Meet Diana Ponce | performer

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

Hi diana, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
It took me a long time to realize that I wanted to be a performer despite always dabbling in it. I knew I loved singing from a very young age but I never loved performing. I liked singing in the car or road trips, in the shower, or basically anywhere, and despite initially being terrible at it, I never allowed for others’ opinions of it to discourage me from it.

I learned how to sing by imitating other iconic pop stars’ voices, I didn’t even take a single voice lesson until I turned 21. I just knew that I loved the arts. I loved music and the way it made me feel and how, even to this day, it’s hard for me to listen to a song and not immediately react to it by dancing or singing.

As a kid I used to draw, paint, play violin, take dance classes and even did ceramics at one point and yet the possibility of pursuing a creative career was something that wasn’t perceived as a real aspiration. It was okay as a kid to dream of being a painter or a writer, but it was also expected for those dreams so evolve into a more “serious” career path with age. Because of this expectation I began ignoring this creative side of myself and shoved it into a box labeled “hobby”. In an effort to find something that made me feel fulfilled I became a jack of all trades. I ventured into robotics, engineering, business, biology, chemistry, medicine and many other related fields in an effort to find something that made me feel as genuinely happy as the arts. And I did.

I discovered a love for service and a passion for education that steered my path towards nursing school. I applied, passed the exams to be able to enroll and, when the time came to do so I couldn’t find it in me to actually enroll. I had found theater and acting at the age of 16 and it was something that, not matter what I did, I refused to sacrifice and, upon knowing the hours of a nurse and the inevitable sacrifice it would require from me regarding theater. I couldn’t do it.

Still, I had to enroll in university and the arts were not a viable career path so I chose something that combined service, health, education and a lot of other aspects that I was also passionate about and became a psychologist. My logic was that psychology would at least allow me to have more control over my schedule and that way I could continue to do what I loved. By second semester I realized that I needed to stop being ridiculous and advocate for myself and pursue theater. And by my seventh semester I was able to convince my parents to help pay for it and so, I got my degree and then moved out of Mexico and to New York to finally follow my unconscious dream.

When I finally allowed myself to realize that a creative career was what I needed I felt so incredibly happy. The interesting thing about creative careers is that no one really goes into them for a lot more other than freedom. The room for self expression and liberation that comes with being an artist and pursuing such a field is one that I don’t think I would be able to find anywhere else and it’s something that I lacked while growing up. My parents pursued very square and logical careers that fully go with their personalities and, because of that, I was raised in a very strict and square household, the arts were my real way of breaking free from it and becoming my own person, on my own terms and by my own rules while still abiding by my household dynamics.

I hope this makes sense but the ability to step out of my own reality and into someone else’s, for however long, feels like I’m stealing time from life; like going into a mini game in a video game when you can’t solve the story line level. I pursued the arts because, in my opinion, they’re the most rewarding and fulfilling escape to life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So I went to school for musical theater but I just call myself a performer because a lot of times art is multidisciplinary or intersectional without us even realizing it. Truth be told, it was not easy to get to where I am today and I had a more privileged experience than most. From not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, as I touched on a bit earlier, to working in a Latin dance company with dance being my weakest skill and on top of that being the firs of my nuclear family to leave my country and to live by myself in New York, it’s been an adventure to say the least.

When I first moved to the city I was so excited. I was going to, finally, pursue a career in something I was passionate about, I was starting over, I was free to chose who I wanted to be and how I wanted to go about that, I was getting a little taste of freedom in a way I wouldn’t have back home. As time went on though I realized the price to pay for all of this was this ever present feeling of standing with one foot in the door and one foot out of it. I started missing my family first, then Mexico and my culture, but then every time I visited I missed New York, my friends and I missed the life I created for myself as an individual. I think that has been the hardest thing to assimilate and overcome, finding a balance in knowing that I’m two different people and I will only ever get to share one with the people I love. It’s hard to live away from home and its hard to have home so far from my new life. But I do what I can to bring it into everything I do. The more I evolve in my craft I want to tell stories of Latin Americans, of Mexico, of our music, our folklore, our cooking. Being part of a company that specializes in Latin rhythms has healed so much of this immigrant wound because most of the women in it share it. It’s allowed me to realize how much I need to celebrate my heritage and how proud I am to be Mexican.
Being an artist is not easy, but like I said before, being an immigrant on top of that makes it harder. You’re pursuing an already difficult career in a language that isn’t yours, a country that doesn’t share your culture, without your family, and many many other set backs and still here we are and here I am, making it work every day.

I think the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is how incredibly resilient I am. I was a very independent crazy kid when I was little and I never had a clue in my brain that it was going to make me into an ferociously hard working and survival oriented adult but I can say more than ever now that I love what I do and I will work hard for it despite the grief and despite not being a dancer or the best singer. They’ve always said it’s not about talent but about discipline and hard work well, no one ever questions who built the Mexican pyramids.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is the hardest question of this whole interview because I am a terrible homebody and I leave my house if it’s not for a house party or getting a coffee with some friends. But I would definitely take them on a picnic at Central Park in Sheep’s Meadow one day, we would of course have to catch some show on Broadway because I would be betraying my industry if I didn’t force them to do so, then take a day to go to the beach. I would probably throw a little house party so my New York friends could meet her and then I would take her to work with me one day so she can see the glitz and glam of being a showgirl. Other than that, it’s New York and, knowing her, she already has an itinerary for me!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Such a hard question because there’s so many people who contributed in their own way.

First of all to my brother, my day one, my best friend, my biggest fan and my forever ally in every thing I do. He supports my crazy and tries his best to defend it when it comes to my parents. My parents, it took them forever to support this, allow it and finance it and everything that comes with having an artist in the family, but they support it and root for me and only ever hesitated because they wanted the best for me and something without a conventional structure is unknown to them and they wanted to be able to help me out.

To the one girl I had a crush on in high school, thank you. I would’ve never stepped foot in that theater workshop and found this amazing art. And to my college ex-boyfriend, I’ll never take a day of being an artist for granted, because for some reason the universe decided I get to do this and you don’t, so I know a how lucky I am to get to call performing my job.

And also literally all of my friends because being a performer is crazy. The highs are high and the lows are so deep it’s tremendously challenging to come back from and it takes a village to do so, and they’re that and so much more. Being an immigrant and a performer is not for the faint of heart.

Website: https://dfpeactor.wixsite.com/dfpe

Instagram: @dfpe21

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dfpe.actress?si=8XOuoeE0u56nzG7p