Patricia Delgado: From Principal Ballerina to Tony Award Winner

Growing up Cuban-American in Miami, Patricia Delgado found her love of performance early and spent seventeen years with Miami City Ballet, a decade of that as a principal dancer. But when she faced a series of injuries, she was forced to confront a question she wasn't ready to answer: what comes next? In this episode, Patricia opens up about the physical and emotional toll of stepping away from the only identity she had ever known, how she found her way into choreography alongside her husband Justin Peck, and what it meant to reconnect with her Cuban roots through the Broadway hit Buena Vista Social Club, leading her to be the first Latina to win a Tony Award for Best Choreography.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

02:54 Patricia's Dance Journey Begins

08:43 First Introduction to Theatre

17:38 Navigating Ballet's Challenges

30:06 Patricia's Final Ballet Bow

38:22 Buena Vista Social Club

41:53 Tony Award Triumph and Its Significance

44:50 The Power of Visibility in Choreography

48:20 Embracing Change and Future Possibilities

50:22 Reflecting on Patricia's Pivot Story

51:22 Podcast Credits

You can keep up with Patricia Delgado on Instagram @pattiedeldancer

Don’t forget to tune into the Tony’s this Sunday, June 7th at 8pm on CBS and Paramount+

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She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

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