Little Chi Podcast
Join Fernando as he talks about real-life stories, current events, and impermissible topics that will elicit a wide variety of emotions. Each episode is different, so please grab a drink, kick your feet up, & enjoy Little Chi Podcast.
Little Chi Podcast
EP 3 - Quinceañera Magic ft. Rolando Alonso
Quinceañera choreography maestro Rolando Alonso graces the Little Chi Podcast, sharing the secrets behind his success in orchestrating memorable dances for over 15 years. From creating a thriving dance team that collaborates seamlessly to manage a hectic schedule of 23 quinceañeras this year, Rolando's story is one of passion, resilience, and teamwork. Tune in as he discusses overcoming a career-threatening foot injury, the road to recovery, and the personal growth it inspired. As the quinceañera season draws to a close, Rolando reflects on the joys of family time and adjusting to a quieter pace during the holidays.
Feel the holiday magic as we talk about the traditions and quirks that make this season special, from decking the halls with budget-friendly decor to the therapeutic joy of multiple Christmas trees. Our conversation takes a festive turn, with tales of favorite holiday playlists setting the scene for cherished family moments that outshine the stress of gift-giving. A humorous mishap with a broken wine glass gift reminds us of the invaluable role laughter and friendship play during the festive season. We touch on the occasional delight of social gatherings, especially when surrounded by good company that lifts the spirits.
Explore the captivating evolution from dancer to choreographer with Rolando, as he reminisces about early encounters and pivotal moments that shaped his journey. Rolando opens up about the challenges and triumphs in the dance industry, from his first steps in choreography to branding a dynamic dance team that appeals to young talents. Delve into the nuances of creating a dream quinceañera, balancing traditional elements with unique personal flair. Rolando's engaging stories offer an enlightening perspective on passion, creativity, and the fulfillment found in dancing and teaching others to shine on stage.
All right bro. I don't normally drink unless I'm with you.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:You're a bad influence.
Speaker 2:I get that a lot. Thank you for the bottle, by the way.
Speaker 1:Thank you for the gift. Honestly, I was not expecting this. Of course, but I do like wine. Like if I do drink, I do like wine. So I should pour you first we're in my manners Right.
Speaker 2:Can I have your's nervous right?
Speaker 1:Quieres un cio más.
Speaker 2:I don't, I don't more. I brought two bottles, one for you and one for me, or more like one for you and one for you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thank you thank you, by the way, I'm just going to do a little bit because you know. I don't really drink.
Speaker 2:Good, I'm happy for you.
Speaker 1:I was excited because I was like I feel like I need to give him a bottle of wine Para que se tranquilo. Like I said, bro, it's just me, it's just you. We got Orisel here too, but we're just going to have a casual conversation.
Speaker 1:That's all we're going to have here. Okay, all right, you ready? Yes, here we go. All right, what is up you guys? It is boy fernando, and welcome back to little shy podcast. On today's episode, I have the honor to have arguably the best quinceanera choreographer in the area, with 15 plus years of experience. A damn, a dance team with over 20 kids and occasional drag shows. I present to you Rolando Alonso.
Speaker 2:Un aplauso para la quinceanera. The crowd goes crazy. Y'all should see it.
Speaker 1:How was that intro? Did you like it? Amazing? I loved it. You liked it All right. Rolando, how have you been?
Speaker 2:I've been good. How are you?
Speaker 1:Good, good man. I know the season is coming to an end.
Speaker 2:How many quinceaneras do you have left? I have one more left, and it's this weekend. Oh really, yes, nice, and yeah, it's time to add it all up together and see what damage I did so how many did you do this year?
Speaker 1:completely? I think I'm at 23. 23 that's a crazy number because honestly, anything I think anything over 10 is is a yeah, it is. I think what's different about you is that you have a team.
Speaker 1:You don't do this alone, no, so for you like, I mean, tell us what's the process of like all this? I mean I've seen you do this and it comes so natural to you. Yes, toma el vino, toma el vino. It comes so natural to you. But like, how would you say this year was like sum it up, because I know you were taking a, you were gonna take a break.
Speaker 2:A while back ago, no, no, I took a break for my foot. I had a foot injury.
Speaker 1:Oh, you did, yeah, okay, what exactly happened to your foot?
Speaker 2:I stepped on a on a whiskey glass, oh, my god, of course, and it broke inside my foot, bro bro of course 13 or 14 stitches, I can't remember oh my god, yeah, it was uh almost two years ago, yeah, it was two years ago, because that was when that's when you bloomed.
Speaker 1:Look at you your foot injuries will help me. Blue amen hallelujah so, now that the season is coming to an end, uh, what is it that you do on your, on your free time?
Speaker 2:my free time I'll go straight to family. I love my family so much and that's basically like my go-to. Every time I don't have practice, I don't have nothing to do I go straight for my family, just like chill with them, right yes especially my niece jess linda. Okay, I had to shout her out. She's like you. Better mention me you better, better.
Speaker 1:Is she old enough to listen to this?
Speaker 2:no, okay, but her mom got spotify, so she's all excited for it.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay okay, okay, um so, but besides dancing, is there anything else that you like to do, like as a hobby, or is it just like the quinceañeras, because I feel like this takes up your life no, it does.
Speaker 2:Um, what the whole thing with the? That's why I started the whole dance team too because, they are basically.
Speaker 1:They fill in that gap where I don't have nothing to do and I'm bored, I'm like let me go yell at some kids, yeah, yeah and then right now, what makes it better is that the holidays are here so you don't got to worry about like because me. I'm sure I don't know about you, but I get seasonal depression.
Speaker 2:Yes, like a lot heavy and I noticed it last year like january, february.
Speaker 1:Like bro, I was just like coming home from work. I go straight to my room and it's like I don't have anything to do, like it hits because you're used to just being out and about and being so busy and always being around people and always being busy, so when it just drastically changes, because this is a quick change.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it ends with a party, exactly, and then done like nothing to do right.
Speaker 1:So, since the holidays are coming up, what are some things that you do to get you into the holiday spirit? I decorate.
Speaker 2:You do love to decorate. I love to decorate a good christmas tree. Uh, my only problem is I don't.
Speaker 2:I'm really bad with my budget so I overspent every year on christmas and it's like I got no kinses to cover it. So definitely that's I still do it. And even this year I got I'm planning on three trees. Three, yes, last year I did two and that was like a big uh for me because I was like I really wanted three, but this year for sure I'm shooting for three. Damn, I gotta have one in my bedroom, one in my living room and one in my kitchen okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 1:Um, when I went to your house, that tree that you have in the corner is that a Christmas tree? It's a Christmas tree. It needs some work.
Speaker 2:It needs a lot of work, um but I just put it up because it's it's like, um, when I, like you, were saying, like the seasonal depression, yeah, it starts to kick in and literally what I, what I do, like once I start feeling that stuff, I'm like, um, I need some lights, I need some christmas, I need some greenery. So I just put it up, put a little star on and call it a day. But, yeah, little by little, I'm gonna start bringing up my christmas tree usually I do do it for november 1st really, but you're that person
Speaker 1:I am, so you're the person that starts listening to christmas music after halloween yeah, you were late on giving me that playlist.
Speaker 2:I haven't stopped listening to it. It's good, right, it's good.
Speaker 1:I think one of my hidden talents is creating playlists.
Speaker 2:Definitely, that's something that I like to. That was a Tejano one that you played too. Those two I'm back and forth. It's good right. Yes, I love it. I got you.
Speaker 1:If you guys ever need a playlist, all of it. So, since christmas is around the corner, what is the ideal gift for rolando? Ideal gift, yeah, like. What would be like a good gift to give to you.
Speaker 2:Oh well, I'm not. I'm not a material guy. So yeah, unless it's a house or a material girl I'm not a material girl, no, I'm not surprisingly for everybody, but no, my whole thing is uh family time.
Speaker 1:And it's just.
Speaker 2:I love my house full. Like it's so small, but I swear that's probably why I still have kids over.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:My dancers like I'm just come over. I mean, yes, the mess gets on my nerves a little bit, but it's just the fact that my house is full and just laughters, wrestling, whatever the kids decide to do. There's so much going on in my house. You should see it.
Speaker 1:Wrestling. Whatever the kids decide to do, there's so much going on in my house, you should see it Well you've seen it.
Speaker 2:I've seen it, I've experienced it. They're crazy, but I do love it. I do love a full house, so that's what I want for Christmas all the time.
Speaker 1:I think that's awesome because a lot of everything so for me. Like I get stressed out when it comes to christmas because I don't give to everyone. But then sometimes I feel like obligated to give to, like my cousins, or to my uncles, my aunts, my parents, but sometimes I'm like, what do I give someone that has everything? Yeah so sometimes when you go to the store it's like I'll just get this, just just to give you know what I'm saying, and for me personally, like christmas is all about, like you said, just being with your family, having a good time.
Speaker 1:Just memories, bro, creating memories, yeah, that's, that's all that it's about yeah, uh yeah I'm not a big gift giver.
Speaker 2:I don't give anybody a gift. Um, usually I tell my family they have a laugh at it every year. I was like you see that tree you're looking at right now having dinner. Yeah, that's your gift you're welcome speaking of gifts.
Speaker 1:You came here and you gave me a gift where I had to, but like it was a broken gift, I hate you for that one.
Speaker 2:So, rolando, and the fact, the fact that we opened the box and we checked oh, we already checked one and apparently it was the- only one that's not broken so rolando got got me like a box with four glasses of wine.
Speaker 1:He brought two bottles of wine. He was like congratulations on your podcast. You know he was being a nice friend and I opened it to serve us some wine and I'm like, bro, this shit is broken, horrible. I'm like I'm just going to put this back where it belongs so that you can return it.
Speaker 2:Exchange it. Exchange it, so you can exchange it.
Speaker 1:You can exchange it so that we can drink again Again. Just an excuse to drink again. Yeah, because, like I said, I don't drink a lot, but sometimes you get me to drink, sometimes you get me to drink.
Speaker 2:You know what. Everyone says that. But do you see a gun in my hand?
Speaker 1:No. You see, I don't force no one to drink, bro, and then I was telling you how I did not want to go out for Blackout Wednesday Because I'm not a drinker, you know, and it's weird because we're around so many people, dead drink, but like I don't get a drink. We're always around so many people but like I don't know. I just, sometimes I want to be an introvert, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm, I'm your, I'm like that too, but during this season I I kind of like force myself to get out of it because of that situation.
Speaker 1:Cause I'm like I'm.
Speaker 2:I'm one to not like dig a deeper hole. Like if I know my, my depressions come in or I'm sad, I'm like, uh girl, snap out of it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Cause I don you. So then decorating is what you do to get yourself into the christmas spirit.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, what I do is I start listening to that christmas playlist that I made and that I started listening to it on sunday and as soon as I hit play, my heart goes like and it's just, it's filled, it's filled with joy and I'm like singing, I'm bopping, I'm driving and it just feels good.
Speaker 1:It feels good, um. So we're gonna start the podcast off with a game, and I thought that this would be a fun game, because when I met you, I didn't not that you don't know spanish, but I didn't know that you were that no, so I'm okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hey, I'm okay with that because hey, I get enough buy to give me that coin. I'm not worried about it all right guys.
Speaker 1:So on today's episode of this podcast, we're gonna do a no salvo spanish quiz. Are you ready? I'm excited, worried about it. All right guys. So on today's episode of this podcast, we're gonna do a no salvo spanish quiz. Are you ready? I'm excited, let's go. How do you say embarrassed in spanish?
Speaker 2:can I call someone in? Just take a guess embarrassed, embarrassed oh, is that right?
Speaker 1:yeah, I really. I really wanted you to say no, good job, good job, good job, good job all right. How do you say clothes hanger in spanish gancho? Oh dang, he's doing way better than I thought look at you.
Speaker 2:You thought you had something go ahead I got you, I got you.
Speaker 1:How do you say seashell in spanish?
Speaker 2:mexicans don't even say that seashell okay, so I know sea is uh yes, sea is yes, seashell. So I would say fucking cosa de mar?
Speaker 1:I don't know the correct answer is concha you know what that makes sense? Because of the fucking conchas I wonder if that's where it comes from.
Speaker 2:They look like little seashell prints. No, I wonder if that's where it comes from.
Speaker 1:You see, look at me yeah you teach me, I'm teaching you exactly. Love it for us. Okay, last one, last one, last one. How do you, how do you say chimney? Oh, I know this one chimenea bro, you got five, four, is it four? Four out of four. Boom, wow, let's give it up. Cheers, cheers, wow.
Speaker 2:I was not expecting you to get all those right I gotta, I gotta, I gotta thank the, the people behind me, below me, that helped me get this spanish together. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be here today.
Speaker 1:Thank you I think the wine is talking already.
Speaker 2:The wine is talking already. No, you got me relaxed, now we're good, oh my god.
Speaker 1:Well, since you're relaxed, I want to do something, because I want to do a, a first impression oh so I want you to give me your first impression of me and then I'll give you my first impression of you okay, so obviously it was on social media, yeah we got. We got to give the background story a little bit. So we didn't know each other At all, we knew of each other.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then one day we finally met and then go ahead.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're talking about the part when we first met Matt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, yeah, definitely Wait because was the first impression the same online that it was in person, or was it different?
Speaker 2:Oh shit different.
Speaker 1:oh, it was completely different I don't know what that means.
Speaker 2:They were both good, though they're both good so I, when I first saw you on social media or like I don't know if I hit you up or you hit me up, you hit me, okay, then I hit you up, but that, the way you, your social media worked or the way you, you know, the way you talk, and stuff like that on social media it was like I was like this cool, this guy's cool, like cool as hell. So I'm not no, no, no, no, no. I'm saying they're both positive.
Speaker 1:I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:So whatever. So I'm like, oh, he's a cool cat, whatever, blah, blah, blah. And then when I met you in person, I was like, oh, he's a chill, cool guy. Like he's like chill, chill. So I'm expecting you to be loud and like obnoxious like me. And uh, you weren't, you were just all like you were there for business. So I'm like, oh, I love what, I love that too.
Speaker 1:I was like, obviously, because, you know well, yeah, we met when you wanted to um, we officially met because I I wanted to learn how to dance huapangos.
Speaker 2:Yeah and my kids are gonna laugh at that one, because I hated huapangos for the first year of me doing huapangos, really. And then when you hit me up about teaching you, I'm like, bro, this is so easy, there's no way you don't know how to do this. And then when I was teaching you, you learned pretty fast.
Speaker 1:So the thing about the whole teaching thing is that last week you were teaching me how to dance cumbia and I couldn't get the step.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I see I got the step. Yeah, I see I got the stuff.
Speaker 1:maybe it's my teaching maybe, maybe I'm just a bad teacher. I'd say so, I'm just kidding, no, but um, yeah, I, I that's kind of what I was thinking, is that no?
Speaker 2:but I'm the same way. No one could teach me nothing, oh yeah, sorry no I'm the same way, like it's hard to teach me because, I'm stuck in my own ways, like you probably had, because you had trouble with that heel, so you had your own ways of that, cumbia yeah, so I think we're just the same when it comes to learning something yeah because my dance coach she worked like from high school.
Speaker 2:When I was on the dance team she gave me so much like she's like you're a dancer though you're a dancer though. I'm like, look, I am, but I'm a lat dancer, I'm a Latin dancer.
Speaker 1:No, I get that because the thing is for me like I can. I guess it's weird like explaining how I dance because I can dance like on my own. I think I dance on my own very well.
Speaker 2:Yes, you do.
Speaker 1:Freely when I'm at work, dude, and I have music like I just like, I just let it flow, I just let it go. But I can't dance with a partner like to save my life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you see, I'm the opposite. I feel awkward by myself, like I mean, obviously when I'm drunk at these parties and I have a good time, like that I don't care about. But like I can't choreograph at home alone, like I either bring my assistant or just someone to, or my niece.
Speaker 1:I'm like just watch me, I just need someone there.
Speaker 2:But yeah, my better, my better part of teaching or choreographing is with partners. I really do. Partners, are you ready for my first impression? Go crazy, I'm excited.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:So I really didn't know what to expect of you, because your social media had like one picture stop, I suck at social media.
Speaker 1:So your social media had one picture and it was the, the your logo, and I was like, well, I can't judge him off of his logo. So then, when I met you, I thought that you were trying hard not to seem gay well, that's a, that's a fucking. I was like like I felt like you were like, hey, what's up man not that deep boys and then when we would text like we would keep it like professional, he's like hey, bro, like what time are you gonna come over?
Speaker 2:you know what. You know what he says left because, bro, I was like I'm not good with straight people especially men.
Speaker 1:I just feel like you were trying hard not to be gay I wasn't.
Speaker 2:It's not that I wasn't trying to be gay, I was just.
Speaker 1:I wasn't trying to scare you like this fucking faggot so literally that that's my only first impression is that I was like is he holding back his gayness to me?
Speaker 2:I was you know in one way, yeah, I was because I was trying to keep it professional. Yeah, yeah, because when you gave me that vibe that you were professional, like, oh, you're here for work. I'm like, oh, we're not gonna open a wine glass and like excite this moment.
Speaker 1:Okay, got it, let's go yeah but, uh, other than that, after that, um, we met because you went to a quinceanera that I did because we started to go to each other's parties yes, after that, we started to go like I. You would come to my parties, I would go to your parties, and then you went to one of my quinceañeras, but I didn't know you were going to be there. It was the one that was right here. I don't know. You probably don't remember you pulled up with your crew oh, the blue dress no, it was black.
Speaker 1:It was black and you pulled up right here it wasn't it?
Speaker 2:no, jesus, I don't remember.
Speaker 1:Anyway, you pulled up and this was like kind of like our first casual time meeting, okay. So we said hi to each other and everything, and then I talked to you in spanish. And that's when I realized you didn't speak spanish, because what I said to him was he was sitting down and he had all these kids around him and I just walked in. I was like he was like what are you doing here? You look like a fucking narco With all these kids just surrounding him. He was like what are you saying?
Speaker 1:I don't speak Spanish, that's drunk me yeah and then you met me again at the bar and you got a drink and you're like what are you drinking? And then I was like I'm sober.
Speaker 2:I do remember this night. I do remember this night. I was like oh, I'm sober.
Speaker 1:And then he was like. You know, they say the people that don't drink have the most problems.
Speaker 2:No I said you know what they say Don't trust people that don't drink.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm over here trying to better myself.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you something about those non-drinkers.
Speaker 1:But oh man, but yeah, so that was my first impression of you. I think a lot of people have that first impression of me too. Expect me to like, be like loud.
Speaker 2:Hey, what's up? Guys, let's get this part and like, yeah, because you give off that. But it's kind of like a character I see that now. It's kind of like a character you know I saw that coming into the underworld, like becoming friends, I was like, oh my god, she does have two people, two people, oh my god yeah you just made me realize I'm a gemini. Oh.
Speaker 1:It makes holy shit.
Speaker 2:Well, that's why you're so cool, that makes so much sense what are you the best one, taurus? Oh Boy, bye, I'm just kidding. My best friend is a Taurus too. Well, duh, you see my best friend is a Taurus.
Speaker 1:So I want to get, before we get into all this, I kind of want to talk about the backstory of everything. So obviously we're here because we're both two very well-known choreographers, but I think a lot of times people don't know how we got here. So what I want to know from you is, first of all, how did the whole dancing thing start, Like, how did dancing come into your life?
Speaker 2:Well, they said I danced before I could walk. Okay, yeah. So I started performing for family parties at the age of three or four really these are stories I don't know he's like I don't remember this.
Speaker 1:I don't remember this told to me.
Speaker 2:Um, I do remember my dad showing me a video. You know when they had the vcrs. Oh yeah, are you that old? I'm like a year.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, you're right, you're 36.
Speaker 2:I'm okay, don't do too much you see, we're gonna get messy open another wine bottle.
Speaker 1:Oh, do you want more.
Speaker 2:No, I'll wait for a little bit. Um yeah, so they started with. I remember seeing a vcr tape of me dancing the mexican hat dance. Did it, did it, did it yes, okay, so it's just me, my little, when I was thin, uh, dancing around my hat or my dad's hat or sombrero at that point, and from there I just grow, and then after that I remember performing at my cousin's wedding, my uncle's wedding, and then I started performing at quinceaneras oh, wow it was just me and my sister and we were just dancing okay like it would be like a bachata, a merengue, a little mix oh, so you would perform I would always perform nice people would just come, just to see me, of course.
Speaker 2:So, um, as it grew, obviously, like in high school, I was known for dancing and yeah everybody wanted to dance with me, and from there, that's when um a friend hit me up and was like hey, can you choreograph a quinceanera?
Speaker 1:and how, and how is your like reaction to that?
Speaker 2:I was like what's that? I was what? Not even 15, 16, maybe okay I was like um, I don't know what that was, because I really didn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, my, my world was small, so and my parents never took me for like dance classes yeah they never did nothing with my talent, so I could have been dancing with beyonce right now, but whatever, we won't talk about that. Um, but yeah. So I didn't know what choreographing was. And then when I looked it up and I told my mom about it while we were having dinner with her, she goes yeah, I mean, who you could, you can make a business out of that. I was like, well, how much do I charge this girl? She's asking for work. So, yeah, like what am I charging? This woman had the audacity to tell me. Back then I didn't know nothing. This woman my mother, had the audacity to tell me to charge her three hundred dollars I think my very first quinceanera ever.
Speaker 1:I charged like three hundred dollars too I look back at like what? But let me tell you, let me ask you this so you were gonna do a quince. What exactly did you do? Because for me, like my story is, when someone asked me to choreograph their quinceanera, I went on google was. Was google around for your time?
Speaker 2:if it was, I didn't have a phone to go through it. What I?
Speaker 1:did was that I just went on google and I looked up like what goes on in the quinceanera, like the order of everything, like how, what, what was the waltz? I looked up basic steps on youtube and that's kind of what I did, because if I was going to choreograph if you give me the freedom to choreograph I would have been like popping and locking for the waltz you know what I'm saying so, like what exactly did you do to prepare for your very first ever quinceanera?
Speaker 2:um I what I did was my mom told me exactly what I needed to know, so she knew what it was. Yeah, she knew what a quincean was. She knew all the surprise dance and the waltz and all that, so, like when the girl gave me her songs, we started with the surprise dance. I remember it was Selena baila esta cumbia.
Speaker 1:Okay, that was your very first.
Speaker 2:Yes, I will never forget it, and the reason why is because my first quinceanera was on my birthday and she had separate parents at that moment, so she had two quinceaneras what the fuck yeah One was, I can't remember the other her dad's side of the quinceanera but her mom's side of the quinceanera, but you did both. Yeah, I did them both, oh my God. But I mean, it was the same choreography with the same court, but still.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so I ended up doing both and I stood and it just happened to land on my birthday. So I remember her kinks like since my first kink dinner on my first birthday yeah, yeah, yeah, my first year ever doing kinks.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And landed on my birthday. So yeah, when it came to that, like I just started writing down, I remember getting a notebook. I'm like left foot forward, right foot back, you started writing down his moves Literally.
Speaker 1:How do you do this?
Speaker 2:left up right because I would forget how to? Well, because I never knew what choreographing was. Because you know, they'd say it's a big difference between a dancer and a choreographer dude, we're gonna talk about that later.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I told myself, I'm like, I'm not a choreographer, I'm a dancer yeah and then when I started choreographing and started choreographing and started writing stuff down and then it came to like the first practice, I threw the book away. I was like what am? What am I doing? I'm right here, just like that. I was like you know what Left? A cumbia boom.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the vision just came to me and then the mom explained it. She was. She was like you're a natural. Yeah, that's awesome. I was like she goes there's no way. You have never done this. I don't know what I was doing, but yeah, I loved it and the kids loved it and yeah.
Speaker 1:So from there, like, did it become a business right away, instantly? Yes, because her cousin.
Speaker 2:At that moment she was looking for a choreographer and she was in the Kings, oh nice, and she's actually one of my assistants.
Speaker 1:Really Cynthia. I don't know if you met her yet. I've met a couple of them.
Speaker 2:Since I met them once, I really don't remember, like the face and the name, yeah, so Cynthia, she's one of my. She was actually one of my dancers and I did her quinceanera. She was my second quinceanera.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:So from there, the moms are like oh, can you handle 22 kids?
Speaker 1:No, it was 30 kids. What the?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:When you know Quinceanera you want a quince, yeah, and they used to be big Back in.
Speaker 2:So my second kids was like around 30 kids, and I was in it too because one of the kids dropped out or something happened. But I was still young, I could do that, so I stood up in it and, yeah, it was amazing. And from there I went from two quinceaneras to 10, from 10 to 15. And then I stayed at like 20 to 25 every year. What the that's insane.
Speaker 1:My story is like I mean I, I did like one one year, and the next year I did like two and the year after that I did like three. Well, my thing was the word of mouth and I think the big the big group is what really got me, because it was like 30 kids and then everyone's turning 15, so yeah, so, instantly, like all the moms are like well, that's him, that's him, that's him.
Speaker 2:And then from there I just blew I didn't have business cards until like my fourth, fifth year, and from there I just shot up no, because I think word of mouth is the most.
Speaker 1:It's the best one. It's the best one. I mean obviously, sometimes, when you go to quinceañera, it's like, oh, let me get a business card, Like I don't have one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I took a break that year. I can't remember what happened, but I ended up going back to. I went back to a dance team because at that moment one of my friends he owned a dance team, talento del Barrio, which is now mine.
Speaker 1:You took over.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I took over. Well, he was managing it and I'm like, hey, I need to start dancing again because life sucks right now, of course. So then he brought me in. He said again because you know, life sucks right now, of course. So then you know he brought me in. He's like this is what we do. And I started dancing, and then I started choreographing, and then I got back in the game and I was like I need a business card I need a name, I need something, so then obviously it went straight to my dad's last name, because of course the situation.
Speaker 2:So I'm like I don't just choreography I love 100.
Speaker 1:I love it. So, for anyone interested in wanting to be on your dance team, what exactly does it take to be one of Alonzo's dancers Like what do you look for?
Speaker 2:I look for passion passion. So, and right now out here, you don't see that. No there's no passion for dance out here. You got to go to Chicago, you got to go out to the big states, but I, what I like to do, what I like that I'm seeing with these kids is they end up liking the personality that I give off and the passion that I have for dance is so big. I feel like it starts to get to them and they're like, wow, this guy is so in love with dance.
Speaker 1:I want to be that happy, of course.
Speaker 2:Because I 100% know that my heart and soul is dance, like I eat, breathe and shit that day, every day. Yeah, so with this dance team, like it just grew my first dance group, I guess you would say. When I took the team over. They were all passionate dancers and they all wanted to dance and we would practice in my basement, in the backyard, in the rain, in the snow, like we were everywhere and we did festivals. We danced, we danced.
Speaker 2:But you know, people grew up, has started having kids, started getting together with their partners and they grew up yeah, but then I stayed around because I obviously in the choreography business and from there I stopped the dance team and then I started again last year, two years ago.
Speaker 1:Okay, not even I can't remember yeah, we would know, because what I've noticed is that I think when people see they want to be a part of they want to wear the hoodie.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they want to wear the t-shirt that I'm so happy that my logo came out so good. This t or how old is this logo? I can't remember. Like it's not even two years old. Because of my cousin I had another logo, but it was too crazy, too crazy there was a lot going on.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you that one's like no, I've never seen the other one, but that one is like simple to the point. When you see it, it's like you connect everything together.
Speaker 2:You know what it is so the moment I started with that logo, like I fell in love with it right away. Shout out to my cousin I, you know, made it. Um, I owe him a big one once I become famous, but You're already famous. What are?
Speaker 1:you talking about. I'm almost there, I remember. So the first time I saw your logo was on your app. I mean on your app.
Speaker 2:On your Instagram.
Speaker 1:On your Instagram, right? That was the first time I ever saw the logo, okay. And then I remember I did a quinceanera, you know the whole open invite thing, right? Yeah, it was an. I see some kid walk in. I was like I've seen that logo before it was one of. It was one of your dancers and I was like why is he wearing that?
Speaker 2:why is he here at my party? Why is he here?
Speaker 1:I was like did he send him over? Magic and then I started. I started to see it like more. I remember one time at practice and I was like what are these kids doing wearing this? No, but I think it's cool. So I think that kids want to wear that logo and that's why a lot of times they'll try out. They want to be a part of the group, they want to be a part of you, they want to be a part of them yeah they want to be a part of the family yes but you can't just join, it's not just for everyone, and I think that right now there's a lot of kids who love to dance.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I think I want to get into the topic of what is the difference between a dancer and a choreographer, and not only that what is the difference between you owning a business? So let's go into the simple thing of a dancer and a choreographer. What would you say is the main difference Between a dancer and a choreographer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, is the main difference between a dancer and a choreographer. Yeah, well, the the obvious that a dancer could dance to any rhythm, any lyrics, any song that pops up. But it's another thing to sit back and think of the ones and twos, the threes and fours, five, six and seven, eights, like that's a choreographer. Yeah, because I don't. I don't know if it like, if it's with you, but I don't just look, listen to the lyrics. Sometimes I wait for a little thing, a little boom a little ta.
Speaker 1:You know what I love that you said that, because sometimes someone else might not even know that that ta exists. That sound is in there Like holy shit.
Speaker 2:When I choreograph with these kids, I'm like you guys hear it, you guys hear it. It's like ta-da-da-da, yes and yes. They're like where I was like shut up, stop breathing it's right there, oh yeah, so definitely. That's what makes the difference of a choreographer and a dancer. Like the choreographer looks for the details, yeah, and not only that, the choreographer.
Speaker 1:You have to think about positioning yeah, and then lineups the lineups. I'm pretty. I'm like basically my lineups, but it's like you gotta look at the lineups and then the timings. So if you're gonna make a routine, you can have three dancers doing this and then another three dancers doing this and two dancers doing that.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying so. A dancer is just, I think, someone who just they do what's told, or they just like to dance, yeah, or there's that party, you know just dancing, having a good time, but a choreographer is a lot more than that yeah, and I think that sometimes these kids and you know, not these kids- kids. There's people, people, yeah, people people there's.
Speaker 1:Sometimes people think that they can do our job oh my god, those get to me bro, yeah because I will sit back and make you look like a fool.
Speaker 2:Go ahead, go ahead, go crazy.
Speaker 1:So now, now that we know the difference between a dancer and a choreographer, let's go into. What does it take to be a successful quinceanera choreographer? Patience A lot.
Speaker 2:And I have patience.
Speaker 1:I've been told that I have patience.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, me too. Like I think a lot of well, majority of my clients always are like how do you do it? Like, how do you talk over them, like how does this not stress you out?
Speaker 1:you're meaner than me oh, no, 100.
Speaker 2:We all saw that. But it's just, I'm not, I don't like to be or look, I'm real fun like people think. No, I really am. People my dancers would tell you how fun I am, but it's just. I only get defensive when my work or my choreography or my logo is at risk. Oh yeah, that's when I'm like hold on 100% A lot of years that I put on behind this.
Speaker 1:I'm like there's no way.
Speaker 2:I'm going to let a little kid come in here and just la-di-da-di-da.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because at the end, the parents worked all these hours to pay just me. So I'm like, no, I'm not going to go over here and waste someone else's money you know, yeah, no, of course. I'm like and my time is very, very valuable. Like I said, my family is my number one priority, although sometimes they don't see that, or they, you know, like, oh, rolando's busy, or Rolando's always busy. Yes, I am, because I am doing what I love to do but at the same time, they understand that I got bills to pay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course so if my quinceanera was doing that, then I need to do that, but yeah definitely patience is the answer to that.
Speaker 1:Patience is a big one, and I think that you got to look at it as a business aspect and for me, we didn't know the business side of everything we had to know about. You want some more. Two cidrete, two cidrete, we didn't know. Uh, for example, like one, how much do I charge? That's one thing. And then two, um, how many practices should I have? And then three, um, there's just so much that goes into it like uh, are you, do I coordinate the event? Do I not coordinate? Do I mc? Do I not mc? You know, do I schedule everything out? You know it's. It's more than just showing up and teaching A dance, a dance. Yeah, it's way more than that.
Speaker 2:And now that you just mentioned that, I don't remember going through that thought process of organizing it. That kind of just came with it, I think, for me, just being a, because I've always liked to host, so I know how to gather people, get them to focus on one thing yeah entertain them yeah and go. So I think naturally I just brought that in, and when quinceanera started asking for our tenures and stuff like that, I'm like oh well, obviously my first two, three years it was like, oh, don't do that again.
Speaker 2:It was a lot of trial and error, but then now I'm just like. Now I have a direct line where this is what's going to happen every time and if something changes.
Speaker 1:It's something the client wants personally or a tradition that they do by themselves and definitely edit in yeah, um, something that I've noticed about your quinceaneras is and this is just me looking from the outside do you have any bad events? No, and I feel like I've noticed that because I'm over here telling you stories. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I feel like you never have a bad event.
Speaker 2:It's always a success yeah, I don't know, and I people has always said that, my sister, my, especially, my family, because you wouldn't, you will. You'll be surprised at how nervous and crazy I get Really Before every dinner.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Well, you saw it with Natalia.
Speaker 1:Natalia, what's her name? Natalia? Yeah, Natalia.
Speaker 2:So I get like that for all of them and I don't know. I just feel like I probably got addicted to the stress about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And if I don't get like that, something does go wrong.
Speaker 1:And I've been like cause I used to get naturally nervous and I used to, back in the day, I used to have a drink or two, but I was nervous, you know, and now I don't do that anymore, um, but, but this year no, actually starting last year it became like natural and like such a habit that I I never got nervous anymore. I would pull up action and I would do it. But sometimes um clients do get to me, there's little things that do happen.
Speaker 1:That kind of upset me and I'm like shit, because at the end of the day one they, we are not perfect we're not we are not perfect and the event could possibly not be perfect, yeah but I mean 95, I've had like mistakes happen yeah, of course my clients never like pointed it out to the point where they're like oh like, you did this wrong yeah because I would.
Speaker 2:I think I, I would always make up for it, like I told my most of my clients. Like I stay to promote myself, they see a guy that's trying to party, but low-key, I'm wearing my shirt, I'm dancing and I'm a dancer, so I dance the whole night out. And that's advertisement.
Speaker 1:That's how I take it.
Speaker 2:I'm like yeah, you see me drunk, or yeah, you see me tipsy. You see me drunk at some of them, I'm not going to lie. You see me drunk at some of them, I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 2:You see me drunk at some of them but they don't see me, I know, but that's the thing. Like my parent, like my um, my tia, that used to work for me, she was like my manager, I guess you could say. But before I became 18 and I knew what I was doing, um, she thought she was doing something. So when she um was coming in, like she's like no, like you gotta relax, you can't be busting down to splits and throwing that ass back. And it's your name.
Speaker 2:It's your name, I say, but that's not me yeah I'm I'm professional to a point 100, but at the end I love dan so much I'm gonna show you that day, yeah, and that's why I feel like my clients always be like, oh, he messed up the name, but look at his moves Like that guy don't sit down.
Speaker 1:So I think that's where I like was like ooh, so I'm kind of like the opposite. So well, actually, no, not the opposite, but one, I never danced.
Speaker 2:Actually, I would dance, but I wouldn't dance with girls, because I didn't know how to dance Because you didn't know how to dance.
Speaker 1:That's still crazy. We gotta talk about this story, okay? So I grew up dancing by myself, always like I remember as far back as I could go into dancing. I remember mimicking an enrique iglesias music video right and because I wanted to be like enrique iglesias, you know and I was selena love it so like I wanted to be like him and I was just doing like the whole, like motions and background stuff.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying? Yes. And then, as I got older, I liked to dance but I was shy and even though I have like an extroverted personality, I was still like shy. So when my cousins would be like hey, do you want to be my quinceanera? I would be like no, I never wanted to be in a kid's as a teenager.
Speaker 1:Wait, did you ever set up in a game I probably stood up in three bro, like three or four I did at least and it's because I was embarrassed because I won. I didn't like okay. So one of the main reasons why I I kept dancing is because so when I was younger, my mom tried to put me in like baseball and soccer and I was, and no and I wouldn't go because I would get shy, I would get scared of like one not knowing what to do and two losing so when I was dancing.
Speaker 1:You can't lose unless rolando's watching you right but when you're dancing you can't lose, so I felt like I was always winning, so I was always satisfying with my dance moves. You know what I'm saying. But then when? When it came to dancing with partners, I didn't know how to dance and then, even like when I grew up, I went to like with cousins or nothing like that.
Speaker 1:No, because no sabia. And then the only thing I could do, the only thing I could do, is a basic bachata, a basic bachata. I saw that, but then, after that, um, and then growing up like I, went to an all-white school so there was no, there was no wireless and then at homecoming it was no bachata, no solamente, like none of that stuff so then, after high school.
Speaker 1:Um, even when I had a girlfriend, like years, years back ago, she didn't dance so it's like I and I wanted to learn how to dance more, but like she didn't like to dance, so I couldn't dance, that's so then, that's why I was always dancing by myself. So then, whenever I would dance, people were like how the hell are you a choreographer and you don't know how to dance? But it's because my style of choreography is different. Yeah, way different, way different.
Speaker 1:And now I try to include, like couples but, still it's, it's not the same, because when I make the choreography, I'm just one person. Yeah, so I can't, I don't know how to do this, that, or sometimes I'll do a partner thing and then when I try to teach it, I'm like, oh, it's not working out.
Speaker 2:That's not how I went. No, exactly, exactly. Yeah, I'd be like exactly what is your choreography process?
Speaker 2:uh, I listen to the song literally on repeat for 24 hours okay so if I'm working on a song, I feel like I've noticed that because you post it on instagram, yeah, so if there's a song I post, either it's a throwback where I just I'm just listening to and vibing, or, 90 of the time, it's a song that I have to work on and I have to. I have to listen to it literally on play for eight hours. Yes, and I I don't know why I do that. I've always been like that. So like, even though I knew the song, like I would say, my first quinceanera was by lesta cumbia. Yeah, I knew the song. Obviously I was a big selena but big uh sel fan.
Speaker 2:But it was something about just listening to it, repeat it, repeat it, because every time I'd listen to it I would find something new. And then from there I was just like, okay, now I know everything that's going to happen in that song. Where can I put my one? Where can I put my two, three, four, five?
Speaker 2:So I think that has always been my process. And then, how has the process changed now, with an assistant and with a team? Lucky for me, most of my assistants well, all of them, except for maybe one I feel like I only see one Orised is my personal assistant.
Speaker 1:He always talks about my assistants, my assistants? I only see one.
Speaker 2:Well, that's why, because when you see me, I'm working the kinks, just kidding, but my assistants, they're assisting at the kinks that I'm not at. Okay, so I have Kiara. You haven't met her. There's no way you haven't met her.
Speaker 1:I met, I don't know.
Speaker 2:You don't even know who you're meeting. I just know this guy has a lot.
Speaker 1:Oricel is the only assistant that I know. Oh, okay, that's all I need to know.
Speaker 2:Well, there's Cynthia Oricel, I mean, there's Cynthia Kiara Idalis, it was Renee. What the fuck. Yeah, I had all these. I have Jennifer Can. I ask this guy Zero, but no, yeah, and the lucky part for me is all of them have been on my dance team in the past, when I did have a dance team in high school. They were all dancers then, so they already know my style of dancing.
Speaker 2:They know how I run stuff and even throughout these years of not seeing each other because obviously I didn't get too busy until like three, four, five years ago Well before COVID is when I was going real crazy that's when I started reaching out to my dancers in the past. I'm like hey, do you still dance? You know what? I don't care, just come help me, I need help. I need help.
Speaker 2:Because, it was getting crazy where I was going to lose my job and I was like no, I got to be here, this is my passion, this is where I got to go, and I would skip a practice and I would look bad in my choreography, yeah, so I'm like, uh-uh, this job don't pay me enough in mentally and physically, so no, like, my passion is dance. I want to dance and if my boss gets mad, my boss gets mad, girl, because I'm happy that was me this year bro yeah, that was me this year, like I think in august, I got my last warning.
Speaker 1:In august I had a meeting with my job and then they were like hey, you've used all your excused, non-excused pto vacation like one more call off and you're out of here. I was like yo, you should have warned me right.
Speaker 2:Where was the? Where was the second warning you should award me?
Speaker 1:oh my god, that's so shady. But if the kids are like hey, rolando, like I have this idea, like, do you allow them to express it? Yes, okay, I give all my kids the the time to be like hey, rolando, like I have this idea, like do you?
Speaker 2:allow them to express it. Yes, okay, I give all my kids the the time to be like, hey, if you don't like this, even my quinceaneras, like some of them, would tell you like they would be straight up, like I don't like that and I never took it offensive, oh really to this day, I don't I take it offensive. No, you have to expand the horizons, so like I would do a simple step, because they um can't get the hard one, so then I come up with the easier one.
Speaker 2:I modify it because I'm sure you've modified yes because kids nowadays just can't get their left and right. But when I do that, like, they will be like oh no, I don't like it. And then I'll make it more simple and they're like oh, that's fine. I'm like it's your kings, I got paid regardless. So that's fine. I'm like it's your games I got paid regardless.
Speaker 1:So that's another thing that I want to talk to you about is your choreography is very detailed. It's a lot more complex, and when I saw that I was like I was kind of shocked.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And the reason why I was shocked is because I was like how do you teach that to kids who don't know how to dance? How do you teach that to kids?
Speaker 2:who don't?
Speaker 1:know how to dance because me, when I first started the business, I was very hip-hop influenced and I was very detailed, so I would do like a yeah, you saw me, you show me a little video.
Speaker 1:You, yeah, and that, yeah, I was very detailed and when I would try doing that and these kids were like what? The fuck is this guy doing? You know, you just gotta find that middle. So then I simplified it a lot. Oh, because one day somebody was like listen, bro, you are the professional, not them. And that stuck to me. And after I started doing that I was like oh shit, this is easier, you know yeah 100.
Speaker 1:But so that's my thing. Is that like I'll do, like simple choreography so that the kids can learn. But how do you handle teaching complex choreography to kids who don't know how to dance? Is it, is it ever not what you want?
Speaker 2:when it gets to. It has been to the point where it's gotten pretty bad, where I'm just like this kid is not getting it so I'll mention it to the parents and be like look, everyone got this, but this one. So that's when it's just like it's not me, it's obviously you. So it's kind of like sad because you don't want to make a kid feel bad for not knowing something 100%. So I kind of feel bad, but at the same time I'm like they're paying me to give a service Of course.
Speaker 2:And if majority of the kids are getting it. I did the service.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So at that point I'm not changing my left to the right exactly because you can't figure out from right to left.
Speaker 2:So you know that's where I get lucky. I'm just like you know what sometimes, because even when I do have those classes where the kids are like we're not getting it, we're not getting it, we're not getting it I'm like you know what it is the choreography because sometimes I can't even get my own choreography. You know, I'm a little heavyset girl and I'm like pop back, do this and body that, that, that, like can you do it?
Speaker 1:I was like no, but I want you to do it because you're younger and you know what that's the thing is that sometimes like I'll have a visual and like I don't know how to do this exactly, but I know if I explained it to you guys. So when I first started teaching huapangos, I didn't know how to do the, so then I would be like listen, guys, I don't know how to do this dance move but this is what I need you to do is I need you to guys to prop your leg up.
Speaker 1:Girls, you're gonna be on it and I just want you to wiggle around and then they'll be oh, I know what to do. Yeah. So a lot of 80 of the time this year they're like I know what to do, but then other times there'll be that kid like I don't know how to do it.
Speaker 2:I was like fuck I don't know how to break it down, so then I think, I think I know how to do it. I think definitely have been in those situations and I'm just like, hey, do what, do what feels right to you, yes, and then I'll see them do it. I'm like next time I'll teach it that way, yeah, because sometimes kids do help me yeah like they're like doing, I would say probably my hip hop, my so-called hip hop.
Speaker 1:It is hip hop.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay. Well, my so-called hip hop. I call it. I'm not. How do you say I'm very insecure about my hip hop? I don't like it at all, but kids, they're like it's decent, I'm like whatever. The check still clears. I'm not worried about it. Um, but you know, when it comes to my hip-hop, like I've have trouble explaining what to do because I'm not waiting for that, because I don't know. Well, you would know, for hip-hop you can't count.
Speaker 1:Well, majority of time you can't count hip-hop sometimes you can't count, sometimes you just have to feel it, and it lands and lands. Yeah, so I'm really, you gotta wait for the thought when that happens, you gotta study that thought so much like and it goes from slow to fast yeah, real, it happens all the time.
Speaker 1:So I'm just like, that's why I'm like well, yeah, so one of the biggest things that I actually did this year this summer was I collaborated with you, so I want to talk about that exactly. So it was very unplanned, it was yes, it was very very last minute. So one me and you became friends this year and what a coincidence that someone reached out to us and they were like hey, I want to hire you, but I also want to hire you.
Speaker 1:Never had happened never in the history of northwest indiana and what I think was so cool about that was because one this was my biggest year, yes, and I think that I think it was a big year for both of us yeah, 100% I think it was a big year for both of us. So I think that at first I thought that when the kids would see us they would be like it's Fernando versus Rolando.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, you don't understand how they were fighting for that since day one, bro kids love kids love that and even when we, like we were talking like on social media you know I would have kids were like that's your op, that's your op, I'm like oh, yes, yes I was like we share the passion. How is that?
Speaker 1:my even recently, when I was doing the expo, they were like, oh, isn't the op doing the expo? And I was like, who's the op? They're like rolando and I was like, no, there's no way so I'm in the.
Speaker 2:You know my kids, that I call my kids like they. Just, I think after we did the natalia kings, I think that's when they're like wow, you guys are amazing, you're both ways like you. Yeah, fernando's amazing in this way and you're amazing at this way. Like yeah, I'm like, yeah, I was like I don't know what you guys thought that I was gonna compete with this guy, because Even before, like when we first started talking, like just on social media, I never took you as a competition, Not in a bad way.
Speaker 2:Of course it was always friendly competition to me.
Speaker 1:Of course I was like.
Speaker 2:I never felt, because I'm really good with energy. So, like I never felt bad energy with you, I'm like this guy's cool.
Speaker 1:Like look at him. So one of the things that I want to talk about also is that we'll talk about the whole collab in a second. But so my most successful year was no, I'm sorry, not my most successful year the year where I became, like something, or whatever you want to call it six. I don't know famous the year where I popped off, I guess and people, yeah, people noticed you more exactly. Um was 2022 okay, and it was because, um, I think you weren't doing that was the year that you, I wasn't doing.
Speaker 2:Yes, so everybody that you got you transferred over yeah, I was like, hey, fernando, I never met him, never saw his work, but he's amazing and I didn't, I didn't understand that, bro.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like how? Because you can't, just, you know, recommend, recommend anyone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's what I'm saying, like it was your energy. Really I never saw your work. I never saw, never met you.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But I've heard of you. Okay, and then when I talk to my clients and they're like, well, he does videos and he he's all cool with the camera, I was all like, oh, did you not buy a videographer? But, it's just free. But no, but like I was, like you know, when I had my entry, I'm like, if am I gonna recommend anybody, it's gonna be him, because I have choreographer friends and this is not shade to my, to my friends that are choreographers are are going out there.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of them in Northwest Indiana. I don't know if you know Dude.
Speaker 1:I don't know, I just know you. Whenever you say these names, I'm like I don't know who these people are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're decent. I've never seen their work either, but their stories just don't line up with yours and I just felt like every time people sentence it was the same it was for a reason. Yes, you were professional, I was professional, you're clean, I'm clean. It was just how we executed our quinceaneras and I felt like at that moment, you were the only one on my level. So I'm like, sorry, babe, I got 10 years and he got 6 and he's right here.
Speaker 1:So it's him, it's going to be him, so let's talk about this a little bit. So the first quinceanera that I got that you passed down to me was a lady and she had a set of twins.
Speaker 1:oh, she wanted you so bad and I remember one day she called me and then it was crazy because I thought she was someone else. She called me, she booked me and she was telling her daughters like listen, like rolando's not doing guinieras. And they're like no, we want rolando, we don't want fernando, we don't even know who he is.
Speaker 1:We don't even know who he is. I love them and I remember I pull up to practice and I walk in and I start teaching and I hear someone said who the fuck is this bts looking ass bts is crazy. Anyways, the kids started to like me you know kids started to like me.
Speaker 1:you know Kids started to like me. Quinceanera practice started to go smooth. It started to go good. It was a set of twin girls. They were pretty popular. The quinceanera was humongous. It was beautiful. I met a lot of kids and the kids they liked me a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So from there they were like I'm so happy that rolando didn't do this in a good way, no, no, I get it in a good way. They're like I'm so happy that we picked fernando, you know.
Speaker 1:And then from there it kind of happened like how you said I did their cousins, yeah, I did that, cousins, cousins. And then from there I think the most guincianas that I had ever done before that was like five.
Speaker 1:So in that year I did 10 so it's doubled exactly, and I and I remember that I messaged you at the end of my season and I was like yo rolando. I know we've never met, but I want to thank you so much for what you have done to me. You know, and I was and I wanted to hang out with you soon, but we never. We never hung out until I needed the favor that I needed you to teach me how to dance exactly the goat would always be here the goat would always be here.
Speaker 1:No, but yeah, you definitely, you definitely are the goat, definitely, bro, every style very professional. You got the personality for it, everything the love and the drive I do is what makes it better.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about this collab. We did a collab together. The mom hired both of us, um, so this is what I think of the quinceanera. Good, okay, so it was a collab, we both did it, but I think it was very fun. Everything was cool. I think it was very rushed oh yeah, 100, very rushed. I think we met a handful of times to make choreography and when we times and when we did, it was like okay, they want this song, I already have choreography to that so we'll teach that.
Speaker 1:I love that and then it was like uh, I'll let you do bachata because you're the bachata master. So then, boom, you taught that. And then after that, um, we worked on like maybe I think it was like six, seven dances I forgot how many exactly, but I think collaboratively, we only made choreography to like it's like three, four songs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, not even three.
Speaker 1:And I remember when we were like let's do the waltz, and then you started dancing and I was like this dude just finished on his own.
Speaker 2:And that's my.
Speaker 1:thing, I was like I already said, that I'm like like, am I overstepping?
Speaker 2:she's like no where do, I come in.
Speaker 1:But I love that because that kind of inspired me, because it made me open my eyes and and view things in a different way, because so my red flag for this year was that I overbooked myself so much that I started to get drained. So after, like September, I started to lose creativity, I started to lose the drive. I would go to parties and I just wanted to leave right after and it was nothing against the families.
Speaker 2:It was just me.
Speaker 1:It was just me. I would go to the parties and I was like I really don't want to dance, but I had to force myself to dance you know, so when I started hanging around with you, I would see how naturally choreography would come to you. And then you were like you never make choreography in the spot and I was like hell no because I said our first meeting.
Speaker 2:You're like, yeah, we're gonna meet to choreograph.
Speaker 1:I was like what do you choreograph?
Speaker 2:I was like I choreograph in my car. What do you? You think I felt I mean.
Speaker 1:I do that too, but I have to. Okay, I do choreograph in my car, but I have to sit, stand and make it happen, you know, because if I don't then it's like, oh man, what are you going to do? You know, that was me. So one I do feel like it was rushed. I mean, we still got it done. It was still a good event. Party was dope the decorations were beautiful, oh, amazing, the quinceanera was beautiful, everything was beautiful, um.
Speaker 2:But you know, I think it was a really good experience and, like you said, um, I think after that the kids were like oh yeah yep, I think, I think, I think we'll let them into the club very, that I mean they've always liked you and they've always like, said like remarks, like oh well, I mean fernando would never do that, or fernando this fernando that's trying to make me jealous.
Speaker 1:I feel like at first it was like a jealousy thing, like, oh, fernando, you know, like when they would see me at parties, like so, when they would see me at parties and you weren't there, I would have kids come up to me. They're like hey, what's up, I'm rolando's dancer, oh. And I'm like okay, what's your name? You know, I feel like they've come out like, oh, like, tough like hey, what's up, I'm one of rolando's dancers. I'm like, oh nice, that's good for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's all right guy so what would you say your experience was like? Because that was your first ever collab with yeah, definitely 100. Um, like you said, rushed, um, I'm not used to being rushed at all, when, when it comes to, especially because you wanted to choreograph because let me ask you this, let me ask you this, typically for a traditional quinceanera waltz and surprise dance how many practices do you offer?
Speaker 2:I start at 12, depending on like five maybe. Maybe I think I had like six kids, 12 practices, and then I worked my way up to 16, depending on 18 kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I do eight to 10. He's crazy, but that's also why I was able to do a lot more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but that's when, when you first mentioned it, like you only do 10, eight to 10. I'm like, well, no doubt this guy got so many games, I wouldn't even fit that many.
Speaker 2:And my choreography is a lot more simple than yours, but it's clean and that's what I liked about yours. It's always clean, mine. When it does get complicated and a kid does manage to mess up, I've never thought of it like, oh, I look bad Because at the end they know what they raised, they know what they had at their house. They're like I had moms before be like, oh my God, my son turned to the right. Wow, oh my God. I'm like girl, my daughter's doing that in her diapers, right. But like parents knew what they had and the little that they did it was amazing to them and when I started seeing that I'm like oh so so you're not really looking for professional dancers under my name.
Speaker 2:Right now I was like okay, so that's when I started. But I'm like, you know what I'm gonna do me, I'm like if they don't get it, like if it's a point where the majority of them can't get it, then I'll change it, of course. But like if it's one or two, I'm like girl, I mean, you just won't look embarrassed because check clear, yeah, man.
Speaker 1:Um, so another thing that I want to talk to you about is you've been doing this for so long. Um, if rolando could have a dream quinceanera, what would it be like? What would your waltz be like? What would your surprise dance be like? Do you know what venue it would be at? Who would be your core?
Speaker 2:like let's talk detail.
Speaker 1:Let's plan our dream quinceanera, because you know I have. You've planned it right. Yes, I've planned my quinceanera 100.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about it um, definitely four dresses, the fuck.
Speaker 1:And the only reason Para la entrada no. No, la iglesia, la iglesia.
Speaker 2:Okay, pues primero el foto. Oh yeah, the photo session, the photo session, then the iglesia, okay, and then my grand entrance and a whole new and a whole new dress for the waltz.
Speaker 1:For the waltz.
Speaker 2:Like you never seen it, wow, and I think, and you know, I didn't have the idea till like maybe two, three years ago, when I I had a quinceanera that did two dresses really, oh, was it three?
Speaker 1:no, it was two she did two.
Speaker 2:No, you don't want me to think about it, I think it was three. She had one for the photo shoot, one for the church and one for the hall, so she had three. Yeah, yeah. So then when I remember, like working with her family, like I was like, oh, this girl got money because she, she actually had to pay for me to go to michigan's what michigan state, which one's four hours away probably, yeah, michigan state so I had to drive to choreograph her quinceanera.
Speaker 2:Oh really, they were from michigan, yeah, from michigan, and they uh, paid for me and two of my dancers. At that time I only had two. I think I was trying to force three, but I only had two. At the end, never force it.
Speaker 2:I know, but I wanted dancers so bad. So I was like, no, these guys are really good at the quinceanera, let me do it. So I told them like, yeah, I got dancers this whole time they're just chamelones that I had two years ago or whatever. But yeah, they ended up doing good and the mom loved it. And then I remember driving there every Sunday. We would have to wake up at 6 o'clock, be there by 9, have practice until 12, and then be back by 4. And then the thing is, because they were like I guess, my first chosen ones, you would say I would take them out to eat.
Speaker 2:I don't. I remember just that experience was so amazing. And when that girl, little girl, says like oh, I got three dresses, I'm like, girl, you're living my dream. I've always wanted a quinceanera dress, even like me dragging yeah, I do a drag like I, I'll make it. I make fun of myself that I have yet to buy or even get custom made a quinceanera dress. I'm like I don't know why I have not done that.
Speaker 2:I've been doing drag for, like what? Eight years, ten years, eight years? Yes, hold on, we're going to talk about that too. So four dresses, yeah, four dresses. Definitely I have to have mariachi at my dinner. Okay, that thing, that's just so beautiful, of course. So beautiful, of course um mariachi.
Speaker 1:I want two djs too, because I want a dj battle.
Speaker 2:Who we talking? Do you know who, or no? Well, yeah, definitely it would have to be between gochis, latin entertainment and dj speaks. Oh, that's a big three. Yeah, that's a big three those definitely are my top three. So yeah, yeah, okay um waltz surprise dance. Let's talk about it the waltz would have to be the most dramatic song ever created. And it's a red who I see red, I don't think I've ever heard of that song. I think it's called red. I see red I've never heard of it go get that okay and then surprise dance.
Speaker 1:So wait would, would your dress be red?
Speaker 2:yes, my, what my for for my watch, yeah, it'll be red, cool, cool um. The theme would have been like um vegas las vegas okay with feathers and going crazy okay so the red, the main dress would be red, yes yeah, okay, okay um the surprise dance, I'll probably do like obviously a bachata one bachata no, the first song will be bachata, okay, and then definitely like a wepa or cumbia, and then a j-lo, a j-lo, I like that if?
Speaker 2:anything, the j you know, the big um sierra sierra cruz tribute. Yeah, that whole performance, okay, okay, okay, that would be my super dance, for, if anything, you know, the big Cielo Cruz tribute?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that whole performance, okay, okay okay, that would be my separate dance. For me, I really like J-Lo's Super Bowl performance. For me, it's like the best.
Speaker 2:That one was good too. I love that shit.
Speaker 1:Okay, I definitely would love to attend your quinceañera. Who would be in your core?
Speaker 2:Like would you have a big core? It'll be my dancing from the past 100 all my girl.
Speaker 1:No, all my girls from the past, including what he said she probably my main, your main, oh yeah, my main any any other details you want to add on uh, no, no, uh, the hall would either be rancho guzman, oh because, I fell in love with just that environment there yeah um or dream Dream Palace, because Dream Palace is like Because I'm dreaming, oh God, of you.
Speaker 2:But yeah, dream Palace, dream Palace, all right, cool, cool For me, my dream quinceanera.
Speaker 1:I don't really have a dream, quinceanera, but I could make one right now, right, go crazy. Ah damn, I don't know. I, um, ah damn, I don't know, I'd probably I wouldn't do a black and white suit because that's like more like of a wedding type. So I feel like I probably do like tan, tan with like white. That's what I would do. Um, and then for my waltz I would probably have it's a song by camila and it's called entre tus, alas I know that song beautiful.
Speaker 2:I forgot about Camila. Yeah, I would have Entre Tus Alas by Camila oh shit, I'm lying.
Speaker 1:Oh no, yes, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I was gonna say High School Musical, but I think that's for my wedding, that's for my wedding.
Speaker 2:Dude, I got I don't know this dance yeah.
Speaker 1:Surprise dance. I would have DJ Speaks also For my venue. I think I would have to get it's called chateau del mar in hickory hills chateau del mar what chateau del mar never heard of. That I'll take you one day.
Speaker 1:I'll take you definitely yeah, um, dj speaks as my dj. And then for the surprise dance I would want to have like. I would want it to be like, uh, guys and girls, but I want it to be like mostly guys, because I want it to be kind of just like me in the middle, suave doing my thing kind of like. Maybe like some type of like usher, chris brown, justin timberlake, vibe oh, and then I see it yeah, definitely like I see it. No, no, yeah we know that I'd like to do a wapango.
Speaker 1:Okay, you see, from the suit, take it off to switch another outfit, keep it suave. You know? Yeah, keep it suave. I think that'd be like my. That'd be nice, yeah, yeah, oh man, so you did mention um drag shows. I want to know how that started. Um, did somebody convince you? Did you want to do how that started? Did somebody convince you? Did you want to do it?
Speaker 2:no, not at all. Well, all my life I knew I was a woman, but I knew when I went to I don't know if you probably don't well, it's a bar named Dix. Are you crazy? I just know sporting goods oh well, dix, are you crazy?
Speaker 2:is a little bar in Hammond, a little gay bar at that? There's gay bars in Hammond. I think that's the only one left. Yes, I'd never do that. I'd take you, but it got into crazy. But yeah, I remember going with a set of friends and I just remember seeing these beautiful women on the stage. I'm all like they're dancing.
Speaker 1:I want to be you.
Speaker 2:They have wigs. They have wigs, they have heels. I love hair. I love jewelry. I was like I could do that, so a drag queen that was there. I told her that she was amazing and then I want to be just like that, I want to do it and I remember doing it. She put me in drag and girl. From there, I was a star.
Speaker 1:Really Giselle Diamond Right away, a star. Really giselle diamond right away, right away. How did giselle diamond come a thing?
Speaker 2:um, I don't know if you wanna anyway anyway so yeah, you got dressed up. I got dressed up, I liked it and I remember when I got into drag it was for halloween, like every gay boy starts okay, oh, halloween, good excuse, good excuse, it really was um, I remember going to a club and my heels and dress and wig and hair all done, I was feeling myself.
Speaker 2:So I remember dancing and just going crazy, of course, in heels, and people were just like where do you perform? Where do you perform? What's your name? And at that point I didn't have a name but I was all like it has to say something with the j, because Rolanda, rolanda, yolanda.
Speaker 2:Yolanda, I always knew like if I do well, because obviously I was already thinking about drag. So I'm like if my name's going to be anything, it has to start with a J, because my mom, all her daughters with, a J Okay. So I want to be one of my daughter. So I'm like giselle and my friend who's my drag?
Speaker 1:mama. Now she's all like gisele. I was like no, you got the right, you got the right like giselle.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I was like no, giselle has g, she goes. No play with the g uh j I told, you might as well add two zz's so j-i-z-z-e-l-e and of course, diamond came from my drag family and she's a big drag queen in Chicago.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's awesome. So then, do you do that? Is it more kind of like to kill time? Is it like a real hobby, because you don't do it a lot, right?
Speaker 2:No, I used to do it a lot. When I was doing it a lot, it was just for attention. I loved the attention I was getting from men.
Speaker 1:We wanted attention, a very that. I was like you know they have. They have therapy for that. You know, whatever you're right, I couldn't afford it.
Speaker 2:But no, no, it was just for attention. And then, when I saw the big bucks come in, I'm like oh, excuse me, you pay me how much to just dance. So I'm like you know what, I'll do it for money. So then I went to money and then so you were apper.
Speaker 2:I guess you would say a stripper, but no, una stripper con ropa. Yes, a go-go dancer, very beautiful go-go dancer. But yeah, from there it was the money. And then after that I gave it up for a year. But my drag mama would argue, because I would tell her I'm going to quit drag her, I'm gonna quit drag, I'm gonna quit drag.
Speaker 2:It was just in a way of my choreography yeah and it was just like oh, I would hurt my foot, my ankle, because I would. Bro, I used to jump off bars into a split oh my god so like I would do that dumb stuff and hurt my wrist, hurt my ankle, and I'm like no, like it's stopping me from my real passion, which is choreographing and teaching. That's when I started falling in love with just teaching. I was like I don't want to perform, no more, I want to teach.
Speaker 2:So then that's when that came into play. I was like let's give up drag. So I sold all my drag.
Speaker 1:You know how expensive.
Speaker 2:Those dresses were those heels. It was a lot of money and I just gave it all Majority of it and it was a lot of money and I just like gave it all Dang Majority of it, yeah, and the things that I couldn't sell I kept. And that's where it was my problem I still kept some. So then when I needed a little quick car note money, I was like what, if I just throw on a wig and toss my ass, I'll get that money, so boom, and then she came back.
Speaker 1:No, no.
Speaker 2:I'm get that money, so boom. And then she came back. No, I'm just kidding um, but I remember like uh, when I came back, I came back as jenny rivera. Oh yeah, so they're like oh, you're like la jenny, la jenny bro. I didn't know who jenny rivera was.
Speaker 1:I was like who's this girl hey?
Speaker 2:let me be chiquis. Hey, I started at chiquis. I did start a. I got you, bro, got all the makeup at home. Who wants to see? Fernando Jimenez as Cheeky's for Halloween bro, Next year.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, that's awesome bro, so I mean, do you plan on still doing it here and there, like you said, just whenever you need it?
Speaker 2:Actually yeah, Just whenever I need it. This year I was supposed to. Well, this year I'm just now thinking about it like actually get rid of her, because this year was the first year that I fell in love with my beard. Yeah, bro, all these years I used to be insecure about it. Why, dude, look at me, I don't got shit well, I was, I was gonna transition, I was supposed to go through all that transition really I got a lot of signs that it wasn't for me, so that's a big topic.
Speaker 1:I mean that's a huge topic. We can talk about that. Maybe. If, yeah, I'm down Like on another episode, yeah, let me know, because that's a lot. It's a lot, yeah, it's a lot. Yeah, another episode.
Speaker 2:So at one moment I did one transition and then I hated it. I just started like, like this logo came back and people noticed me more and my business grew even more with just a merch yeah like merch alone. Like everybody wanted a hoodie, so I'm like oh, people left me, oh I know, but yeah. So then, from there, like, I started feeling the beard, and now this one time that I had to shave remember I told you I had that show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was so mad that it was the day before the expo the expo, I was like no, I want people to see me and my professionalism yeah but my girlfriend, she wanted the show so bad, so I'm like here let's do it.
Speaker 1:I still got paid. So you walked into the expo with no beard and I was like no, beard, who is that?
Speaker 2:yes, so definitely this year has to be the last year. I, because I can't, I can't do it, no more, I don't want to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't feel the the drive for it no more.
Speaker 2:And no, at that point I'm just like no, I really teach, yeah so, but I gotta sell that dress. Once I sell those dresses, then it's official.
Speaker 1:Put them on facebook, right so, rolando, sadly, this episode is coming to an end. I feel like I noticed when you got comfortable, because you just started talking. It's been over an hour. Did you know that? No way, it's been over an hour, bro. But before this episode ends, I want, um, I want to ask you what can we expect from rolando or alonso's choreography or alonso's boys for 2025? Um, god willing, I'll book them more I see you got them booked a lot actually six, so that's a big.
Speaker 2:Well, I started with um. It was six.
Speaker 1:Somebody call you. I sent somebody over to you oh, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I've been getting a lot of calls lately yeah but do you got a date or name?
Speaker 1:um, I think you're already booked. It was like july 5th, I just saw oh, yeah, yeah, she did yeah with me yeah, because she was like, because she wanted me. But then she's like do you have dancers? I was like no, but I can get some for you. And I was like or you know what, I'll just send you over to him. Okay, no, that she didn't meet with me.
Speaker 2:And then I told her that I won't be there and she's like uh, it sucks, but I told her I could still do it and I have enough boys to split them because of this oh, yeah, yeah, oh yeah she got five boys too, so I'm like it'd be really nice if she books, because I'll have my boys and two different that'll be dope I'm hoping and praying but, uh, yeah, so we did meet, but hopefully I want to do that this year, this upcoming year.
Speaker 2:Just promote my boys and get them as many gigs as possible, okay and I'm still looking for more boys to train them, because I know that you're not going to be the best dancer out here.
Speaker 1:So definitely if you just have the drive to dance or the little itch to dance yeah I will make something out of you, and I think that, um, for anybody listening to this who wants to join alonso's boys from from seeing it from my side, and obviously you can give some advice too is, um, I think that what you guys I tell this to everybody who's a dancer um, just for I don't know why it's so hard, but just have fun, bro yeah, it's so hard and I think it's because the nerves get to them.
Speaker 1:They get nervous, but literally just just have fun, bro, because sometimes I see myself dancing like when no one's watching and I'm like bro. Why can't I do that?
Speaker 2:over there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know why can't I do that out there?
Speaker 2:it's definitely the nerves yeah definitely but the only way to get out of that is by practicing every single day of course, because I only get nervous when I don't practice something I don't know about you.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, or when I'm not prepared. Yeah, when I'm not prepared, or I'm not, I'm not, oh child, you can't drink that bella sorry guys.
Speaker 2:Um, but yeah, definitely that. It's just.
Speaker 1:I want to venture out with my boys okay, and then from there hopefully make a bigger crowd. Nice, um, where can they find you on social media?
Speaker 2:that's uh. Instagram r alonso, underscore 92. Okay cool, you could just look for my logo. Yeah, look for the logo.
Speaker 1:Um, if you guys want to find him, he'll definitely be tagged for this episode. Um, once again, guys, thank you so much for tuning in. Ronaldo, thank you so much for being here this.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me. I think this is it's been.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know it's only episode three, but I think it's my favorite episode so far my favorite episode so far. I cannot wait to have you on for a part two definitely, so we can talk a lot more about just completely different things. It doesn't even have to be about choreography, maybe just about getting to know you as a person, getting to know me as a person. Um, that's why I love this platform I love it it's because people see something on the internet and over here it's just genuine conversations.
Speaker 2:You forgot the mic was here.
Speaker 1:You forgot the camera was here, actually, and we're just talking um, so, guys, make sure you guys tune in to little shy podcast. We go live every single monday on apple and spotify. You guys can find us on instagram at little shy podcast and then check me out at Fernando X Jimenez. Once again, guys, let's give it up for Rolando Alonso's choreography. Thank you so much for being on this episode. We'll see you, guys next time ciao.