Natalia Gonzalez sets the tone for every Miami HEAT dancer’s audition by reminding hopefuls that each “no” is a chance to learn and improve. Gonzalez would know—she auditioned for the team four times before making it.
Originally from Miami, Gonzalez grew up dancing ballet before attending New World School of the Arts. It was there, she says, that she realized dance was something she could do for the rest of her life. After school, Gonzalez took a handful of professional dance jobs and toured with performing artists before deciding to build her dance career in her hometown.
Four auditions, four seasons on the team, and 14 coaching seasons later, Gonzalez is director of entertainment teams for the Miami HEAT. She manages the Miami HEAT dancers, the Jr. HEAT dancers, the Hoop Troop, and the Golden Oldies.
Dance Teacher caught up with Gonzalez to talk mentorship, core values, and uplifting women in dance.
On Transitioning From Miami HEAT Dancer to Coach
“I wouldn’t have pegged myself as the best dancer on the team when I was on the team,” she says. It was her dedication and work ethic that set her apart from her peers. During her fourth season as a Miami HEAT dancer, when her coach decided to retire, Gonzalez was the obvious choice.
With teams for dancers of all ages and backgrounds, it’s hard to believe that there could be a choreographic throughline. However, Gonzalez says that most of her dances are influenced by Hispanic culture and heritage. “Miami’s full of color and life and spice, and all of our teams are reflective of that.”
On the Importance of Mentorship
One of Gonzalez’s most important mentors is Rosanna Karpiak, her high school dance teacher. Karpiak led American Dance Alliance, a Florida-based company that hosts competitions, leadership intensives, and dance camps for high school dancers, until 2015 when she passed the baton to Gonzalez. “She was big on helping me find what my core values were, so that I could stay true to myself in how I coach and how I lead,” Gonzalez says. Some of those values include collaboration, creativity, and courage in the face of adversity.
With these principles to guide her, Gonzalez now works closely with high school dance captains in her ninth year at ADA, encouraging them to discover their own values as developing leaders. “We try to narrow down how they can implement that when they’re leading their team.”
Her Advice for Dance Teachers and Coaches
Let your work ethic speak for you. She believes she’s been able to reach her career goals because her predecessors noticed her hard work and integrity and advocated for her advancement. “They were in rooms that I had yet to step into, and because of my work ethic, my name was being spoken about when people were making big decisions,” she says.
On Opening Doors for Women
Now a decision-maker in the dance world herself, Gonzalez is intent on paying it forward. Through a first-of-its-kind program for the Miami HEAT dancers called Advancing Through Dancing, she’s doing just that. A season-long development program, it provides dancers with educational seminars, mentorship from female executives, and a grant initiative. The $10,000 grant, presented by AT&T, goes to one dancer at the end of the season with a winning pitch. The winner can use the grant to start a business, defray the cost of schooling, and more. The most recent grant recipient, Hadley Hancock, used the money to get her pilot’s license and continue her work as co-founder and vice president of Props For A Purpose. The nonprofit organization provides disaster relief, medical response, and animal rescue through the power of aviation.
Gonzalez hopes more pro teams take the Miami HEAT’s lead and provide their dancers with opportunities to grow, not just as performers but as people. “I don’t want us to be the only ones giving this,” she says. “It’s very rewarding to give lifelong skills to these dancers other than just dance.”