My name is Gabrielle Sprauve. I was born in Queens, NY and raised in Savannah, GA. I joined Ballet Hispánico in 2017.

My mother has always said that I have been dancing since I could walk. It is a major part of who I am and what has made me into the woman I am today. I started dancing at the age of 3 at a small studio on Utopia Parkway in Queens. I was so dedicated starting at a young age, that there was never a moment where I just woke up and realized that I wanted to be a professional dancer. I just always knew. I worked hard, every day, to pursue my dream.

I have had many teachers within my dance training that have supported my dancing and my passion, but my biggest supporters have always been my family. My father has always stood by my side, whispering in my ear any chance he got to say, “Dream big Gab…I see your name in lights." The women in my life are the epitome of strength and courage. My mother and her two sisters immigrated to this country from Guatemala and Belize. As I have observed my mother’s life over time, I watched her struggle and evolve through cultural assimilation.

Regarding language, there were silent but distinct expectations within their family environment for them to abandon their native language and conform to a more “acceptable” form of expression that was an English only requirement. They chose to preserve their language and cultural customs, despite the familial and external pressures of the larger society. Their example was all the fuel I needed for my own life as I have chosen to fully embrace all aspects of my background. I have learned to observe and incorporate the best of my mother’s struggles and triumphs to inform and energize how I have chosen to live in the fullness of my own identity as an Afro-Latina woman.

I chose to come to Ballet Hispánico, because it was the first Company that spoke to all of who I am, not just parts. I saw myself represented on that stage, and I knew that it was where I needed to be.

I see dance making huge strides towards growing as an artform. As artists, we look for every opportunity to be able to express ourselves not only through movement but through what we have to say. My generation is in a place where we can’t help but be as loud and as bold as possible in using our voices to be part of the change that we need in this world, because it affects who we are as people. We have and will continue to make an impact on this field. We will continue to push towards greater diversity, inclusion, and prosperity.