How does one become a dancer in a New York company?
Through many twists and turns. New York wasn't my goal, and it happened at a time in my life when I was taking a break. It just unfolded naturally. Tarbes, Bordeaux, Antwerp, New York. I did an internship which led to an audition, and a scholarship to the United States. I thought I'd stay for a year, then two. I quickly fell in love with New York, and I haven't left since, now 12 years later.
Did you have to leave Tarbes?
I don't know. That's just how it happened for me. I left when I was 12. My dance teacher at the conservatory was my mother, and I was at an age where it was complicated because I couldn't separate my mother from the teacher, which made it difficult for me to thrive and have a good relationship with her. I couldn't continue like that. I went to Coutras to study with Christian Conte and Martine Chaumet, who have a pre-professional training center. I worked very hard. Dance, more dance, and also correspondence school. Then there was the Royal Ballet School in Antwerp. It was amazing, I learned so much, but it was also very tough, and you don't realize that at that age. I was alone, I had many injuries. I needed a break. I went back to Bordeaux feeling like I had failed.
It all happens so quickly. Even too quickly?
There was this mentality back then that to become a dancer, you had to be at the top very quickly, with your schools and your company by 16/18. I had a complicated relationship with dance at that time. That's when New York came along. Dance came back into my life in a way I never would have imagined. I fell in love with this art again. And after finishing school, I had to learn to juggle being a dancer with other jobs to pay the rent. I made a lot of pancakes (as in, I worked at a pancake restaurant!), I taught dance classes, and little by little I moved towards sports coaching. It took time and many detours to become a dancer and achieve this kind of freedom. I've been with the Smashworks company for 7 years now. It's an incredible luxury to be able to work with people I get along with, who share the same artistic vision and values as me.
What are your thoughts on the little girl at the dance school?
I have a lot of emotion and empathy for her, because I was very hard on myself. But I never gave up. And even the periods of rest were necessary. I also understand how she didn't always take care of herself, and some of her injuries could have been avoided. All the choices that this sometimes stubborn little girl made to pursue what was true and meaningful to her were the right ones. They helped shape the adult, the dancer that I am today.
What advice would you give to young dancers in Tarbes?
Believe in yourselves and don't give up on your dreams. But also, be open to doing things other than dancing, to taking different paths. I think that to become a truly accomplished dancer, you need to enrich yourself with many different things, many different experiences.
@bigorre_org