Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Antonio Martinez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Antonio, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I most definitely get my resilience from my mom, (Yolanda Garcia Martinez) and dad, (Jose Martinez) who always led by example for me and my siblings, (Diana and Roman). My parents have very different immigrant stories of their journey from Mexico to the USA, but both equally inspiring and influential to me. They met in Chicago Il, where I was born, but then brought my siblings and I back to Wagoner, Oklahoma were my mom and her family settled during my mom’s child hood and so she pressed for us to return to country living.
It was in Wagoner, OK where I grew up in a traditional and hard working Mexican family while experiencing American culture through the public school systems and in the country side. A life of dirt roads, feeding livestock, and helping take care of my mom’s mom, Regina Garcia, definitely aided in building my resilience. From pre-school to University, I got my education from Oklahoma. At the time, our family was one of the only latino families in Wagoner, which didn’t help this young gay artist to find a sense of community, but I leaned on family for inspiration and love. My Grandmother was a very strong woman… a mother of 12, and definitely helped teach me and my siblings the lessons of hard work and responsibility.
As a minority trying to find my sense of self and joy, I stayed positive and active with family, as I didn’t find many friends before college, which I attended 3 in my search for higher education in the arts… North Eastern State University, University of Central Oklahoma, and finally graduating magna cum laude with a bachelors degree from Oklahoma City University. Through out these influential periods of my life and if I ever found myself stressed, discouraged, sad, or alienated, my parents were always there for me. They continually reminded me how very lucky I was to be American, bilingual, smart, and from a good family. My dad would say, “You have every tool in your life to be successful”. And I can still hear my mom’s voice telling me, “You are very smart and talented, you will succeed”.
My dad continues to inspire me and will forever be “The Renaissance Man” as he continues to sing, play guitar, builds with his own hands and self-designs everything on property. He is the families: mechanic, carpenter, electrician, plumber, welder, and cook. My mother has sense passed after an 8 year battle with cancer. It was a brutal and painful fight and she was immensely strong throughout all of it. Prior to cancer, my mom had always worked simultaneously as an amazing care giver to her mom and our immediate family, and worked full-time to help bring us financial stability. I definitely get my resilience from my parents and I see that same resilience in my siblings and their children.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am predominately a dancer and aerialist and share my time between Los Angeles and Las Vegas but work across the globe when possible. I also often get to choreograph dance and aerial arts for tv, film, and live shows and want to continue accepting those creative opportunities. I’m also an accomplished published model and have started acting more and love it very much.
I am currently a dancer and aerialist for REFLECTION with Carrie Underwood, Live in Las Vegas. We started in 2021 and are still performing now…off and on throughout the year. I love dance and aerial partnering and was selected to partner Carrie Underwood in her residency and also get to play her “Cowboy Casanova” in the show, which is serendipitous since I am from Wagoner, OK and she is from Checotah, OK… small world indeed!
When not working with Carrie in Vegas, I am thankful in consistently booking on-camera-work. My recent on screen credits include Minx, Quantum Leap, Monarch, Disney’s Encanto, Penny Dreadful: City of Angeles, The Masked Singer, Billboard Music Awards, New Girl, The Ellen Show, Gilmore Girls, Speechless, and Dancing With The Stars. Some other recent stage credits include La La Land Live at the Hollywood Bowl & the International Tour of West Side Story. Other recent credits showcasing me as a Dancer/Aerialist, includes America’s Got Talent, Dance To The Movies Tour, and the aerial & circus arts choreographer for The Bellagio’s NYE with Bruno Mars. I’m very thankful to be a versatile performer and artist.
The most exciting part of my artistic life is getting to share it with such amazing people I have gotten to meet along the way. I am now a part of a larger artistic family that I can add to my birth family, which are beyond happy for me and my success. I love sharing my joy and stories with my family and new fans across the globe. Thanks for joining me in this wild ride and stay tuned for more adventure to come.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, I think those 3 qualities that were the most impactful are: KINDNESS to yourself and others, PATIENCE with yourself and the process, and keeping the JOY and play throughout the entire journey.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to accept my differences and to support and celebrate my dreams with me from afar.
– They didn’t know what it was to be gay but they accepted me 100% and showed me unconditional love.
– They didn’t know how to help me become a professional dancer, aerialist, model, or actor, BUT they never stopped supporting me in my dreams and celebrating every accomplishment along the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/antoniomartinezla?igshid=12rbol1yt4ijd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntonioMartinezEntertainer/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AntonioShowLA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AntonioMartinezShow/featured
- Other: https://linktr.ee/AntonioMartinezLA
https://app.castingnetworks.com/talent/public-profile/24bf1020-bc15-11eb-8456-bfe3a125ac72
TikTok: @TheAntonioMartinezLA https://www.tiktok.com/@theantoniomartinezla?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Antonio’s MSA Talent & Choreography Page https://msaagency.com/portfolio/antonio-martinez/
Image Credits
Levi Walker Jeff Johnson Steve Gale
