Meet Danira Quintanar | Contemporary dance and circus artist

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

Hi Danira, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking. Deciding to dedicate myself to art was completely a risk with my family, I knew that it would be difficult to convince my parents of the importance of my profession and teach them that this is not a hobby, it was not something common in my family and environment, the risk here was to leave my career as a graduate in tourism and dedicate myself completely to the arts, pay for my classes, look for professionals who will constantly teach and update me, live in the inconsistency of having life insurance and being a freelancer without any support in terms of illness or injury. It was many years and I’m still studying. In my life, the main risk was always getting injured without having life insurance. As a freelancer, you constantly risk working with poor management, production, and team conditions. You have to be very careful and smart when making your decisions of where you can work and where it is better to let that job go. Many times, the economic profit moves more than all the risks mentioned. And well, that’s luck.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Cuéntanos más sobre tu arte. Nos encantaría saber qué te diferencia de los demás, qué es lo que más te enorgullece o te emociona

My art is the physical expression of the body. Express emotions, tell stories through body language. What sets me apart is what I’ve lived through to get to where I am now. I am Mexican with traditions, customs, music. All this is what defines us when expressing ourselves, added to the artistic background that in my case has been very versatile and mostly empirical. I am proud to have been so obsessively stubborn, learning to move was quite a story and now I reap results.

¿Cómo llegaste a donde estás hoy profesionalmente? ¿Era facil? Si no, ¿cómo superó los desafíos?

I auditioned many years ago at cirque du Soleil, in Mexico, for aerial hoop, I was in the database and I kept sending videos of my material over the years. Over time I stopped sending updates, I thought they would never hire me. Even so, I kept looking for more routes of artistic movement, I did not stop learning new disciplines, updating myself in dance as well as in circus and physical theater. During quarantine I looked for everything! It wasn’t easy, every day I told myself “this is your year, trust, the best is coming now” it was my daily mantra and every time I felt sad or desperate.

And so, during quarantine I learned hair suspension, my partner Geovany and I began to create an act that proposed our movement, language, all our energy and ideas were in it. It was the most genuine thing I could do at that moment of Covid, of so many frustrations and emotions not only mine but worldwide. One day I decided to send my proposal back to Cirque and well, they finally contacted me and the rest is history. Here I am living what many Latinos dream of and that I also dreamed of.

the challenges have been many living in a country where the circus is still seen as a hobby. it is difficult to educate people, changing the mentality is something that happens over time and little by little changes are noticed, we are becoming more and better prepared. It cost me a lot, of course, to invest in my education, traveling to learn circus and dance. Suffer injuries without having insurance. and most importantly, to also change my mentality regarding the circus arts. I love what I do

¿Cuáles son las lecciones que has aprendido en el camino? ¿Qué quieres que el mundo sepa sobre ti o tu marca e historia?

To be grateful and accept my vulnerability. In the most desperate moment of your life, the best of your life can also be happening and we do not realize it because we are immersed in anguish, it happened to me. Everything I learned and did in so many years is a reflection of my work today and what defines me as an artist. I wouldn’t change a thing since now I realize that everything is connected. I want the world to know that I am Mexican, that it can also be achieved with few resources. It is looking for honesty in yourself, your color, your history, reflecting it…it is difficult, in my case it was very difficult and I will always continue working on it. I want them to see my story as a “yes you can” and not give up.

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.
Oh, there are so many things that we would never finish!! We would start by going to the turquoise blue beaches in the Riviera Maya. We would visit the famous “Cenotes”, we would walk along the 5th avenue in “Playa del Carmen”, “Xcaret” and its Mexican show, the ruins of “Chichen Itzá”… to eat ceviche!!! Drink mezcal, tequila! Many things!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
the support of my family unconditionally. I have learned from so many artists but my greatest artistic growth began when I learned from my partner and beloved Geovany Mora

Instagram: @Daniracrobat

Other: Im in cirque du soleil ovo, “Lace bug” hair suspension solo act. I think that just by saying that its fine.

Image Credits
Show photos to Gerry Regitschnig Street pics to Karla Tammekand