.   

“Every time I faced myself with my fears, with the ‘no’ that you get, or with something completely unexpected, I had to return to the room or studio and ask myself who I was and who I wanted to become,” he said. “Then I would find ways to work to achieve that. This journey is about improving yourself as a person, dancer, and artist.”

Concerning his love for dance, Jonathan continues, “...At first I had the need to find and understand what love meant, as it sometimes comes and expresses itself in different ways within one’s life. Then, I loved myself first, and that reflected onto others and those surrounded by me. Love is something constant and that lives within me. Love and dance walk together.”