Steven Vargas
Steven Vargas is a journalist, dancer, and actor whose work focuses on the intersections of media, social justice, and performance. He is a former LA Times arts reporter and expanded the paper's dance coverage. He was a researcher for Critical Minded's report, Topdogs and Underdogs, which unpacked the experiences of today's critics of color, and hosted the companion podcast in 2025. He graduated from USC with an MA in Specialized Journalism (The Arts) in 2022 and with a BA in Theatre and Journalism with a minor in Dance in 2020. He participated in the National Critics Institute with the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in 2024 and the second cohort of The Kennedy Center’s BIPOC Critics Lab led by Jose Solis in 2020. As an actor, he performed off-Broadway in The 24-Hour Plays: Nationals, participated in the 2018 Artist As Citizen Conference with Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) at the Juilliard School, and studied at Shakespeare's Globe in London with a Fulbright Summer Institute Scholarship. He participated in dance intensives with A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham, BEMOVING, Movement Migration, and Imprints Dance Company (later performing as a guest artist). Aside from The Times, he has written for publications like Alta Journal, Carla, Flaunt Magazine, E! News, USA Today, Dance Magazine, and ARTnews.
Dance & Choreography
Journalism
Work Samples
- In major blow to arts scene, one of L.A.’s most vital dance troupes to shutter after 20 years
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The legendary Martha Graham Dance Company turns 100 in 2026. The celebration starts now
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Vogue as resistance: L.A. ballroom scene protests O’Shae Sibley's death with dance at a gas station
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Could Tchaikovsky’s music spur a ‘full body orgasm’? A brief history of surprising orchestra reactions
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Choreographers’ work in film and TV often goes uncredited. A new guild aims to change that
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Photographer Delaney George turns the lens on femininity: ‘Black women are fine art’
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What does it take to end a life sentence? For these formerly incarcerated actors, it’s theater
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How a recurring dream informed choreographer Jamar Roberts’ new work with L.A. Dance Project
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A ‘freeze within Frieze’: Art fair protest calls attention to police violence at traffic stops
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This LGBTQ-affirming acting class is fostering ‘the new Hollywood’
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Beyoncé and ‘Legendary’: Ballroom culture went mainstream. Now it looks to preserve its roots
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These artists are preserving the history of a dance style gay men created in ’70s-era L.A.
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How AI-generated art is changing the concept of art itself
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How Rachel Sennott turned the summer’s most ‘annoying’ character into a breakout role
- Dancing in Galleries: Reimagining Movement for Visual Art Spaces
(Carla)
- After the Fire Comes a Musical Evolution (Alta Journal)
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On the table | RF Alvarez (Family Style)
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Didier William | That Bodily Space Definition, That Communing of Worlds (Flaunt)
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For His Current Midcareer Survey, Vincent Valdez Reflects on 25 Years of Putting America on Trial (ARTnews)
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More than 60 Years Later, Alvin Ailey’s ‘Revelations’ Gets a Resurrection at the Whitney Museum (Artnews)
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This Artist Is Building a Swap Meet at Frieze (Alta Journal)
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Konkrete’s Full-Circle Moment in an Amazon Warehouse (Alta Journal)
- How Recent Innovations in AI-Assisted Motion-Capture Technology Might Impact Dance Artists (Dance Magazine)
- 4 Choreographers on Collaborating with Music Artists (Dance Magazine)
- 4 Pros Get Candid About Their Finances (Dance Magazine)
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Jacob's Pillow: How competition and performance harmonize in dance battles (Redbull)
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What Copyright Protections Do Choreographers Have Over Their Work? (Dance Magazine)
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Laverne Cox Shares What Her Very Barbie Birthday Means to Her (E! News)
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How TikToker Elyse Myers Uses Her Platform to Raise Awareness for Mental Health (E! News)
- The Academy Is Exploring “Consequences” for Will Smith Incident at Oscars (E! News)
- ‘Dragon Mama,’ Capturing motherhood on stage by taking off the mask
(3Views on Theater)
- IMPRESSIONS: David Roussève/REALITY in "Becoming Daddy AF" in Los Angeles, CA
(Dance Enthusiast)
- Kenneth Webb at Huma Gallery (Carla)
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In search of genre in Will Rawls’ ‘[siccer]’ (LA Dance Chronicle)
- Ogemdi Ude passes the baton to the next generation in “MAJOR”
(LA Dance Chronicle)
- Capitalism is a pacer test in ‘Free All Night Long’
(LA Dance Chronicle)
- The complications of staying the course in TAQ Dance’s ‘Cue’
(LA Dance Chronicle)
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“The Greatest Show on Earth V.3” is the performance of a lifetime (LA Dance Chronicle)
- Shallow waters in the ‘Currents of the Mind’
(LA Dance Chronicle)
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‘Memoryhouse’ reflects on the Holocaust at a time when it matters most (LA Dance Chronicle)
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‘WAKE’ processes grief with punching, swinging and a baptism (LA Dance Chronicle)
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Heidi Duckler Dance’s distasteful depictions of the L.A. community in ‘Herald In, Examine Throughout’ (LA Dance Chronicle)
- Review: Foursome (Stage Raw)
- Review:
Lifeline (Stage Raw)
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Review:
The Little King of Norwalk (Stage Raw)
- Loser (Stage Raw)
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Review:
The Exorcism of Sophia Grace (Stage Raw)
- 'Trust in my self-expression': Dancers use TikTok to break barriers, make art form more accessible
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Choreographer JaQuel Knight, Logitech partner to help BIPOC dance creators copyright their moves
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'It's not a burden': How TikTok dance creators push for recognition, career opportunities with each post
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There was a $500K reward in alleged road rage shooting of Aiden Leos in California. Will it be paid?
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The federal Hot Cars Act aims to prevent deaths in sweltering vehicles. Can technology help save lives?
- 3rd Place Diversity in the Entertainment Industry, L.A. Press Club’s 16th National A&E Journalism Awards (2023)
Read the LA Times article - 3rd Place Theater/Performing Arts Criticism, L.A. Press Club's 63rd Southern California Journalism Awards (2021)
Read the Annenberg Media article -
Life in the Time of the Coronavirus Contest, 1st Place Student Category, L.A. Press Club (2020)
Award Announcement -
2020 Student Videographer of the Year, Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles (2020)
Award Announcement -
3rd Place Pandemic Reporting, L.A. Press Club’s 63rd Southern California Journalism Awards (2021)
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1st Place Best Feature Writing, L.A. Press Club’s 62nd Southern California Journalism Awards (2020)
Read the Annenberg Media review
Acting
Self-Tape Reel
Dance & Choreography
5, 6, 7, 8...
Dance Improvisation
Choreographed Phrasework
“Landscapes” by Steven Vargas
“Used to Love” by Chloe x Halle (Music Video Concept)
Later inspired their performance on the TODAY Show
Later inspired their performance on the TODAY Show
About
Steven Vargas (he/him) is a multimedia journalist, dancer, and actor. His work focuses on the intersections of media, social justice, and performance. He is a former arts reporter at the Los Angeles Times. His work can also be found in publications like E! News, USA Today, TheWrap, Dance Magazine, ARTnews, Alta Journal, Flaunt Magazine, 3Views on Theater, BuzzFeed News, and more.
Originally from Texas, Steven came to the West Coast to pursue his passions for media and the performing arts. He graduated from USC with an MA in Specialized Journalism (The Arts) in 2022 and a BA in Theatre and Journalism with a minor in Dance in 2020, earning the Order of Laurel and Palm. He is a founding member of the Equity Board, an initiative at USC Annenberg Media dedicated to diversifying sourcing and promoting inclusive coverage across the publication. In this position, he penned the newsroom’s Guide for Equitable Reporting Strategies and Newsroom Style. His short documentary, Dancing at Home, earned first place in the L.A. Press Club’s Life in the Time of the Coronavirus contest in May 2020 and was awarded the PPAGLA Student Videographer of the Year. In 2021, he participated in the second cohort of Jose Solís’ BIPOC Critics Lab with the Kennedy Center.
Meanwhile, his artistic practice combines his skills in reporting and dance to share stories through movement. He has done just that while working with organizations like USC Arts in Action, Sojourn Theatre Company of Chicago, Black Lives Matter LA, and Reform LA Jails Coalition. Past productions include Facing Our Truth: Plays on Trayvon, Race, and Privilege, Don't Go, and Race Relay. He was part of Casa 0101’s Brown & Out 8 at the LA LGBT Center. He studied dance with A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham, BEMOVING, Movement Migration, and Imprints Dance Company (later performing as a guest artist). More recently, he was in the 2024 cohort of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill and performed off-Broadway in The 24-Hour Plays: Nationals. He participated in the 2018 Artist As Citizen Conference with Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) at the Juilliard School and studied at Shakespeare's Globe in London with a Fulbright Summer Institute Scholarship.
Steven utilizes his skills and experiences on and off stage to communicate poignant stories through journalism, theatre, and dance.
Originally from Texas, Steven came to the West Coast to pursue his passions for media and the performing arts. He graduated from USC with an MA in Specialized Journalism (The Arts) in 2022 and a BA in Theatre and Journalism with a minor in Dance in 2020, earning the Order of Laurel and Palm. He is a founding member of the Equity Board, an initiative at USC Annenberg Media dedicated to diversifying sourcing and promoting inclusive coverage across the publication. In this position, he penned the newsroom’s Guide for Equitable Reporting Strategies and Newsroom Style. His short documentary, Dancing at Home, earned first place in the L.A. Press Club’s Life in the Time of the Coronavirus contest in May 2020 and was awarded the PPAGLA Student Videographer of the Year. In 2021, he participated in the second cohort of Jose Solís’ BIPOC Critics Lab with the Kennedy Center.
Meanwhile, his artistic practice combines his skills in reporting and dance to share stories through movement. He has done just that while working with organizations like USC Arts in Action, Sojourn Theatre Company of Chicago, Black Lives Matter LA, and Reform LA Jails Coalition. Past productions include Facing Our Truth: Plays on Trayvon, Race, and Privilege, Don't Go, and Race Relay. He was part of Casa 0101’s Brown & Out 8 at the LA LGBT Center. He studied dance with A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham, BEMOVING, Movement Migration, and Imprints Dance Company (later performing as a guest artist). More recently, he was in the 2024 cohort of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill and performed off-Broadway in The 24-Hour Plays: Nationals. He participated in the 2018 Artist As Citizen Conference with Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) at the Juilliard School and studied at Shakespeare's Globe in London with a Fulbright Summer Institute Scholarship.
Steven utilizes his skills and experiences on and off stage to communicate poignant stories through journalism, theatre, and dance.
Press
- Oddball opera has a glorious moment in L.A., meatballs and all
(Los Angeles Times)
- Corina Kinnear and Hannah Millar Share An Evening at the Odyssey
(LA Dance Chronicle)
- Meet the Cohort for the 2024 Edition of The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals
(Playbill)
- Reporters Kenan Draughorne and Steven Vargas join The Times’ culture team (Los Angeles Times)
- How one student newsroom built an ‘Equity Board’ to diversify and improve its coverage
(Poynter)
- First-Ever Annenberg Media Reporting Guide Released (USC Annenberg Media)
- Southern California Journalism Awards honor numerous USC Annenberg students and alumni
(USC Annenberg)
- 3rd Annual Twenty by Twenty Fringe Set For This Month
(Broadway World)
- Newly renamed LGBTQ+ Student Center aims for greater inclusion
(USC News)
- Westboro Baptist Church attempts a homophobic protest and it backfires spectacularly
(PinkNews)
- USC students stage counter-protest against Westboro Baptist Church (USC Annenberg Media)
- Students protest anti-LGBTQ group (Daily Trojan)