Dance Spotlight – Victor Hernandez Jr.

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Victor Hernandez Jr. is featured in this edition of Dance Spotlight!  Victor lives in New York and he serves as the Artistic Director for PMX Entertainment Dance Company.  He is also a member of the PMX dance team, Spirits N Motion 3.0. He was nominated by Leah Duque.  Leah said, “Victor is a good friend and has always supported me in everything I’ve done! He is a real gem in the dance community!” Check out some fun facts about Victor, including his thoughts on physical fitness in dance and his involvement with an uplifting series of online dance events called the Iron Kingdom Virtual Music and Dance Festival!

Want to nominate someone to be in the Dance Spotlight? Contact us!

What (or who) originally inspired you to try Latin dancing?

I’m a 3rd Generation artist; I come from a family of music and dance. My parents are from the “Original South Bronx Kids”, my grandparents met on a dance floor, and I come from a family where music, dance and art is a priority.

Describe a moment in your dance life that made you feel proud?

Every moment in dance is a proud one. Dancing at local scene events, performing for all the major health organizations across the East Coast, performing at local and national government events, being involved with Aspira for the youth, or Congresses/Festivals around North America and even Europe. Every moment in dance is a Wrestle-Mania moment. A dancers most important moment on the dance floor are those first 10 seconds before the music hits.  How you run with it will determine the outcome of the dance.

Social Dance Pet Peeve(s)?

Don’t ask me if I dance On1 or On2. I come from a generation whose mindset is to get down regardless of skill level.  People tend to forget that music has been around for centuries, not years. To ask someone what rhythm they dance on is absolutely ridiculous.

You organize the Iron Kingdom Virtual Music and Dance Fesitvals. Can you tell us a little bit about Iron Kingdom and the goals for those events?

The Iron Kingdom is organized by Spirits N Motion 3.0 of The Long Island City School of Ballet (Barbara Valle, Yasmin Contreras, and I). We created the idea during this awful global pandemic. We’ve had help from the organizers of Steel City Kizomba Festival (Mike Hardwick), Bailacura (Jenny Geska) and a lot of other events that we have participated in. They’ve shared genuine guidance.

The entire purpose of the Iron Kingdom is to bring unity within this broken system in the dance community, and to give opportunities to local and international teachers who have never had the opportunity to teach and showcase. And, most importantly, to give people the opportunity to train and feel free to do what they love without worrying about being able to afford it. Iron Kingdom is about the art of dance and not the popularity of the artist, amount of followers, or anything else that people feel is connected to this art.

You’re wearing the color red in the vast majority of your dance pictures (red vest, red sport coat, red Jose Bottas, red t-shirt, etc). What’s the significance of the color red as it pertains to your life and/or dancing?

The color red has a spiritual and personal connection to me and the girls on our dance team. Red, to me, is the color of royalty, power, respect, perseverance, fire, dominance and honor. Red symbolizes the ability to say what’s on my mind – to manifest goals and bring them to life.

You’re big into physical fitness (particularly weight lifting). Does physical fitness aid in your dancing?

I’m huge into power lifting. Besides dancing, power lifting weights gives me the opportunity to take out my aggression. Lifting weights does help with my dancing, but nothing is more powerful than folkloric dancing like Ballet & Afro-Cuban. Spirits N Motion 3.0 was planning on going on a power lifting expedition just to test ourselves before the pandemic hit.

What are your current favorite songs to dance to? Top two or three…

My Pandora is always on shuffle and music has had a huge impact on my life. I listen to all types of music at the gym. I can go hardcore hip-hop to Fall Out Boy, and go back to 80s/90s music. I really enjoy Salsa, Timba, Bachata, Kizomba and more. I really don’t have any favorite songs.

Favorite dance video you’d like to share?

I would love to share a video of me dancing with my 7-year old daughter on the Harlem 125th Metro-North station.

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