“Always see your failures as learning and your achievements as a reward. You're a wonderful human being”

Susana V. Tovar Vidal

***Country of Origin:*** *Mexico*
**Occupation:** Artistic Director and Choreographer of ‘Mexbourne Dance’.
**State of residency:** Victoria **Favourite place in Australia:** The Opera House in Sydney. It is an architectural wonder, an icon of Australia and a venue for cultural diffusion. **Upon arrival:** Surprised by the way they take care of their ecosystem and supervising what enters this great Island or Country.

Edited by Zoe Gleeson. Socials by Juan Camilo.

For the last 12 years Susana has been the Artistic Director and Choreographer of ‘Mexbourne Dance’, a Mexican Folk Dancing group. Thanks to dance, she has been able to promote her culture and its folklore. She has been interviewed for a podcast, radio and for cultural spaces on YouTube. These platforms have allowed her to emphasise the importance of preserving Mexican culture, honouring the work of cultural researchers, and highlight the mixture of cultures reflected in the music and the hours of work of our artisans in each garment or jewellery made.

TELL US YOUR STORY

I was born in Zumpango, a municipality in the State of Mexico. My Mother was a Dance Teacher in a small town called San Bartolo Cuautlalpan. She instilled in me her passion for dance. As a child I took several ballroom dance classes and when I was 18 years old I had the opportunity to work with children whom I taught about Mexican folklore. With very little experience of these dances I decided to enrol in one of the Mexican folklore courses which were taught at the school where I was studying Engineering and from the very first moment, I was fascinated by it.

On March 6th, 2006 I arrived in Melbourne, Australia with my husband and my son (4 years-old at the time). In just 8 suitcases we managed to pack our lives of more than 30 years. We decided to migrate to this country in search of a better quality of life. We also wanted to provide more opportunities for our son. It was not an easy start. Despite our work experience in Mexico we were impacted emotionally and financially by the language barrier, in my case, and the lack of local experience, in both our cases. These challenges, coupled with not knowing anyone left us going through feelings of loss for our country, family and friends.

The anguish of not knowing what the next day would bring and the loneliness of not knowing who we could turn to impacted us greatly. They were very distressing times where our only consolation was our faith in that omnipotent and omnipresent being and our confidence in ourselves to never lose sight of the objective of why we had decided to migrate.

With that vision of our future and with the confidence that everything would be fine, we decided to continue. After a few months we found ourselves working and with a large number of friends who we now call family. In that group of friends was a couple in a newly formed dance group and they were looking for people to join and be able to spread our Mexican culture through regional dance. The group was called MEXBOURNE by the union of the words MEXico and melBOURNE. I remember when I came to the first rehearsal. It was very nostalgic and my skin tingled when I heard our traditional Mexican music in another country.

After spending three years as a dancer at Mexbourne, and with almost all my life experience in dance, they offered me to direct the dance group. Aware of the responsibility this implied and with great pride in my roots, I decided to face the challenge and take on the role. At each presentation, I showcase pride, passion and commitment for my country through sharing a bit of our cultural and artisan richness, represented through the regional costumes and jewellery.

Today, after 12 years as Director of this wonderful group, I can say that the goal has been met and I am sure it will continue to be met. As years go by the challenges are greater and the goals are greater too. The heart of Mexbourne, which is made up of all the dancers, and the support team, grows day by day. I feel very fortunate for the opportunity provided and I am sure the foundations my predecessors have left, combined with mine will continue the mission of making our culture known and celebrated for future generations

CHALLENGES

Language Barriers - During my career as a Computer Systems Engineer in Mexico City, I never saw the need to use the English language, so at the time of migrating it was one of my main challenges, which I was forced to face.

Reinvent myself - After long years of not working in my area, making the decision to resume my career was something that I questioned. On the one hand there was the ego of continuing to be a successful professional and on the other, continuing to enjoy my time and the activities that I loved and that filled me emotionally.

CONTRASTS

The perception of safety - When we arrived, we believed there was no safety, since there were no police in the schools, banks, etc. But then we realised they were not really needed.

Respect for personal space - Australians, whether by birth or naturalisation, acquire that culture of respect for personal space. Give way to those exiting an elevator or train (subway) before entering and do not crowd or try to "beat" someone else's place in lines. On the contrary, they respect and ask others if they are waiting their turn to be served.

Low social or racial discrimination - Although not in every setting, in Australia it does not matter so much if you are a university professional, technician or craftsman, nor if you are Indian, Chinese, Mexican or Australian. In general, everyone lives in harmony and socio-economic levels are not as noticeable as in other countries. To mention examples, in the same theatre, restaurant or public transport you may find engineers, technicians, artisans, Hindus, Italians and Greeks at different tables or even at the same table. That's normal, at least in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

SIMMILARITIES

Social norms - People are people at the end of the day, although there is a lot of order, respect and collaboration, the reality is also that there are very large fines for those who do not respect the rules, starting with traffic rules, through to crime and without forgetting little things like general maintenance. When there are no cameras and/or when people are desperate in traffic, you will also find aggression and abuse. It is not a perfect world and people react the same everywhere, but I think what makes the difference here against my country is that the systems are less corrupted.

Events and exhibitions - In Australia there are many recreational activities on offer and national tourism is promoted with events or activities that you can enjoy with your family and learn about the different cultures that exist. This is something that in Mexico we also care about sharing.

PIECE OF ADVICE

Do not lose the objective - Migrating can bring great adversities that may make us feel we are losing our way, but as long as we are very clear about the objective to be met, no adversity can deviate us from fulfilling it. Never give up.

Find a support network - Loneliness is not a good counsellor and makes you very vulnerable. Always look for support to help you overcome any dark moment. Being spiritual, social, psychological, or whatever you think you need. There are many groups which can provide you support. You're not alone.

Do not be hard on yourself - We are the cruellest in judging ourselves when things do not go as planned. It is easier to magnify our mistakes and diminish our achievements, when it should be the other way around. Always see your failures as learning and your achievements as a reward. You're a wonderful human being.

IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS…

The pandemic taught her that every present moment is important and that the people you love will always be there for you no matter the circumstances. She is one of those people who believe that an action is worth a thousand words, so she wants her actions to be her language that lasts for 5 years, 10 years or forever. She wants to continue creating memorable moments with her family and continue transmitting the passion she has for dance and the pride in her cultural roots so that they can be received by new generations and continue to spread over time.

You can find more about Susana V. Tovar Vidal impact here:

Instagram : @Susytovar18

@mexbourneau

Facebook : Susana Tovar Vidal

Mexbourne Dance Co

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With love and gratitude - Latin Stories Australia team

Susana V. Tovar Vidal