Start With Yourself: Blanca Vasquez

Start With Yourself: Blanca Vasquez

Getting To Know You

Where were you born?

Roosevelt Hospital, oddly enough right by Lincoln Center, the home of some of the richest performing arts in New York City.

What kind of music moves you?

I LOVE music. I love music that tells a story and old school music.

This is a hard question because I have a love for a lot of genres. I

especially love old school tunes- music I grew up with- R&B, Rock, Hip Hop, Freestyle and Broadway musicals. I love the horn, the drums, the piano and the guitar. I connect the most with ballads, whether it's 70s songs in Spanish, Jazz or 90s R&B.

What part of New York do you love most?

I love walking down any of the cobblestone streets that still remain

in New York. I think it's very romantic. They're usually set in narrow

tree-lined streets with very dim lighting at night in Lower Manhattan

or towards the water in the South Street Seaport. Ultimately, the

Lower East Side will always be my stomping ground since I spent the

majority of my childhood there.

What turns you on?

Intellectual conversations, relatedness, Comedy and silly people, Hip Hop culture, Graffiti, traveling, meeting new people, reconnecting with old people, being on the same page with passionate people.

What turns you off?

Ignorance, Denial, Lies, Mind games.

What sound or noise do you love?

Children giggling and Harmony in music.

What sound or noise do you hate?

Very loud and obnoxious people on the train.

What is your favorite word?

Inspire.

What is your least favorite word?

Failure.

What profession other than your own would you like to try?

A Talent

Scout at a record company.

What profession would you not want to try?

Accountant or Lawyer.

If there's a heaven, what would you like God to say when you get

there?

"Welcome Home, you did a great job!"

Blanca's R.Evolución Latina BLOG

Okay, so last year right around this time (February 2008), I attended

the very first meeting for R.Evolucion Latina. There were people I

knew and people I'd just met. We talked about what we individually

thought R.Evolucion Latina was. No shoulds, no saying the wrong thing.It was freedom; Freedom to express and create. Since then, I've been hooked. Now, a year later, the company is running strong with triple the activists, and a ton of activities & events that have put

R.Evolucion Latina on the map.

Some of my favorite events have been collaborating and watching

Rogelio Douglas' event called Broadway After Dark. It's an evening

where different Equity performers unite to relax and perform. Then we

had the End of the Year Open House, where colleagues from the

performing arts world and beyond came to hear what the ruckus with

R.Evolucion Latina was all about.

At the height of freedom and self expression, R.Evolucion Latina has

been a source of incredible support in my journey to pursue cartoon

and character acting on educational programs. My career has been

skyrocketing! I have booked several projects including an audiobook,

narrating a teen's life with several voices for "The Secret Story of

Sonia Rodriguez" as well as the Spanish voice of a toy from the hit

show on NickJr called "Wow, Wow Wubbzy". And it doesn't stop there. I’ve also been auditioning for several musicals, including the very adult puppet show "Avenue Q" and with the help of Luis Salgado and several others, I prepared my audition for "Imagination Movers" a preschool tv show on Disney's Playhouse.

R.Evolución Latina was witness to all this success and recognized me, Blanca Vasquez, Cartoongirl, as an example of not letting go of my dream and "going beyond." So much so that Elizabeth Barry from EB & Associates became inspired to document it in Gendance, an online newsletter for dance trends, news and media. By honoring and

identifying my strengths through R.Evolucion Latina, I feel a sense of

community... no limitations… a perfect example of what an organization does to inspire!

What's next for me with R.Evolucion Latina? Creating a CD for

children, and strengthening the youth component for R.Evolución

Latina. To be an advocate for young people, get them involved to make them aware of our motto: Dare to Go Beyond.

R.Evolucion Latina is about having a place to go to when times are

rough and a space to share successes - Ultimately... to get inspired

and inspire others.