In Conversation with Natalia Cuéllar: The Art of Persistence and Creation
Natalia Cuéllar is a multifaceted artist whose career spans directing, acting, choreography, and teaching. Grounded in a strong academic foundation, Natalia’s journey reflects both her artistic passion and her commitment to social causes. In this interview, she shares insights into her creative process, the influence of her upbringing, and how persistence has shaped her path in the performing arts. From her daily routine to reflections on life’s most challenging moments, Natalia offers a glimpse into the life of an artist dedicated to her craft and her community.
What's a typical day in your life look like?:
I always wake up early, since I have classes at 9:00 am every day.
From 3 pm I dedicate myself to theater and dance, to general production. At night I do a series of exercises and training.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?:
The creative process of a work, the creation of choreography or staging.
There is everything else too, such as production or the administrative part, but the best thing is creation and dancing.
How would you say your upbringing and cultural background contributed to your career aspirations?:
They contributed totally, I come from a left-wing intellectual family, deeply committed to social causes and very cultured, always very close to art.
What would you say is a common question or concern you get from your clients/followers?:
A very common question is about the works I make and the creative process, also about my body method.
What would you say has been your biggest obstacle in launching a successful career? How have you overcome it?:
My biggest obstacle is often the lack of resources to create and sustain a company or an artistic work or even a festival. I have only overcome it with a lot of persistence and tenacity.
What is the phrase, sentence, or conversation that stopped you in your tracks and changed your outlook in life?:
There is not one, there are many, I have met great teachers, starting with my father and my mother, then my grandmothers. But without a doubt the most shocking thing in life was accompanying my father to die and when my son had cancer, from which he fortunately came out alive.
If you had the choice to go back to your past or fast forward to your future, which one would you choose? Why?:
I think I would go to the future, the past has already happened, we can only honor those who are not there and have accompanied us, the future is built by what you learn from the past.
What are you committed to doing no matter what happens?:
To loyalty, I am loyal until I can't anymore.
Where might you be found on a Saturday afternoon with no plans?:
In my quiet house
If you were to meet 10 year old you, what would you say to them?:
Let them play a lot and not watch TV or phones or any screen, let them smell the flowers, let them look at the sky.
What is something you’re willing to start all over again?:
I would love to go back to theater school with my teachers.
When are you the happiest?:
When I'm enjoying with my son. And when I'm on stage dancing.
What is stopping you?:
The distrust.
Hustle culture and burnout is so prominent in our community. How do you prioritize self care?:
I try to be alone with myself, to go to the beach, to the mountains, to really be in contemplation.
Same goes for imposter syndrome. How do you combat those feelings (if any)?:
With a lot, a lot of awareness of who I am and where I come from, it's about self-esteem.
How do you stay connected to your culture, heritage, and community?:
In every possible way.
What would 18-year-old you say about where you are at in life now?:
I would feel proud of what I have achieved, maybe I would say to myself, Natalia, concentrate more.
What accomplishment are you most proud of, both in your personal and professional life?:
My son and my creative works.
Drink 🫖
What is Natalia’s go-to drink?
I like coffee with dark chocolate.
Listening To 🎧
What is Natalia listening to at the moment?
Basically I read a lot of articles and I read a lot of history.
Your Truth 🗣️
What is a Natalia’s truth?
I deeply believe in connections with people and with the universe, not in coincidences, I believe that everything has an order, a harmony. That's why I dance, that's why I investigate deep memory through my method, that's why I connect people, artists through the festival I do in Chile.
Your Plug 🔌
What is Natalia plugging today?
I am doing the project of connecting artists and women through a festival, Fibutoh in Chile. This is to create more networks and get to know each other in artistic support.
More about Natalia Cuéllar
Natalia Cuéllar, a performing artist with a solid academic background and a distinguished artistic career, has accumulated significant experience in directing, acting, choreography, and teaching.
Her journey in Butoh began in 1995 under the guidance of renowned masters such as Makiko Tominaga, Itto Morita, Katsura Kan, and Minako Seki, with whom she collaborated intensively in Germany from 1999 to 2002. Additionally, she has explored other disciplines such as Balinese dances in Indonesia and physical theater in Hungary and Germany, contributing to her artistic versatility.
In 2008, she founded the Compañía Ruta de la Memoria, establishing herself as a prominent figure in the performing arts. Her editorial focus centers on Human Rights, memory, and gender, using theater, dance, Butoh, and audiovisual media as narrative tools to generate reflection and critical dialogue.
Natalia Cuéllar’s international projection is evident in the presentation of her works in cities such as Buenos Aires, La Plata, Montevideo, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Lima, New York, Seattle, and Stockholm. She also serves as the Director of the International Butoh Festival in Chile, FIBUTOH, an event that brings together national and international exponents of the discipline.
With a profound academic foundation and a diversity of artistic influences, Natalia Cuéllar contributes not only to artistic creation but also to the development and dissemination of this performing arts language in Chile and Latin America.
Her latest projects include the dissemination of her most recent work, premiered in October 2023, "KI, the Breath of Time."