Jonas Olivera was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Since a young age, he’s been a big part of the sports community where basketball became a huge part of his life, playing it for over 11 years and getting him the chance to travel around the country and get a strong education. In 2017, as he was finishing high school, choosing a career came up, and right before applying to any college, he chose to give ballet a shot, which then became his full life.
He started training in Guadalajara, Mx. with Hector Hernandez, where he got all the needed basics of ballet technique, then went to Mexico City with Olga Rodriguez, who taught him all the anatomy of ballet for a year. That’s where he fell in love with ballet. Throughout that training, he got to perform some pieces from various classical ballets such as: Le Bayadere, Paquita, The Little Hunchback Horse, and some other contemporary pieces.
It was 2021 when he joined the San Diego Ballet, where he started his professional life, got the opportunity to dance remarkable pieces such as: Mambomania, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Viva Vivaldi, The Jungle Book, Que Bonito Amor, Don Juan, Carnival of the Animals, and much more.
QUESTIONS
- What ignited your passion for dance?
I was always naturally drawn to dance since a young age, but it wasn’t till I graduated high school that I chose to give ballet a try before starting college and fell in love right away. The music, the romantic aspect of the art, and the connection I’ve been able to find with my body throughout the years is what today I’d call my true passion for dancing.
- What inspired you to pursue a professional career in dance?
At first, I couldn’t tell the real reason why I wanted to go all the way with ballet, but deep in my heart, I had the certainty that going to college and trying another career would’ve been a mistake, and I’m glad that I followed my heart. As I got familiar with the ballet world, it was big figures such as Svetlana Zakharova, David Hallberg, and Marianela Núñez who truly inspired me to stay in the dancing industry.
- What is your favorite thing about being a dancer?
The anatomy of dance is truly something that personally makes me love what I do, but getting to connect with other dancers and people is amazing.
- What is your biggest dream for your dance career?
As a younger dancer, my biggest dream was to get the chance to dance specific roles in ballet such as Siegfried in Swan Lake or Romeo in R&J.
- When you are not pirouetting and perfecting your pliés, what brings you joy?
Spending time with my family/friends, eating good food, or spending all day at the beach.
- What is the most transformative experience you’ve had as a dancer?
Growing up and realizing that actually feeling yourself on stage is more important than playing what’s considered a principal role and definitely teaching younger generations have given me more knowledge than anything else.
- What is your favorite ballet?
For a more classical repertoire, I would say Le Bayadère, Romeo and Juliet, and Swan Lake. And for a more contemporary ballet, Like Water for Chocolate and The Cellist.
- What is your favorite role you have performed at San Diego Ballet, and what is a role you would like to perform in the future?
This being my 6th season with the company, I’ve got the chance to dance so many things. One of my biggest opportunities was getting the chance to play Mercutio in R&J, which is a character that resonates a lot with my personality, so it has always been fun to visit the character. I also got the chance to do Cavalier once due to a last-minute inconvenience, and dancing to the Tchaikovsky Grand Pas de Deux music has been and will always be a good memory.
Both of these ballets would be something I’d definitely love to revisit with the knowledge I have today. Nutcracker as Cavalier and R&J as Romeo would be a dream.
The first thing I danced at San Diego Ballet was Javier’s Mambomania. I have always enjoyed myself a lot during that performance. It lets me bring my playful, Latino side, and sharing that with the audience is always a pleasure.
- What is your favorite local spot in San Diego?
One of the things that I love the most about San Diego is having the opportunity to live near the ocean. So I’ll always recommend grabbing a fresh deli sandwich and heading either to Black’s Beach or simply enjoying a coffee at Sunset Cliffs.