I’m Bella Burgos, a Florida native who was raised in the single greatest little place in the Caribbean, Dominican Republic. Growing up, I had three favorite things:

1. My hot pink Nintendo DS

2. Ridiculing my siblings in song

3. Watching my abuelo and mami sing shamelessly at local restaurants in Higuey

That was my childhood until I returned to Florida where I became subjected to palm trees. Art was what helped me make that transition. I didn’t know what Florence and the Machine were saying but I could feel it. That connection to storytelling always stayed with me. I decided to head to the Latin-American country of Miami to study Musical Theatre at Florida International University.

My experience includes performing on educational stages—some of my favorites have been playing hard-hitting and comedic roles such as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Charlotte in R+H’s Cinderella. And—occasionally—I play very tender roles like Ursula in The Little Mermaid. This fall, I will be moving to Chicago to begin continue my artistic journey.

Offstage, you can find me crocheting, playing guitar, and thoroughly crafting my Clash of Clans base. But primarily I spend time tending to my pet hamster Poot, pictured below.