Meet Adriana Harris of BBDANCEUR in Douglas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Harris.

Adriana, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My love of dance began when I was five years old when I began dancing Polynesian in grade school in Agua Prieta, SON. I also had the opportunity to dance Folklorico for my school. At the age of ten, my parents enrolled me in a dance academy. Performing in front of an audience was exhilarating, and that’s when I knew I wanted to pursue to dance as a profession. At age 16, I was given a school assignment to choreograph a three-minute number. From this experience, my love of dance developed to a passion for choreography. Soon after, my dance teacher, Alma Dolores asked me to choreograph another piece for a regional dance competition. At age 19, I launched my dance company in Douglas, AZ as a family business and we have been serving our binational dance community for the past seven years. Today, we serve a total 115 dancers from Douglas and Agua Prieta, and we perform locally in Douglas and Agua Prieta as well as regionally in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Nacozari, Naco, and Cananea.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think back to some of my early struggles as a young adult, and I feel grateful to be in the position I am today. As a teenager, I had to rely on my self-determination and the moral support of my family to continue my dance aspirations. After I graduated from Douglas High School, I took on the 4 am shift at Mcdonalds to pay for my ballet classes in Sierra Vista, which is an hour commute from Douglas. I would arrive home at 9 pm every night to get back to work, studying and completing assignments for my online college courses. Another one of my obstacles was the fact that I was the only dancer from Mexico and my figure was not typical if the ballet dancers in general. These obstacles inspired my vision for my studio. We encourage all healthy body types to learn and engage with classical, contemporary, regional and experimental forms of movement. If you walk into my studio, you will also notice the bilingual environment we operate in. My goal is to make every dancer no matter where they come from, or what language they feel most comfortable speaking, feel at home in the studio, in hopes to inspire our most creative and true selves as we engage in the art form of dance.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the BBDANCEUR story. Tell us more about it.
I cherish the opportunity of working with children and young adults, so I love my job as a director, choreographer, and dance instructor at my dance school BBDANCEUR Academy. I am recognized in my binational community for presenting dance pieces that combine multiple styles of dance and music. For example, last year we presented a dance piece in our recital and five other community events that combined 1920’s dance techniques with contemporary movement. I am very proud of all my dancers and being able to witness their growth as dancers, and strong women and men is an incredible feeling. I am also proud when they are eager and open to move and express themselves in new ways. They have participated in performance art workshops, spoken word sessions, and have even developed their own choreography based on personal experiences and family stories. Last year, we participated in the Binational Arts Residency with the resident artist, Ana Maria Alvarez. It was a moment of growth and reflection for all of us at my studio as we developed and performed choreography and poetry with Alvarez which was lead in a series of four intense workshops by Xanthia Walker, Yvonne Montoya, Luis Ángeles, Gerardo Ortega, Alan Rubio and myself. The public presentation took place at the border, on both sides of the fence. It was a beautiful moment and sharing of our love for our community and our binational identity. I love pushing my dancers and myself to move, create and think in new ways and I see my studio more like a laboratory for art production and experimentation rather than a traditional dance school.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think the best luck I have had is establishing my business in Douglas and Agua Prieta with my family behind me every step of the way. I also feel that I am in a perfect place to share what I love and maybe luck as something to do with that. My lifestyle on the border reflects my clients, my cultural values and the way I operate my business. There isn’t a place I’d rather be than here in Douglas, doing what I do with the people and community that mean the world to me. I feel lucky, fortunate and blessed all at the same time.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 520-368-7581
• Email: adrianaharris1@hotmail.con
• Instagram: Bbdanceur Performing Academy

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