Jon Moreno
Arts & Entertainment Editor
1. How did you end up choosing to attend SCSU?
I ended up choosing to go to SCSU because it was a school that not only was affordable, but it also was located in a city where the arts were widely appreciated. That is something that I truly value in an area that produces art!
2. How long have you been dancing and acting? How did it all start for you?
I have been dancing since the age of five but I did not start my international Latin ballroom training until my early teens. I have been acting since I was about 10. My love for dance started when I use to watch my Hispanic family members dance and the pure and honest joy that it brought to them! I desperately wanted to mimic that passion so I started taking dance classes through afternoon programs in my school. In regards to theater, I wanted to vocalize the emotions that I felt when I danced and the only way to start doing that was by doing theatrical productions!
3. What was the first moment when you realized that dancing is something you love doing?
I cannot really remember an exact date or moment when I realized that dancing was something I loved. Ever since I was a small boy, I would always dance regardless of where I was or what people thought of me! I guess you can say that I was sort of “born with dance”!
4. Tell us about your most memorable moment being a dancer.
My most memorable moment as a dancer has to be when I was in high school and I performed during a pep-rally. The student body really didn’t comprehend the style of dance that I was trained in which is Latin ballroom. My partner and I, though we were scared to death about the student’s reaction to our dance piece, went on and performed a samba! The appreciation and the extreme positive reaction that we received was enough to convince me that I had succeeded as a dancer and as a person who significantly changed people’s opinion.
5. What else do you do that most people may not know about you?
I am very interested in the different cultures around the world. I try to be as well rounded as I possibly can and studying different culture is a mechanism in achieving that.
6. If you weren’t dancing, where do you think your life would be and why?
If I weren’t dancing I literally do not think that I would be half the person I am today. I do not think that I would have been inspired to get a higher education and further expand my knowledge of life.
7. Who are your biggest influences in life and what affect have they had on you?
By far I would have to say that my biggest inspiration has to be my parents. Though it may sound a bit excessive, my parents have only supported me and provided me with the utmost TLC that any son could ever ask for! Their work ethic is one to be envied and in that I have learned the essential tools that are necessary to survive in industries such as dance and theater.
8. When you aren’t dancing or doing theater, what is one way Felix Reyes keeps himself busy?
Well to be quite honest, though it might sound a tad silly, I absolutely love to eat! It’s a way to keep myself going when times can get a bit rough!
9. How does dancing or acting in front of people make you feel?
One of the main reasons I dance and act is because of the glorious feeling that one undergoes when you feel that you have achieved a goal that your mind and body initially thought was unattainable. It is a unique moment when you have danced or acted your heart out and the audience recognizes the work ethic that you have put into your art. It is the idea of being recognized and appreciated for doing what brings the simplest of joys to your life; love!
10. What is one message you’d like to leave with the Southern student body?
I would just like to say this: Recognizing that as a human being you are able to accomplish much more than just obtaining knowledge is a beginning step in achieving what we all strive for: happiness!
