Creative Forces
Patricia Lucía Delgado
From Miami City Ballet to choreographer for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
Patricia Lucía Delgado was born and raised in South Florida. Delgado always knew that dancing was her passion; therefore, she studied at the Miami City Ballet School and trained at New York City’s prestigious School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.
In 2006, Patricia secured a position at the Miami City Ballet as a principal soloist, and in just one year, she became a principal dancer. Her repertoire is versatile; she can go from classical ballet to narrative and to abstract and contemporary dance styles.
Knowing she was capable of growing even more, she moved to New York City and became a freelance dancer and faculty member at The Juilliard School. “I wanted to continue my artistic growth, and I wanted to follow my heart to New York, which was always enticing but I didn’t feel ready for. And my now-husband lived here, so I wanted to find balance in my life, not doing long-distance,” said Delgado to NBC.
Delgado, 39, who’s Cuban American, knew that the Big Apple is where dreams are made of. Fast forward to today, she is the associate choreographer for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
Delgado helped the dancers move like authentic Latinos and described specific movements as Latin foods. According to the publications, working with 60 dancers on the “West Side Story” set made her feel connected to her Latino heritage.
“Growing up in Miami, you’re surrounded by this community that’s like us, and so I don’t think I tapped into it as much — I thought, ‘This is normal,’” Delgado said.
