Why I Dance
For the longest time, I've always said that I dance because it allows me to express myself. While that is a part of it, the biggest reason why I dance is because it's a part of me. Classes may get challenging and it's easy to doubt myself, but I couldn't imagine my life without it. It gives me a voice to express and say the things I have trouble articulating. It allows me to feel. It challenges me and pushes me, but most of all, it allows me to be me.
My Secret Talent
I'm a really good "bad" dancer. Also, I can touch my tongue to my nose.
Who I Admire
On a dance level, I could list the various choreographers and dancers who inspire me (as there are many). However, the people I admire most are my students. Watching them push themselves during tough classes or practicing to achieve difficult movements, really inspires me to keep pushing and growing. It makes me want to not only be a better teacher, but a better dancer myself. If it weren't for the passion of the different students, teachers, and peers I have had over the many years of my career, I would not be the dancer I am today.
Get to Know Robbie Rodriguez
Robbie Rodriguez is an Albuquerque native and began dancing at age four. For 16 years, he trained with Elite Dance Company and became an instructor and choreographer for many of the studio’s original productions. Throughout his career, Robbie has trained on scholarship with State Street Ballet and Joffrey Ballet School in NYC. He has been a guest choreographer and judge for Cathy Roe Productions and Showbiz National Talent, and appeared in Seth MacFarlane’s A Million Ways to Die in the West. He is a UNM graduate and currently co-coaches the school’s dance team. Robbie has been with NMBC for seven years and has had the privilege of originating the roles of Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Crassus in Spartacus, Jack in Alice in Wonderland, the Cowardly Lion in Wizard of Oz, Aladdin in Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, and most recently, Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Robbie is also a rehearsal coach and the Marketing and Operations Director for NMBC.
Productions
The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Spartacus, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Choreographers' Collective, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Phantom of the Opera
