As a lively 6-year-old, Alejandro Vargas had an abundant energy his parents hoped to channel into sports. After cycling through all the conventional options, nothing seemed to stick. Then, to connect Vargas and his sister with their Colombian heritage, his parents enrolled them in a salsa class at a local studio in New Jersey. That’s when everything changed and Vargas found his passion.
As Vargas got older, he grew more serious about dance and began attending dance conventions with his studio, Dancin’ in the Spotlight. The owner, Liz LeBar, cultivated his versatility, encouraging him to train in every style. “She taught me to be a hireable dancer,” Vargas says, “like an adaptable chameleon.”
Vargas carried this lesson with him from high school into college, where he attended Juilliard. “I’ve always been interested in touching different avenues in my career, whether it be Broadway, concert work, commercial work, TV, or film,” Vargas says. Even though Juilliard focuses on concert dance, Vargas remained open, which paid off in a big way. In his senior year, he was offered a role in Justin Peck’s dance musical Illinoise.
Vargas made his Broadway debut before graduating with his BFA from Juilliard. A few months later, he moved to Lyon, France, where he now dances with the acclaimed contemporary company Opéra National de Lyon.
We talked with Vargas to talk more about his senior year and the lessons he learned throughout.
On Juilliard: “Juilliard taught me about what I don’t like or am not necessarily drawn to. We were, luckily, given many opportunities to work with different choreographers, and not all the processes were my favorite. But I think knowing what you don’t like in any medium is just as informative as knowing what you do like, because it helps you proceed with future decision-making in your career. Juilliard also taught me how to advocate for myself. You’re held accountable, and you must learn to be a good communicator, which is an important life skill.”
On his Broadway debut in Illinoise: “At school, we had a two-day workshop with Justin Peck, and I approached it like a class because, to me, that’s all it was. But in the back of my mind, I knew he was someone I wanted to work with because of his portfolio, which spans so many platforms. Then, a couple of weeks later, I got an email from Justin saying that I was offered a role in his production, Illinoise, and I was beyond excited. Though we were told the workshop wasn’t an audition, as dancers we have this instinct to treat everything as if it’s an audition and to be prepared. It’s not necessarily to add pressure but to understand that you never know who’s watching or where it could lead. I’m glad I had excitement in the workshop and focused on enjoyment without expecting an outcome.”
On choosing company life in France: “I was offered a contract with Opéra de Lyon a week before we opened Illinoise on Broadway, so my emotions were at an all-time high. I decided to take the contract instead of staying in New York. I had to ask myself where I was going to find the most growth, and moving to France was the option that scared me more. But I also asked myself, ‘Why does it scare me? Just because it scares me doesn’t mean I’ll be unhappy.’ I imagined where I would feel most pushed out of my comfort zone and then took the leap. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I am enjoying it.”
On advice for a diverse career: “First and foremost, stay open-minded. Don’t have blinders on about what you want to do. If you say ‘I only want to do one thing,’ you might close yourself off to experiences that could pique your interest. I always knew I wanted to explore different aspects of dance in my career, but I wasn’t sure about the trajectory. Going into my senior year, I figured I’d audition for companies before trying Broadway later. But it turned out to be the reverse.
Who knows where I’ll go in the future, but I’m committed to staying open to whatever opportunities come my way.”
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