What do you want to see?
Skene Staff
From the UK to Korea to the past — Helen Garcia-Alton, Tina Torbey, and Nia Banks share the theatre they wish they could see anywhere in the world.
From the UK to Korea to the past — Helen Garcia-Alton, Tina Torbey, and Nia Banks share the theatre they wish they could see anywhere in the world.
Public domain plays for community theatres: proven box office hits, zero royalties. Reliable entertainers that fill seats.
Brandon PT Davis is a scenic designer whose research-driven practice builds spaces that dissolve into story and earn their invisibility.
Actriz y autora mexicana Kelly Key habla sobre maternidad, teatro autodidacta y su cuento Cerillo en este episodio de OFFSTAGE en Español.
Helen Garcia-Alton, Tina Torbey, and Nia Banks share what’s on stage right now that is transformative, interesting, or just plain fun.
From her childhood fascination with Cats and The Phantom of the Opera to performing at iconic venues like Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, the journey of Zeltzin Vargas is a story of perseverance, reinvention, and untiring passion. A professional dancer who merges ballet, contemporary, and flamenco with ease, Zeltzin has portrayed some of the most challenging roles, led immersive performances, and is ever-bounding in expanding her artistic expression.
Her recent time in Spain, training with Nacho Cano for their latest project Malinche, became the turning point-enriching her craft with singing and acting and filling her with enthusiasm to bring her evolution to Mexican audiences.
In this edition of PROFILES, we dive in to Zeltzin Vargas‘ story of challenges, triumphs, and creative transformation.
Since I was a child, I have had a connection with music and movement.
I started dancing at the age of 4, and I was the youngest in my Hawaiian and Tahitian dance class. I remember that when I was 6, my favorite movies were the musicals “Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera.” I was constantly imagining and creating with my body, always staying active. I then entered the world of Rhythmic Gymnastics competitions, a significant step because it exposed me to a demanding rhythm and pressure to place well and improve constantly. However, I never felt overwhelmed by it, and I am incredibly grateful for my parents’ support in a healthy way.
Ballet didn’t catch my attention until three years later, after finishing my studies at the EIA#3 (School of Artistic Initiation). It was a process I can’t fully explain—I liked it, but I missed gymnastics. I took an exam for the ENDCC (National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance) without knowing much about what it meant or required to be a classical dancer, and I really liked it. Performing on stages like the National Auditorium or the Palace of Fine Arts at the young age of 11 was something incredible, and I wanted to keep exploring. I loved the discipline, the schedules, the classes, and the National Arts Center (CNA) became my second home. Those nine years in my career were physically and mentally demanding. I clearly understood that, for ballet, I was never going to be enough—or at least, that’s what they made me believe. That’s when my growth and maturity emerged, as I dared to explore more about dance in general, choreography, creative works, and musicals.
During my career, I was chosen to be the protagonist of a creation in the Teaching program: “Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins.”
At first, it seemed amazing, but it wasn’t until they spoke to my parents that I realized the weight of the role. I would portray a delicate theme: Lust. It was a Pas de Deux where it had to be shown that Snow White’s father was sexually abusing her. I would share the scene with a professional dancer, and I was only 13, without having received Pas De Deux classes. It was such an impactful play, both for my personal life and my career. Conveying such a strong message to the audience without getting caught up in it. Being professional like the other dancers and trusting myself because I was part of that cast and I was the protagonist.
Late-night rehearsals, after-school practices, and the fear of the lifts, which at the time seemed new and challenging. Learning to coexist with older people with more experience. It only took three performances for me to realize how important that staging would be for my acting, my growth as an artist, and my understanding of theater.
I could define my creative process as spontaneous. I knew from a young age that I loved imagining and creating with my body and with others. My first work was in 6th grade, when I unexpectedly decided to stage a Christmas story with my classmates. The support from teachers and principals now seems unreal, but my ideas were always welcome.
I began creating choreographies for graduations, year-end events, and Día de los Muertos. I felt in my element; I just needed to hear the music and understand that each body and mind is unique. I started creating with myself and shared it with my classmates. Having a clear idea and making the audience feel something. What’s interesting is that I already had inspirations from other dance styles, such as hip hop, flamenco, contemporary, and jazz, even though I hadn’t yet been trained in them—blended, of course, with my ballet background.
A challenge I can remember with great pride was my first job as a dancer, which allowed me to then transition to being a choreographer and head of the team. I was 21, and leaving Mexico City for the first time was a big change for the better. It was an immersive show, a ShowDinner about Light and Darkness that we must navigate in our lives, in a Caribbean paradise island. I was living my dream, being happy and fulfilled, working in what I love. Being the youngest was both a surprise and a challenge to lead the artistic team. I couldn’t believe that the little Zeltzin, who made dances with her cousins or choreographed for many children at school, was now working professionally to create a show where an international audience could appreciate it. The show’s location, a tourist area, brought us compliments from people from France, the United States, Spain, and Germany. The feedback was positive, and the dedication of my team, the inspiration I drew from Holbox, and the respect I earned was undoubtedly a challenge but also a great satisfaction. Of course, being a leader also means setting boundaries and solving problems—you want the best for your dancers, and you want excellent standards. Even without specific training, the results were astonishing. Having creative freedom in music, choreography, props, and lighting has been a significant challenge.
In the world of ballet, the dancer Marianela Núñez inspires me a lot. She is so talented, Latina, and has achieved so much with her art. I admire her quality of movement and her humility. When I watch her dance, I feel inspired to return to ballet 100%, without judging my body or my condition. She can do it, and so can I.
The most exciting, important, and significant thing in my career so far has been my trip to Madrid. Meeting Nacho Cano, being chosen as a dancer, and leaving the country was a huge leap both personally and artistically.
It was an incredible experience that came at the perfect time when I was very broken in many aspects, and Malinche helped me to be reborn.
A comprehensive training, an incredible show, and working closely with Nacho Cano, world-class choreographers, and talented dancers has changed my view of art.
Those 9 months of learning and returning to Mexico to share it with my country has been an emotional process, and my art has evolved beyond dance, incorporating singing, acting, and flamenco.
I would love to collaborate with many dancers and choreographers, but something that truly fascinates me is musical creation and composition. Hans Zimmer has been the mastermind behind many of my favorite films, with musical pieces that have been deeply meaningful to me. How incredible it must be to immerse oneself in the world of music and create dance alongside such an influential composer—building together from two key elements: sound and movement.
A piece of advice that has helped me a lot, and that I share with love, is: never let anyone else limit your potential. In a world full of constant “no’s,” it’s easy to be swayed by external criticism. But nothing and no one defines you as an artist—that’s where you must be smart. Don’t let positive comments lift you too high, and don’t let negative ones bring you down. It takes great self-awareness to recognize what you’re capable of, to value your effort, and to understand both your weaknesses and your strengths.
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