Under the expansive skies of New Mexico, Diné and Puerto Rican ballet luminary Jock Soto graced the premiere of the short film Following Enchantment’s Line, performing a solitary dance that captivated the audience before the screen faded. As the lights rose at Santa Fe’s Lensic Performing Arts Center, a summer monsoon unleashed a dramatic downpour, its thunderous echo within the theater mirroring the intensity of Soto’s subsequent live rehearsal. Accompanied by the resonant classical music of his friend Laura Ortman, Soto guided dancers from Ballet Taos, an evening that served as a powerful testament to his lifelong dedication to sharing the rhythm and grace he honed over 24 years as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.

Soto’s journey into the world of dance began not on a grand stage, but in the intimate circle of hoop dancing with his mother. "And I continued hoop dancing until I discovered ballet," Soto shared, his voice carrying the weight of decades of dedication. "And ballet was just my life. That’s all I wanted to do." The pursuit of this passion involved significant sacrifice; his parents, Josephine Towne and José Soto, sought out the sole ballet school in Phoenix, Arizona, a considerable distance from their home. It was there, through a full scholarship awarded as the only male student, that his extraordinary talent began to take flight.

The path from his Arizona roots to the hallowed halls of New York City Ballet was not merely a geographical one, but a profound cultural and personal odyssey for a Diné-Puerto Rican man. His childhood was a rich tapestry of musical influences, from his father’s love for salsa and the Beach Boys to the ancestral rhythms of the reservation. "And I always got a warm feeling when I heard salsa or drums from the reservation," Soto reflected. "My heart jumps when I hear thump, thump, thump. And I always felt like, oh, God, I want to do this. I want to do this." This deep-seated yearning propelled him forward, underscoring a universal truth: the pursuit of extraordinary dreams, particularly in fields like classical ballet, often necessitates leaving the familiar embrace of one’s hometown.

At the tender age of 13, Soto made the momentous decision to leave school and New York City, embarking on a path that would redefine artistic possibilities. Now 60 and retired from the demanding physicality of the stage, he is deeply committed to traversing the nation’s tribal communities, sharing his compelling narrative and inspiring the next generation. The premiere event concluded as the rain subsided, leaving a palpable sense of fulfillment. Soto and his husband, Luis Fuentes, prepared to return to their home in the tranquil New Mexico mountains, pausing to be photographed beneath the Lensic’s illuminated marquee, which proudly proclaimed: "INT MUSEUM OF DANCE & CD: AN EVENING WITH JOCK SOTO." "I’m liking the marquee saying my name," Soto remarked with a smile, met with an equally warm affirmation from Joel Aalberts, executive director at the Lensic, who assured him, "We can arrange that anytime."

The transition from a celebrated stage career to the realm of digital preservation and mentorship marks a new, significant chapter for Soto. His commitment to his heritage and to the art form is evident in his meticulous attention to detail, even in small matters. When his name was inadvertently misspelled in the Navajo Times art section, he personally corrected it, transforming the errant "A" into an "O" with a black Sharpie, yet preserving the marked newspaper as a symbol of local engagement and pride. The article itself highlighted the International Museum of Dance’s ambitious project to construct a comprehensive digital archive of his career, titled "Jock Soto: The Dancer and His Life." This initiative aims to safeguard his artistic legacy and make it accessible to a global audience.

Observing Soto’s deliberate movements as he navigated the theater lobby, a poignant parallel emerged with the enduring physical presence of basketball legends like Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Their grace was etched with the hard-won echoes of countless hours on the court, a testament to the profound physical toll that exceptional athletic and artistic careers exact. "It’s not an easy career at all," Soto candidly admitted to the audience later, speaking from his seated position on stage. "You know, it’s often painful. Like, I can’t even get out of this chair if I want to right now." This frank acknowledgment of the physical realities of his profession underscores the urgency behind his collaboration with the International Museum of Dance.

The museum’s endeavor to create digital archives serves a dual purpose: preserving invaluable dance histories and supporting vital educational programs. This initiative mirrors successful projects with organizations like the Dance Theater of Harlem, which culminated in a seminal history book chronicling the company’s transformative impact on Black ballet dancers. Beyond the digital realm, the museum harbors a grander vision: the establishment of a physical space, slated for opening in 2026, intended to become a vibrant hub for artist residencies, performances, and public programming. While a definitive location is still being determined, the archives currently reside in a secure digital space, managed by the nonprofit arts organization ChromaDiverse. This organization diligently scours digital landscapes, unearthing a wealth of forgotten photographs, videos, posters, press clippings, and other ephemera that collectively narrate the rich careers of dancers like Soto. The archive offers an immersive gateway into Soto’s life as a dancer and also hosts the Moving Memories Fund, which has established the Jock Soto Scholarship, with its inaugural recipient being Heloha Tate, a talented Chickasaw dancer.

Soto’s early artistic development was profoundly shaped by his acceptance at the age of 12 into the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York City, where he received a full scholarship. This move placed him in direct competition with a cohort of male dancers vying for the limited leading roles available in the ballet world. "I felt amazing, because (in Phoenix) I was in the class with all girls," Soto recalled. "And when I got to New York, I was in a class with all men – 40 men. That was my competition, or the way that I evolved." His exceptional talent quickly gained recognition, and at 16, he accepted an invitation to join the New York City Ballet under the mentorship of the legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Within four years, he ascended to the coveted position of principal dancer, a zenith of achievement for any ballet artist globally. The intensity of this period fostered a profound sense of camaraderie and self-reliance. "I became an adult very quickly," Soto stated. "I became very good friends with a couple of the guys. We lived in an apartment together. We had no money, but we would go buy hot dogs on the street or eat pizza and stuff like that. We lived three blocks from the school, so we spent all day till 7 every night, dancing. That’s all we did."

Soto’s artistry reached its zenith in his partnerships with ballerinas, where he masterfully embodied the masculine role, providing a strong yet graceful foundation that elevated his female counterparts. He became renowned as a "natural partner," a testament to the lessons learned from his mother about dancing as a form of graceful, beautiful movement. His mother, a central figure in his life, was his first dance partner in the Southwest powwow circuits, guiding him as he learned to follow before eventually leading. This early experience instilled in him a deep understanding of the significance of each dancer’s role, a principle he carried into his ballet career. Now, as an educator, he remains steadfast in upholding the traditional gender roles crucial for compelling performances, even as an openly gay man. "I try to teach the dancers that a man is a man onstage," Soto explained. "And if I see anything other than that, I correct it right away. And I’m like, ‘No, no, you’re behind a ballerina, you’re a man. Don’t act like the ballerina.’ So that’s what I try to teach. Masculine is masculine. It’s not that hard to teach, but it can be a lot."

Soto’s Diné heritage, inherited from his mother, connects him to the Tódích’íinii clan, meaning "water flowing together," a powerful metaphor that also lends its name to a 2007 documentary chronicling his life. Born in Gallup, New Mexico, approximately 90 minutes from his ancestral home in Chinle, Arizona, his early life was deeply influenced by his family. He credits his mother as his primary source of strength, while acknowledging his father as a "macho Puerto Rican." Despite the cultural differences, his parents were unconditionally supportive of his identity, even when he delayed revealing his sexuality until the age of 30. "My mom laughed so hard on the phone," Soto recounted. "She said, ‘We’ve known that ever since you were 18.’"

While the New York City Ballet boasts over 700 alumni, only a select few men have achieved the esteemed status of principal dancer held by Soto. His journey, marked by elite training and unparalleled performance artistry, created a sense of distance from his Indigenous roots. Today, however, there is a burgeoning recognition and reconnection within Indigenous communities to Soto’s groundbreaking career. This growing awareness should serve as a catalyst for state lawmakers and education reformers to collaborate with local ballet theater groups, advocating for expanded arts programming within Native communities and schools. ChromaDiverse aims to make Soto’s digital archive accessible in New Mexico public schools within the next year. This initiative aligns with the state’s significant investments in education reform, mandated by a court order to support Indigenous students, English language learners, and those with disabilities. The prospect of integrating Soto’s career archive into educational curricula excites lawmakers like Shannon Pinto, who attended Soto’s premiere and met him for the first time. "We need to make sure that the arts are something we bring forward with some funding, at least, because we know it’s been on the back burner," Pinto emphasized.

The long-term impact of this integration on classrooms in New Mexico and beyond remains to be seen, but Soto’s presence has already initiated a profound ripple effect. Jicarilla Apache President Adrian Notsinneh, encountering Soto and his work for the first time at the Lensic, presented him with a blanket as a gesture of gratitude for his support of Jicarilla Apache ballet dancers. Notsinneh eloquently described Soto’s influence by drawing a parallel to skipping stones across water: "As it jumps across, it causes ripples. Each time it hits the surface, it radiates. So what I’m seeing from this type of person that’s standing here with me is a type of person that causes that ripple effect," he stated, standing beside Soto. "Within his lifetime, he’s caused so much of this effect. And I want to thank you for being that type of person." This sentiment was echoed throughout the audience, whose enthusiastic response to the evening was a testament to Soto’s enduring impact.

Santa Fe calligraphy artist Blythe Mariano, a fellow Diné, shared her profound emotional connection to Soto’s success: "To know that somebody from where I’m from made it all the way to New York is like, oh my God, I’m getting overwhelmed." Mariano, hailing from Church Rock, New Mexico, was born in Gallup at the same hospital as Soto, forging an immediate, tangible link to his story. When asked if he had noticed the significant presence of young Indigenous people in attendance, Soto’s face lit up with unbridled enthusiasm. "I loved it, I loved it. It’s inspiring!" he exclaimed, radiating the passion that has defined his life. "Like I said onstage: You have to be inspired." His message resonated deeply, igniting a spark of possibility for a new generation of artists.