We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gene Tapia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Gene , 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 learned through failure we can only find growth and real change . I’ve taken every “No” or every audition , as a preparation to the step in my evolution. Resilience for me came from the hard times we don’t like to talk about or post . And I’m still daily finding resilience to make it to the next step . At times we feel if things aren’t working we should stop or even give up. But we can’t give up , there is a stronger me or you on the other side of that trial. I gain resilience from not understanding what’s to come but also know how strong I’ll be once I’m on the other side . Having faith and knowing your destiny.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I was born and raised in the rio grande valley , Texas . I later moved to San Antonio where I
attended the musician institute film academy and trained in acting and performing . I am now in Los Angeles where I am represented by one of the
industry’s most prestigious agency . Since then I have worked for top artists like Kesha , Doja cat, keke palmer, ty-$, just to name a few . During this time he graduated from the musician institute of Hollywood where he studied acting and performing. Gene has choreographed for national tours , commercials and most recently was lead choreographer he lead choreography on the Lifetime network. “Secrets of a celebrity nanny”. He taught movement to the actors and lead casting for the dance artists. I am now producing a docu-series that will be on all streaming on all services. It will feature artists in the Los Angeles area . Hidden gems I like to call it . I can’t say much but it’s going to be ground breaking! I find strength in teaching and sharing my knowledge with the next generation of dancers and students who have a passion for the dance industry. I have mentored countless students to success, helped gain hundreds of thousands in scholarships, as well as help young artists find representation. The future is bright I a star and I can wait for what’s 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 persistence, self love and relationships can make a big impact on your path and your career. Plenty jobs I got came from my relationships with artists or other dancers and being humble. Those 3 things can be very impactful for everyone . The advice I have is just to never stop knowing your value and what you can bring to the table . Just because sometimes it feels we’re so far from our goals it doesn’t mean you don’t possess everything needed to accomplish and achieve. Keep it working yourself individually and independently. Growth will find its way to your creativity.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
When I fist began I thought dancing what going to be all I wanted to do . I later started finding love and life in so many aspects of art . From acting, directing , comedy and voice over , I have passion is all of them . So I told initiative and attended acting school . So I do believe that being well rounded will help build jobs for yourselves, meet all types of creatives , and grow our minds . We must be well rounded.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Thatboi_genius
- Facebook: Gene tapia
Image Credits
Photography: Levi walker and Lee gumbs
