¡Bailar hasta el Cielo! My Cuban Dance Dream

¡Hola a todos! It’s me, Beatriz, and I am so, so happy to write again for you. Last time I told you a little about me, and how much I love my Cuba, and my big dreams. Today, I want to tell you about the shows here, the ones I dance in, and what it really feels like, you know?

Here in Cuba, especially where I work in the hotels, there are always shows. Music, colors, amazing costumes, and so much dancing! People come from all over the world, and they see us, and they smile and clap. It's beautiful to make people happy with our music. But what they don't always see, is the intensity. Oh, the intensity! When the music starts, and you are on that stage, it's not just moving your feet. No, no. It's like the music takes over your whole body, your heart, your soul. Every step, every turn, every drop of sweat, it's all part of the story you are telling.

And believe me, there is a lot of sweat! After one show, my hair, my clothes, everything is wet. Like I just came out of the ocean, you know? It’s not easy, dancing like that, with so much energy for so long. Your muscles burn, your lungs feel like they are working so hard. But when you finish, and the music stops, and the people clap, it’s like magic. All that pain, all that sweat, it just… goes away. Because you put your heart in it, and people felt it.

To be a dancer here, to get to the good shows, it's not for everyone. You have to really, really want it. I see many young people, like me, who love to dance. They come to the classes, they practice and practice. But the ones who make it, the ones who get to be on stage, they are the ones who don't stop. Even when it hurts, even when they are tired, even when the teacher says "again, again, again!" They just keep going. Because this dream, it's like a fire inside them. Only the strongest fire can make it to the top.

And for me, my fire is big! Very, very big. I love my shows here, and I love my Cuba. But my biggest dream, the one that makes me practice even when my feet are tired, is to see my name. My name, Beatriz Alvares, on a big screen! Like in a movie, or maybe in a show in New York, on Broadway! Oh, that would be truly, truly amazing. My heart beats faster just thinking about it.

It's a big dream, maybe a crazy dream, for a girl from Cuba like me. But when I dance, when I feel the music and the sweat, I know it's possible. Because when you put everything you have into something, when you live for it, then maybe, just maybe, the sky is not the limit. It's just the beginning.

¡Hasta pronto!

Be.