Amber Rosa

Amber Rosa - Florida
Interview by Zoe D'Angelo
Nomination by Ivelisse Roberts
Photography by Captivating Media LLC
Issue 29 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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The Nomination: Amber Rosa is inspiring because after suffering a very serious injury she has not let that stop her from pursuing her dream of being a dancer. Three weeks after coming home from auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance in Los Angeles, she was involved in a very serious car accident which fractured a very important bone in her ankle. She did not walk for three months. After eight months since the accident, she is dancing and teaching again. While still in recovery she is being an inspiration to her fellow dancers to never give up!
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Photography by Captivating Media LLC

​What was auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance like?
Three weeks prior to my injury I was chosen for the opportunity of a lifetime and go to Los Angeles, CA to audition for So You Think You Can Dance. It was the most thrilling eye-opening experiences. I was five years old when the show first aired, and I would watch it with my mom all the time. Crazy thing is I didn’t even want to take dance lessons at that time I just truly remember enjoying the show! I did not start dancing until I was around 14 years old which is considered late in the dancing world to start. After I dived head on into the dancing world all I ever wanted was to try out for the show. I could not wait to turn 18! In February of 2019 my mom saw the open submission call to put in applications to audition. After I submitted my application, I was called within two days to come to audition in New York and then I had to wait for all the auditions in other cities to finish before they made a final cut. I got the call early to mid-March stating I was chosen to perform my solo in front of the judges, and I would be leaving for Los Angeles for a week. From the plane ride, to the shuttle, to the hotel I was nervous, excited and scared. It was my first time ever being so far away from home in a strange city. It was a week full of interviews with Cat Deeley and pictures and practices and it gave me a real taste of what a dancer’s life was all about…and I loved every minute of it. I made some incredible lifelong friend along the way. Getting to be in front of the judges and on that stage makes you realize everything you worked so hard for is for this moment right now. Unfortunately, I did not get chosen to move further along in the competition, however the critique given to me was not about my dancing but more of how powerful I am and felt like it was the wrong music choice. This type of critique makes you realized how important it is to make sure you pick the correct choreography, correct music and even the correct outfit so you can tell your story in its entirety. Once the show aired, my solo was not chosen to be shown on television however they did pick snippets of my solo for their promo and other fillers during the show and I felt proud that somehow someway I still made it.

Photography by Ivelisse Roberts

​Please tell us about your serious injury.
Three weeks later, on April 19, 1019, I was a passenger in the front seat of a very serious car accident my friend lost control of her car and hit a tree head on. The fact that I had my seatbelt on, and I was sleeping was the reason I was not more significantly hurt. As I tried to get out of the car, I realized I could not step down and a good Samaritan came over to me to tell me not to move because my ankle was dislocated. I was then transported in an ambulance to the hospital to asses my injuries. After a full body scan it showed I had a fracture to my talus bone. Talus neck fractures can be devastating injuries that can occur from forcing the foot up into the leg. It can occur in motor vehicle accidents when somebody pushes their foot down on a break or pushes their foot down on the floorboard at impact. This bone acts to connect the foot to the ankle and is the pivot point for motion and I was going to require surgery for it to be repaired. This was the most devastating news a dancer could receive since it is one of the most important bones in the ankle. After the surgery, the orthopedic surgeon stated he had to put three screws and K wire to keep my bone in place and I would not be able to walk at all for approximately 8-12 weeks. I knew from that point on this was going to be one of the hardest journeys of my life so far. I did not know what my future was going to look like from that point on I just knew I had to do everything possible to dance again.

Photography by Ivelisse Roberts

What was the recovery process like?
The recovery process is long and hard. I had no idea a little bone in your ankle could be so debilitating. After my surgery, I was not able to put any weight on my ankle for twelve weeks. During this time of not walking I started my physical therapy. I was very lucky to find a therapist whose office just happened to be right above the dance studio I go to and worked with the dancers who work for cruise line companies. I did not know what to expect with my first session so naturally I was nervous. I could not flex or extend my foot at all. In two weeks, I lost almost all my calf muscle and had no strength in my leg or foot. The therapist literally had to manually move my ankle up and down to start getting everything loose again to be able to start walking when the time came. It was painful. I cried a lot, I screamed, I begged to stop. I screamed one time so badly someone called the police because they thought a woman was being harmed...I felt terrible about that incident however the police were very understanding and one of the officers was very sympathetic with me because she too had a bad ankle fracture and she knew what I was dealing with. I started getting anxious two hours before my appointments because I knew the pain I was going to be going thru. I never gave up though, no matter how much I screamed and cried he never stopped helping me get to where I needed to be. At my eight-week appointment with my surgeon, I was so nervous. I wasn’t sure if I was doing enough with my therapy or if I was progressing as I should be. I started moving my foot and ankle for him and he could not contain his happiness. He told me he has never seen someone move their ankle so well after eight weeks and was extremely happy with my progress which in turn made me ecstatic and gave me an extra boost to keep going. After the twelve weeks were up, I started walking again and felt like a baby trying to learn how to walk again. It’s been a very trying 9 months of healing and therapy. I am not fully recovered yet, however I am getting stronger and stronger by the day. I did compete a solo for the first time since my injury in October and even though I could not do all the things I usually do; I was able to walk away with some recognition and scholarship awards. My goal is to be strong enough to try and audition again for So You Think You Can Dance this season

Photography by Ivelisse Roberts

​Before finding dance, what were some of your interests?
Before dancing, I loved anything which dealt with the arts. I wanted to be a singer and play the piano like Alicia Keys lol. I was part of my chorus in elementary school and then part of the GLEE club in my middle school. I took private piano lessons and would practice with my own piano at home. I loved to draw and any chance I had I would be painting. My aunt would always buy me paint and canvas so I could paint her something she could hang in her house. I have an artistic mind which helps me be creative as far as choreographing dances, to decorating my room, to putting together outfits, and overall planning of events or ideas.

Why do you want to be a fashion designer?
The reason I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer is because ever since I was little, I was always this little fashionista. I remember keeping a journal and just drawing a bunch of different outfits that would come into my head, from bathing suits to Halloween costumes to anything you can ever imagine. The best thing is that I had an awesome mom giving me all the freedom in the world to wear whatever I want, wherever we go. I made sure that I would always dress myself from head to toe, from headbands, jewelry, shoes, socks, basically everything. I’ve always like to be the best dressed for any event. Like I always say it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Currently I am slowly pursuing that fashion designing dream by working at a boutique. Helping people pick out outfits and choosing their clothes for certain events is something I love to do. Seeing the smile on people’s faces when they adore an outfit, I put together for them just makes my whole day. Even though dance is my number one passion, I’ve always had such a variety of love for many things and fashion designing is one of them.
What is the hardest thing you’ve ever accomplished, and how did you do it?
One of the hardest things I ever had to accomplish besides recovering from my injury is proving myself as a dancer. I started dancing when I was almost 14 years old which is considered a late age for dance. When I started going to a dance studio I felt so out of place because all these girls and boys were doing so many moves and tricks that I knew nothing about. I felt intimidated and it made me push myself more. I just kept thinking I want to do that; I want to look like that. The biggest obstacle though was finding the right person who wanted to invest their time in me to teach me all the things I needed to know. I felt like I was not getting the help I needed because I wasn’t good at all until, I found someone who did see my potential. I worked very hard that summer learning everything I could from my dance teacher at the studio. Once I started the dance program in school after that summer my teacher was shocked at the progress I was making. I still felt though like I was being pushed aside a little. In high school I joined the dance team and had the opportunity to do a solo. I did not place very well that first year. I wanted to prove to my school dance teacher that I could be just as good as those girls she would always comment on how good they were. My second year doing a solo would be my last year in the Junior Varsity category and I wanted to win first place to prove to her and the school that I was good enough. The biggest competition of our year and I had a third-degree sprain on my ankle. I didn’t know how I was going to dance. It was going to be the longest two minutes of my life. I did my solo and after I was done, I crawled off stage to the arms of the athletic trainers on the side. I felt defeated. I felt like I gave up on myself. During the awards ceremony, they started calling from tenth to first place. I waited nervously and out of approximately 80 solos in the junior category I got first place. I had finally proven myself, or so I thought. The next year was my senior year and already I was hearing how this is the toughest competition and I might not even get top ten. I worked the hardest ever that year on my music, on the choreography, and made sure my costume was perfect. My senior year ended up being the best year I ever had on the dance team. I came in first place out of 117 varsity solos! I had finally proven myself to my teacher and to the school. Finally, after so many years, I proved to be worthy and I never gave up to the negativity. It fueled me to try harder and to never give up.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
My advice would be to never give up. Don’t listen to the negativity. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are not good enough. Like they say turn the negative into a positive. A lot of the things we do in the arts is subjective, it’s other people’s opinion. Some will love it while other will hate it, just if you trust the process and you love what you are putting out there and believe in yourself that is all that truly matters.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans for the future?
In five years, I see myself on tour dancing for a choreographer/company or entertainer. I plan on finishing my degree in arts. I also want to teach my craft to less than fortunate children for free. Dance can be an expensive sport and there are not many programs out there where kids can take a few classes for free and learn. I want to be able to let others the experience the joy dancing gives.

What is your favorite activity or pastime that wasn’t in your nomination?
My favorite pastime is making silly videos, playing video/board games, and watching Netflix or Disney+ with my two younger sisters. I try to be a good role model for them and spend as much time as I can with them. I like being goofy with them and laughing as much as possible.

How do you keep yourself organized with everything you have on your plate?
I keep myself organized the old school method which is writing everything down on dry erase wall calendar. We have two in the house; one my mom makes and one that I make. I need a constant reminder of things that are coming up and what needs to be done. There is so much going on with work, school and dance you need to have it in your face, so you don’t get overwhelmed.

3 Things on your bucket list
1. Meet Justin Bieber lol 2. Dance with Jennifer Lopez 3. Travel, no specific place.

Who do you find inspiring?
The person that inspires me the most would be my dance teacher Natalia Canovas. This woman has been with me from the beginning. I remember the first time me ever taking her contemporary/technique class I was honestly such a hot mess and knew nothing about dance. However, she saw something in me that I couldn’t even see in myself. She would still help me even though I was the only one in the room who knew nothing. After taking her class I instantly fell in love, so I kept going every week just for her. Then all of a sudden I go one day and I see it’s a different teacher and they end up telling me they fired Natalia and I tried it out with the new dance teacher and I was not learning anything and I felt like I was doing so much better with Natalia. I stopped going to those classes with the new teacher and I found out Natalia was opening her own dance studio and decided to go to her grand opening. I signed up for classes right on the spot and I joined her studio. In the beginning I wasn’t the best dancer and yes Natalia did pay attention to me but not as much as the other hard-working flexible girls and I knew I wanted to be like that. I knew I wanted Natalia’s attention the most lol. I worked hard every day, I was in Natalia’s face every day, I would always show her my new tricks even if she didn’t acknowledge it I would still annoy her and believe it or not that worked because when she saw me working hard she instantly focused her attention to my growth. She saw how much I wanted it and she pushed me to become the dancer I am today. From making it on to So You Think You Can Dance, to getting first place overall in almost every single competition. I must give my thanks and all my gratitude to Natalia Canovas she’s not only my dance teacher but also like a big sister to me and I will always have a place in my heart for her.

What about you inspires others/why do you think you are inspiring?
For sure my drive and determination are what inspires others. There are many times I could have given up and didn’t. Teaching at the dance studio and the little girls and boys see my scars and start asking questions about what happened to me and them seeing that I am still dancing and taking classes as well shows them to not give up because things get hard. I know I am doing something right when moms and dads come to me and tell me how their child is always talking about me and how they want to be like me. Dance overall is not easy, and I want to show these girls and boys what hard work and determination can get you. So many scholarship opportunities, recognition, appreciation, and overall be an inspiration for your generation.

Amber will be featured in Issue 29 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

Click here for more information on issue 29

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

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