Nicolas de la Vega, 24
Hometown: Hoboken, New Jersey


When was the "a-ha" moment you knew you wanted to dance professionally?
"Since I was born, my mother, who was already a fan of the performing arts, would take me to see all kinds of shows. You name it, we were there. Thanks to her, I was very influenced by that. I was also watching tapes of Rudolf Nureyev constantly. I would be dancing around the house and putting on shows for people. So, when I was four, she threw me into a ballet class at the Joffrey Ballet School in NYC. Later, I went to the School of American Ballet and had the pleasure of watching the New York City Ballet perform. I would go almost every night — even if I had homework to do. I thought to myself, 'This is what I have to do.'"

What's the hardest demand you face to do what you love?
"To maintain self-confidence in this profession you must have no fear. In the dance world, or in any art profession in general, it's very common to compare yourself to others. I recently watched this interview of Wendy Whelan, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and she said something that I thought was very inspiring. She talked about how 'You're you.' He or she can't be you, you can't be him or her. So, whenever I find myself thinking that, I remind myself, 'You're going to be the best you you can be, and he's going to be the best him he can be.' I should probably send a thank you note to her for saying that!"

What would you be doing if you weren't dancing?
"I would still be somewhat involved in the performing arts, whether it’s teaching ballet classes, choreographing, or even acting. But, my goal is to keep on dancing until I physically can't do it anymore."