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| Tanya in a photoshoot for Broadwayworld.com |
This month I am so excited to feature Tanya
Birl-Torres, a talented Broadway dancer and new mother. Tanya’s story is
honest, inspiring and very close to my heart, as we grew up together. Motherhood can be a rollercoaster ride,
with many ups and downs, but it’s stories like these and connections with other mothers,
close friends and family that help to keep us grounded and sometimes inspire us
to keep going. Tanya gave me some insight into the strong mother-models that
she’s looked up to in her life and after hearing Tanya’s story, I hope that you
are as inspired as I was.
Ok,
so let’s hear your story. How did you make it to Broadway?
Broadway was never something that I sought
after directly. I made my Broadway debut in Finian's Rainbow in 2009. To clarify, when you say Broadway, it is
referring to a small block of theaters lining the very famous street in New
York City. My debut came after many years of touring the US and the world
performing in other Musicals. I was introduced to musical theater more
indirectly. I was studying at the Alvin Ailey Dance School in New York City and
I was focusing very intensely on a career in modern dance. During a ballet
class one day, I received a call from my mom that someone from the Lion King was inquiring about my
availability (I had auditioned over a year previously in New York and never
heard anything back). They had an opening on the national tour and told me that
it was between me and two other women. After a week of waiting anxiously,
casting called me and told me to pack my bags. I got the job. That phone call
changed my life and introduced me to the world of musical theater, and in turn,
Broadway.
Did
you always dream of becoming a Broadway dancer?
Funny enough, No. Broadway was never really on my
radar. I did grow up singing in church and watching a lot of musicals
like West Side Story and The Sound of Music at home with my family.
Is it every dancer’s dream come true?
It is a dream come true for many people and is
something that is so sought after and admired. For me, it was a real sense of
accomplishment.
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| Tanya and her Beautiful Family on the High Line in NYC |
When
did you decide it was time to start a family?
I had told my husband Wilson that we could start a
family once I had done three Broadway shows. We got married during my Broadway
debut and the second (Memphis) came a
few months later and the third (How To
Succeed in Business) came six months after that. It was a lot faster than I
had thought! When How To Succeed closed
after a year and a half; we saw a window of opportunity in between our next
projects to give it a try. We did, and the rest is history.
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| Opening Night of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (six-and-a-half months pregnant) |
What’s
it like being pregnant in this field? What were some of the challenges?
I had a blast being pregnant in this industry. I was
very fortunate and was cast in the Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Scarlett Johansson while I was a few
months pregnant. The show is about family and fertility and they saw my
character as a welcome addition. I grew with the show (and my costumes) and
ended the run of the production 8 1/2 months pregnant. It was a play, so I
didn't have to dance at all; I did a lot of walking and acting. It was a real
gift. The biggest challenge was walking up a flight of stairs for every entrance
of the show. To be honest, I kept on doing everything I did before I was
pregnant (except the occasional glass of wine) and never felt more beautiful or
capable. It was post pregnancy that was jammed packed with lessons and
breakdowns/breakthroughs.
Can
you describe a typical workday? What’s it like now that you have a little one?
A typical workday (let’s say a Tuesday) would
be waking up with Noemi around 7:30am, reading some books and getting ready for the day. We
have breakfast and then walk the dog. We take Noemi to daycare for a few hours
so that we can get some things done. I go to yoga at 9:30 am in the
neighborhood and run errands. My husband will practice (he's the percussionist
for Les Mis on Broadway) and then he
will pick her up at 1:00
pm. We then come home for her nap and I get started on dinner. We eat and
then get ready to leave for work. The babysitter comes around 5:00 pm and I
leave the house at 5:15pm. We both
return from our shows at 10:30pm. We then
have a snack, watch some recorded TV and head to bed around midnight.
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| Current show: On the Town |
If
you could use one word to describe your life as a mom and a dancer what would
it be?
One word to explain my life as a mom and dancer is Balance. As tired and exhausted as I am
at the end of each day, I get to be with Noemi all day (except for two show
days) and then go into Times Square and release the stress of the day by
dancing, laughing, singing and letting loose for a living. It definitely takes
a village to make things run smoothly, but I feel like two years in, we are
finally finding the balance of it all. I always say that I am a better mom when
I am a working mom, so for where I am right now, I feel extremely fulfilled.
Who
or what inspires you to keep at it and follow your dreams?
I have some extremely strong women in my life that are
thriving at being a mother and a top notch career woman. I also grew up with a
mom that was very present, but worked full-time for most of our childhood. It
was important to see that it is quality not quantity of time that matters. It
taught me a great sense of work ethic and passion for family and career.
Finally,
can you offer other career moms, especially ones in a demanding field like
this, some survival tips?
Take everything moment to moment. Be where you are. If
it's a moment of silence while you are washing a dish, revel in it. If it's
accomplishing a difficult task at work, use it to amaze yourself at how much we
women and mothers can handle. I also try to be present when I am with Noemi.
When things get hectic and I feel some guilt for being away, I think about how
I spent my time with her that day and it always puts me at ease.
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