Meet Damien Diaz | Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer of Luminario Ballet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Damien Diaz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Damien, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind our success is that we have an exceptional team of artists and staff who are passionate and completely dedicated to what they do. We have a team of individuals, each bringing their special gifts to the table. We all have the same end goal in mine and work together under any circumstances to achieve that.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets Luminario Ballet apart from other dance companies is that we incorporate circus aerial with ballet and with all genres of music so we are reaching the circus audience, the dance audience, and the music audience.

I got to where I am today through a lot of hard work and dedication. I am passionate. And am in love with what I do. It wasn’t always easy. I was obsessed with ballet from the very first step that I ever did in a ballet studio. I was 14. Six months later I left home to study in a live in professional school that train dancers for a professional ballet career. I didn’t return home until I was 31 years old. At 19 I left the United States and went to Zürich Switzerland to dance with the Zürich ballet. At that time, the Berlin wall came down and six months later I accepted a contract in the ex-GDR in LEIPZIG Germany. It was tough because culture was so different from the west and I had to learn German very quickly because there were not many people at that time who spoke English at the opera in East Germany
Other than the value that hard work and discipline pays off, the most valuable lesson that I learned along the way is that people are the same all over the world. We may have some cultural differences, but we all want the same things and we are all moved by art. It feeds our souls when we need it the most, and that I found is universal throughout the world.
What I would love the world to know our brand is that whenever they come to see us, they will see a very inspired performance that will lift their souls, and hopefully inspire them in their lives Luminario Ballet is an evergreen in it’s search for innovative, soulful and absolutely beautiful performances that merge high art with entertainment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, what a question! Where to begin? Los Angeles is the best staycation city in the world. Every time I go to a different part of the city I feel like I am in a completely different city with its own separate culture. The first thing I would do is, I would take my friend to the vibrant arts district downtown to see different art galleries and street art. Then we may have lunch at Hauser and Wirth. We would definitely go by the Broad Museum and then make our way back to my neck of the woods which is near Runyan Canyon. After we put our feet up for a bit, we would take the dog up to the top of Runyon Canyon to see the views. Then come back home for another rest before we dine at one of the fabulous restaurants in West Hollywood and finish the night with a nightcap in one of the fabulous bars of WeHo. The next day we would get up early and go to Venice Beach, walk the canals, then eat at one of the great restaurants on Abbott Kinney. Then we’d go back to my neighborhood and take a walk down the Hollywood walk of fame. The next day we may book a couple of nights at the Georgian hotel in Santa Monica, hit the beach, drive down the coast to point Dune and drive back to the Georgian to dine at the Speak Easy.. The next day we would go to the self realization center in the Pacific Palisades before we make our way back towards home. There we would hit one of the amazing farmers markets and choose what we would have for dinner. That evening, we would cook a great meal with all of the wonderful food that we got at the farmers market. If time allows we would catch a performance at the Hollywood Bowl and see a movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Before my friend would travel back we would get some spa treatments at the Raven spa in Los Feliz, shop some of LA’s incredible flea markets, and definitely do some hanging out by the pool. Before driving my friend to the airport, we might hit WeHo Bistro for brunch. On our way to the airport we would probably make a list of all the things we did not do and commit to doing them when my friend returns for another LA visit, L O L.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shout out to the amazing artists that I get to work with every day. They inspire me to be my best. I would also like to dedicate my shout out to my partner Bill and our beloved dog Krishna, who lights up my life.

Website: Luminario ballet.org

Instagram: @Damiendiazballerino. @Luminarioballet

Youtube: Luminarioballet

Image Credits
Gregory Zabilski
Zabilskiphotography.com
Insta: @gregoryzabilski