TAMPA, Fla. — A young ballet dancer from Tampa is putting her hometown on the map as she joins the prestigious Ballet Hispanico in New York City.
- Tampa dancer joins prestigious Ballet Hispanico in NYC
- Daryn Diaz is the 1st Patel Conservatory dancer to join
- Diaz was born and raised in Tampa
Daryn Diaz may be living her big city dreams in New York City, but Tampa will always have a special place in her heart.
"I was born and raised in Tampa. Every time I go back, I know the roads and it feels familiar. And it really is my home," she said.
Diaz is now repping her hometown in the Big Apple. She's the first Patel Conservatory dancer to join Ballet Hispanico as a second company dancer.
"Ballet Hispanico is like a fusion between ballet and contemporary and obviously Hispanic dancing like Salsa, Merengue — has a little Hispanic flair which is what I love about it," Diaz explained.
Patel Conservatory Ballet Mistress Ivonne Lemus-Mendez has trained Diaz since Day 1.
"I cannot feel more happy for her because I know that she's going to do good there," Mendez said.
Now, Diaz gets to project her passion for dance on the world stage.
"It's just been great to be a part of a really close company that's very family-oriented and cares about their culture and has a voice for the Latin community," Diaz said.
Diaz is hoping to use the lessons she learned at home to make a change.
"We have the opportunity to really inspire a young group of people who may not have the opportunities that other people do, so to me, it's super powerful," she said.
The Ballet Hispanico started as a small dance school and is now a world-class institution.