Social Media Stars Jackie Hernandez and Jorge Narvaez Take on Dance in 'Dance Showdown' [Exclusive]
Latino social media stars Jackie Hernandez and Jorge Narvaez are used to being in front of a camera but when those cameras are for a dance competition that's another whole level of pressure.
The two contestants participate on the DanceOn Network's dance competition "Dance Showdown," which partners choreographers with social media stars. They revealed to Latin Post what it's like balancing their social media presences and the competition and being Latino.
Beauty lovers may know Hernandez from her YouTube channel where her half a million subscribers get makeup tips and tutorials. Jorge Narvaez, whose duet with his daughter in 2010 went viral and led to an appearance on "America's Got Talent," enjoys making videos of song covers that include his family.
While joining the competition for Hernandez was about trying something new and gaining a few dance moves along the way, for Narvaez it was about trying something that no one else in his family has ever had the chance to take on and about pushing the envelope.
"The biggest challenge for me is not being able to give it my best and disappointing myself. I'm my own worst critic," said Narvaez, who has over six hundred thousand subscribers on YouTube.
However, for both of these YouTubers, the best and easiest part about the experience has been getting to make new friends, like their dance partners Anze and Anisha -- Navaez explained hers is very hard to keep up with because "she has a lot of energy."
"My experience on this show has been amazing ... I'm still not the best dancer but for sure this experience has been great," explained Hernandez, who also noted that it wasn't always easy keeping up and learning dance routines in 20 minutes.
Even though both Hernandez and Narvaez are on the show, that doesn't mean they get a break from their social media jobs. In fact, making sure to post new material on their respective YouTube channels is even more crucial since their fans are getting to see another side of them.
Both Narvaez and Hernandez take time in-between shooting and after filming to edit and post new material. While it is something they love, it isn't always easy balancing that and participating on a reality dance show. "I feel like I need more hours on my days," Hernandez revealed.
However, regardless of the lack of time to share new videos, Hernandez is not afraid of disappointing her fans.
"It's been such a fun show to shoot that I'm not worried about what my fans will see, I think they will like it as much I did," she said.
Much of Narvaez and Hernandez's public image has to do with being from Latino backgrounds. Hernandez post her videos on YouTube in Spanish. Narvaez, who explained that it makes him proud to represent the Latino community on the show, shares a lot of his family's cultural background in their videos, as well as shares videos of Spanish song covers.
"Being a Latino is amazing! And as Latina I believe we have so many opportunities in this world we just have to go look for them. Influence helps a lot to reach your goals and dreams," said Hernandez.
So what's next for the two? Hernandez hopes that she can put her on-camera skills to work with possible gigs on television as a host or with television roles. For Narvaez, dance has definitely had its impact.
"I would love to have someone teach me more about choreography! It's amazing!" he noted. "Much respect to all you professional dancers out there."
Make sure to catch both Hernandez and Narvaez on Season 4 of "Dance Showdown" online.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com