Originally from Houston, he makes Hollywood dreams come true and wants to bring some of them back to Space City

HOUSTON — A Houston native is using his experience working with megastars to inspire the next generation of dancers in Space City.

Dancer and actor Gilbert Saldivar moved from the Bayou Town to the City of Angels, making his Hollywood dreams come true for years.

Saldivar has previously been seen in the halls of Milby High School and the University of Houston. That was before he got his big break. He now hopes to inspire others in his hometown.

“I want to encourage Houston creatives, not just dancers, to pursue this dream because I did it about 22 years ago and it’s still happening,” he said. “And it’s exciting.”

Saldivar has worked alongside megastars like J-Lo, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Janet Jackson and many more.

“I didn’t really know the caliber of artist I was auditioning for,” he said. “And I think that made it easier for me.”

He says the lack of fear set him apart from others auditioning when he first started, but it all goes back to the things he learned right here in Houston, as he spent time preparing for the opportunities that he would have later. It all started when he was just five years old, hanging out in the back of his sister’s folklore classes, learning the moves for fun.

Saldivar says his community has played a big role in his success. He received the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Scholarship, which propelled him in the right direction. He then took his dancing skills to the Houston Rockets and Comets, then later to California, landing on stages like the 2024 Oscars.

“So I was one of the cowboys there dancing with Ryan Gosling,” he said.

He is also in “This Is Me”, a film based on Jennifer Lopez’s latest album. Needless to say, his dreams came true.

Now his eyes are on Houston.

“I want local artists to know that we can be creative here at home, and if for some reason your circumstances don’t allow you to move to Los Angeles or New York or Miami, we can create things here,” he said. said. “So I’m trying my best to bring that home, to bring this artist community that I’m getting into to Los Angeles, I want to feel that here at home.”

So he puts his star power to good use.

“Now I want to lay a stronger foundation by providing a space where I bring coaches, musicians, singers and actors from Los Angeles to collaborate with local talent.”