Wojciech Ogloza is originally from Ridgefest, California. He started dancing at age 15. This is his first season dancing with KCB II, part of Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company.
Q: TELL US WHY YOU BECAME A DANCEr.
A: I started out dancing because a studio needed assistance with some performances. After I experienced life on stage, I found a love for inspiring and invoking a change of emotion from an audience. I wanted to fly and have others feel something they haven’t ever felt while watching a ballet. It’s a hard goal to see progress in, but when you do, it’s the most rewarding part of the job.
Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT DANCING?
A: To be honest, what I love to do more than anything is to just get away from people. It sounds terrible but just being on a walk alone in the wilderness is amazing, or being with friends and family. We have to be around so many people on a day-to-day basis in our work environment, so getting away from it every now and again can be very pleasant. Just enjoying some good old-fashioned TLC.
Q: WHAT IS SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
A: I guess something that people figure out over time from me is that I come from a pretty large family. I have five blood brothers, and a bunch more we kinda took in over time. (Family friends have been with us so long they are now brothers.) In total it’s six boys from mom and dad, and a couple more adopted. Out of all of us, only two of us ever sought out to do ballet. So far it’s been quite a ride.
Q: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL DANCER WITH A BALLET COMPANY?
A: Being a professional dancer isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it is a lot of hard work and a lot of time, sweat and blood put into an art form. While it might seem very glamorous from an onlooking perspective, it is one of the most challenging adventures one person can embark on. In a professional environment, you’ll meet amazing people and have wonderful opportunities. The hard part about it is getting past all of the bumps in the road that come with being a dancer. We work long days all week, and you are always striving to be better in a professional environment.
Q: WHAT WAS THE BEST LIFE ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED?
A: The best tips I ever got about my career would be from two teachers at PNB. Both had some pretty influential things to say. One said you need to train and work on yourself so much that you know you can sell it for what you’re worth. The other teacher told me that no matter what happens, try and carry as much positive energy with you as you can. You’ll need it for later in your career. The reason this was so influential was that it made me realize how I needed to do things instead of letting things happen on a whim.
Top Photo by Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios
