Humming fills the McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion. Six dancers stomp in unison, their breath heavy, their movements sharp and intentional. In the middle of it all is Victoria Uribe, watching, adjusting, building something bigger than choreography.
She’s trying to answer a question she’s carried her whole life: Are we born who we are, or do we become that person over time?
Uribe, 22, a BFA dance senior from Pembroke Pines, choreographed a six-person piece for the Spring BFA Showcase, the largest cast in the show. The eight-minute work serves as her capstone project and the culmination of her time at UF after transferring from Santa Fe College.
Creating an eight-minute piece came with pressure. Uribe not only had to choreograph but also lead — balancing her dancers’ personal lives while asking a lot of them physically and emotionally, all while still applying the concept that she wants into her research and her dance.
As the youngest of three siblings, Uribe has always reflected deeply on identity. Her piece centers on the idea of nature vs. nurture.
“If we are who we are, are we born that way or do we become this person?” she asked.
Uribe was raised in a Hispanic household. Her mother, Maryory Rosado, is from Caracas, Venezuela, and her father, Armando Uribe, was born in Bogotá, Colombia, before moving to Caracas. Though Uribe grew up in the United States, her parents carried their culture, habits and values into their home.
She often wondered whether she would be a different person if she hadn’t been raised by Hispanic parents.
Uribe said growing up in the U.S. gave her a different perspective. She saw how American children were raised compared to those of immigrant parents.
At the same time, she understands how fortunate she is that her immediate family is in the United States, knowing that extended relatives in South America cannot easily come to visit.
“I appreciate everything that my parents did for me to come to this country, to give me a better life, better education, better career.”
She said one of the hardships she faces is trying to live in the moment without constantly worrying about what more she could do for her parents and how she could better support them, especially knowing the challenges they endured when immigrating to a new country without speaking the language, building a community from scratch and starting over without knowing anyone.
Dance became part of that identity, too. Uribe was naturally drawn to Hispanic styles like flamenco, as the Spanish music felt familiar and connected to her identity. Growing up, she trained in ballet, tap, flamenco, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater and modern.
At the time, balancing dance with middle school and high school felt overwhelming. Now, she recognizes how those years of training shaped her into the dancer she is today.
Her mother remembers it clearly.
Rosado said Uribe showed an interest in dance at four years old, begging to be enrolled in a dance studio. She describes their family as close-knit, something rooted in both Colombian and Venezuelan culture, where unity and communication are central values. Whenever there is conflict, they talk it through and reflect. Rosado said the environment helped shape Uribe’s leadership skills and strong sense of responsibility.
Immigrating to the United States came with its own culture shock. In Venezuela, children often live at home until marriage or after college. In many families in the United States, leaving home for college is common.
“For us, it was difficult to accept that kids have to leave home to go to college, but you have to let them. That’s part of life,” Rosado said.
Rosado and her husband also made it a priority to raise their children bilingual. At home, they spoke Spanish. At school, English.
When Rosado first arrived in the United States, she didn’t know anyone. Raising children without any extended family nearby felt isolating and difficult, but over time, she built a community.
“I never wanted them to see the hard part of immigration and the struggles of it,” Rosado said.
Rosado experienced both acceptance and rejection because of her background. Still, she says the good outweighed the bad.
Xan Burley, assistant professor in contemporary dance practice, serves as Uribe’s mentor for her capstone project. They first met when Uribe was a student at Santa Fe College, and Burley visited as a guest artist. When Uribe transferred to UF, Burley was excited to work with her again.
Burley describes Uribe as detail-oriented and specific. She is a storyteller — someone who shapes space intentionally and builds community within her ensemble.
“She’s a go-getter. She doesn't need a lot of guidance or advice as far as overcoming challenges; she just sometimes needs a sounding board, and I love being around for her,” Burley said.
Outside of rehearsal, Uribe returns home to Angelica Suarez, 20, an information systems and operations management junior, a childhood friend and now roommate.
Suarez said Uribe has always been deeply connected to her family and culture, and that work ethic has always defined her.
“I think that culture has really just shaped who she is as a dancer, as a person, as a teacher, everything,” Suarez said.
Kayleigh Lollar, 19, a BFA dance freshman and one of Uribe’s dancers, said the choreography process felt collaborative.
“Her just allowing me as a freshman to have such an input has really meant a lot to me,” Lollar said. “I feel like it's made me comfortable with the program and UF in general.”
Garrett Perry, 20, a BFA dance junior and longtime friend from Santa Fe College, is also part of the piece. He said the dancers share strong chemistry.
“One of the best aspects of her choreography in this piece is the way the ensemble is portrayed as a powerful group, but also every dancer is able to shine as their own character,” Perry said.
For Uribe, seeing her choreography come to life has been emotional, especially watching her dancers work hard and fully capture what she envisioned.
She calls it a privilege to attend UF and train in a rigorous dance program. More than anything, she is grateful to her parents for immigrating, for sacrificing and for supporting her dreams.
As graduation approaches, she has one goal: to dance around the world.
“I’ve always wanted to travel the world,” Uribe said. “If I'm able to do that while doing what I love— my passion in life — that would be my dream.”