THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST'S A TO Z: I for Brooke ISHIBASHI and Alejandra IZQUIERDO
Brooke Ishibashi
Biography
Multidisiplinary artist Brooke Ishibashi is the co-founder of Be An #ArtsHero, which was brought to life during the Covid-19 pandemic. A fourth-generation Japanese American, Brooke hails from a showbiz family. As a professional actress and singer, she originated/developed the role of “Neary” in Cambodian Rock Band, has clowned with Taylor Mac at The Public, been plucked by DJ Nash and Pam Fryman to star in an NBC comedy, crashed American Idol as sketch character “AKIKO!”, is the lead singer of Cambodian Rock Band, and is an original castmember of Into the Woods on Broadway. Follow her on Instagram at @brookeishibashi.
Image captions & credits: Cover image of Brooke ishibashi in "Into the Woods" | All images courtesy of the artist.
Alejandra Izquierdo
Biography
Professional figure skater Alejandra Izquierdo has been a member of Ice Theatre of New York since 2011. A native of Léon, Guanajuato, Mexico, she started figure skating at the age of 8, becoming a three-time Mexican national champion, and won first place at the International Santis Cup Switzerland in 2007. In 2009, she moved to the USA to train under the tutelage of the Ukrainian team (Victor Petrenko, Galina Zmievskaya and Nina Petrenko) at the Ice House in Hackensack, NJ. If she looks familiar, it might be because she has starred in the Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular, Dancing on Ice with Torvill & Dean in the United Kingdom and in the Netherlands, as well as Polyglide Ice advertisements. Follow her on Instagram at @ale.cat.official.
Image captions & credits: Cover image of Alejandra Izquierdo in a "Dancing on Ice" promotional shot | All images courtesy of the artist.
What made you decide to enter this profession?
Ishibashi:
When I was around 5 or 6 years old, I said I wanted to be a tap dancing doctor when I grew up so I could help people and entertain them. I understood that there was an intersectionality there, where I had an opportunity to cross both worlds and help more people if I had a larger platform and voice.
Izquierdo:
My love of having fun through movement, creativity, athleticism and discipline.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life and why?
Ishibashi:
My parents! They’re both artists and they raised me and my two sisters to follow our artistic dreams. I saw early on that life as an arts worker could be a bumpy road, but I always felt 100% supported in pursuing a career in the arts. I was a rare exception, as most of my friends and colleagues did not come from an entire family of performers, and were much less encouraged. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have a family who understands my struggles — because they’ve endured the same! — and who are my steadfast cheerleaders and emotional safety net.
Izquierdo:
Viktor Petrenko, who is a World and Olympic figure skater. He was my coach and mentor for 5 years, and he motivated me to become a better version of myself as a skater, performer and as a human!
I can always rely on __________ to cheer up.
Ishibashi:
My kitty cat Kika.
Izquierdo:
Figure skating.
I practice self-care by __________.
Ishibashi:
Setting boundaries and giving myself time and space to breathe and be alone with my thoughts.
Izquierdo:
By giving myself 'Ale Days,' where it’s all about resting, doing something fun for myself, taking a bath, listening to relaxing music, eating great food and nourishing the soul with a good book, podcast or movie!
Pets or plants. Either way, why and what kind?
Ishibashi:
Pets all the way! Plants can’t give me the emotional comfort that a cat does, and plants don’t cuddle!
Izquierdo:
Pets! Dogs! My little 'Flaquita,' who is a Schnauzer. She is adorable!
Cooking or eating out? Either way, what is your favorite meal?
Ishibashi:
Eating out is my biggest indulgence and guilty pleasure. If I could experience the best omakase in every city, I’d be a very happy girl.
Izquierdo:
I love eating out, especially because NYC can have everything on every corner! And the food is delicious here. I love Mexican food and sushi.
If you could relive the past or catch a glimpse of the future, which would you pick and why?
Ishibashi:
I’d love to catch a glimpse of the future. Maybe it’s the Aries in me, but I’m always bulldozing ahead and have a hard time living in the present. Confession: I’ve also become too dependent on psychics in the past, and for this reason, let’s change my answer and say NEITHER. I’m going to try being content with exactly where I am right now.
Izquierdo:
I would go back to when they closed the ice rink in my town — therefore I had to stop skating for years — to tell my parents I was meant to become a pro figure skater. Perhaps they could have found a way for me to continue skating somewhere else, and maybe I could have made it to the Olympics. Yet, no resentment on the way — my journey continued even with years of being away from my passion.
What is your personal approach to handling challenging people or situations?
Ishibashi:
Breathe, baby, breathe! I try to always act with compassion and respect. And to remind myself that I can do hard things, and that I’m a goddamn warrior who comes from a long line of powerful and loving ancestors!
Izquierdo:
I try to always step out of the situation and to put myself in the other person's shoes to better understand where the challenge or problem comes from. I try to keep myself calm to deal with people or situations by being kind and loving!
How has your personal life changed since the pandemic?
Ishibashi:
I’m allowing myself the space and the grace to honor my boundaries a lot more. This means saying “no, thank you” more than is innately comfortable to me, and accepting that my actions will not necessarily make everyone else happy — and that’s okay.
Izquierdo:
It has made me much more empathetic, compassionate and understanding of everyone's struggles. It also helped me to be much more appreciative and grateful for all the positive in my life. I now focus more on all that actually works for me instead of the negative.
How has your art or approach towards art changed since the pandemic?
Ishibashi:
I co-founded the grassroots arts advocacy campaign “Be An #ArtsHero” during the pandemic, which is now evolving into Arts Workers United. One of our proudest moments was organizing the first ever U.S. Congressional hearing on the whole of the Creative Economy titled: “The Power, Peril, and Promise of the Creative Economy” through the House Small Business Committee. Through this work, I have developed a deeper understanding of what is possible when arts workers come together as a united front. Contributing over $919 billion to the U.S. economy with a labor force of over 5.2 million, the Creative Economy is a force to be reckoned with, and I can now stand tall, knowing my worth as an arts worker is intrinsically tied to an economic value that is unimpeachable.
Izquierdo:
I think I have become much more expressive and more comfortable expressing my fragile and most vulnerable side as an artist and a performer.
What is the last show you saw and loved?
Ishibashi:
I adored Hansol Jung’s Wolf Play, which was co-produced by Ma-Yi, Soho Rep, and MCC. It was inventive, playful, imaginative, and so quietly devastating.
Izquierdo:
Kimberly Akimbo! I loved it because I was part of the pre-production and helped the actors and actresses in the play get ready for it! Such an incredible opportunity! It truly is an incredible Broadway play and a very touching story.
What is your pre-performance (as a spectator or a performer) ritual?
Ishibashi:
We just closed Into the Woods on Broadway and are now doing a 10-city limited engagement across the U.S. It’s not a pre-performance ritual, but my lady castmates and I do a “money dance” every new moon and full moon in our dressing room during the show. It has brought us immense luck and good fortune! Let’s hope it keeps this Into the Woods journey going. It has been the greatest blessing and the most giant joy fest with the dreamiest humans.
Izquierdo:
I need a solid warm up! Also a calm space to do my hair and makeup while I gather my thoughts and get to my 'Performer self'! Oh, and a good chocolate a few minutes before stepping on stage is always a great sugar rush!
I wish I could be a fly on the wall for this moment in dance history: __________.
Ishibashi:
When Bob Fosse created the Steam Heat choreography in Pajama Game (1957) and first taught it to Carol Haney on Broadway.
Izquierdo:
The multiple flash mobs that have happened in Times Square through the years! The making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) video. The entire making of Singin' in the Rain (1952) and La La Land (2016)!
I have / have had the most fun performing __________’s choreography or trying out this genre of dance _____________.
Ishibashi:
Danny Mefford’s choreography in The Foundry’s The Good Person of Szechwan with Taylor Mac at La MaMa and The Public (also directed by Lear deBessonet, who directed Into the Woods!).
Izquierdo:
Jayne Torville and Chris Dean while being part of the TV show Dancing on Ice in the UK.
Is there a book, podcast or TV program you recommend to others and why?
Ishibashi:
My sister turned me onto the Huberman Lab podcast and I’m digging it! It discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health.
Izquierdo:
Books: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle; The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo; The Unviverse Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein.
As well as the podcast, The Mindset Mentor. All of the episodes are a beautiful and powerful reminder that every single life is a perfect journey the way it is and the way it has been! All at the right time and for the right reasons.
This city or country is the best place I have ever been to for art: __________.
Ishibashi:
The Big Island of Hawai’i, where nature and the spirit of the islands permeates the music, the dance, the food, everything! It’s a deeply sensorial and spiritual experience.
Izquierdo:
There’s a reason why I love to live and perform in NYC! To me it is the most magical place to share art, culture, and humanity!
Yet I have also loved performing in Europe, especially in Austria and the Netherlands because of their appreciation and love for art.
Which social media app are you most drawn to?
Ishibashi:
I think Instagram feels the most friendly to me, perhaps because it’s mostly pictures and videos, but not as high octane as TikTok?
Izquierdo:
Instagram! I love to see art through photography!
What advice do you have for young people in your field?
Ishibashi:
Know your worth. Always ask for more. Set boundaries. Take care of your mental health and general wellbeing, above all else.
Surround yourself with positive humans who support and uplift you. Find someone trustworthy who will help you manage and sort out your finances; financial literacy is not taught in schools, so you need to do it for yourself! Find a survival job that you can tolerate (and hopefully enjoy) that gives you the freedom and resources to pursue your passions. Ask for help. Remind yourself what you love about the job, and when times get tough, try to keep that flame alive by engaging in work that inspires you — this can be as simple as watching videos on Youtube for free!
Find people who believe in you and make weird shit together. Also, keep your eyes on your own paper, for to compare is to despair!
Izquierdo:
To remember to always be kind to yourselves! Hard work and determination are great assets, but they never work that great if there is not SELF LOVE and KINDNESS towards yourself and towards your own journey as a young athlete and artist!
How can we amplify the voices of overlooked and deserving artists?
Ishibashi:
Support organizations like The Entertainment Community Fund, who are helping to sustain our arts workers with their basic human needs, so that they may then have the capacity to pursue their creative work.
Izquierdo:
By talking about them, sharing about their work, and supporting their craft! By being a member of their supportive community!
How do you spread enthusiasm about dance?
Ishibashi:
Share it and spread it with young people: they’re carving our future and if they’re taught to celebrate, uplift, and promote the dance community, it will become a priority as they become our leaders and changemakers.
Izquierdo:
Through who I am on a daily basis: a creative, fun, expressive performer who is always interested in helping others and inspiring others to become the best versions of themselves through dance, movement and performance! It’s through my movement and craft that I deliver a better message rather than only through words.
