We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanie Blais and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanie, why did you pursue a creative career?
Dance was my passion since I was 4 years old. Growing up all I did everyday was go to my dance studio for hours. I always wanted to be the best dancer and wanted to do the coolest jobs like going on tour with an artist. At first, dancing felt more like a sport but once I moved to LA my artistic and creative mind started to develop. Being able to create and express yourself through art and fashion is the most liberating thing that exist. You get to tell the world who you are through beautiful and fun visuals. I was never made to sit at a desk all day and go home. I was made to bring people joy with what I can do best, ART.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
To get where I am today needed a lot of sacrifices and hard work. I am Canadian and all the dreams I wanted to accomplish were in LA. I had and still have to go through work visa paperwork every 3 years and can only work as a dancer in the USA. That means I have to work 10x harder than the US citizen dancers, I have to book jobs and auditions otherwise I will not have any other income. This makes foreigner dancers amazing dancers, we are hungry for work. Being away from your friends and family is also very hard at times. I only see them once or twice a year compare to every week if I was still living back home. This makes me work even harder to prove my parents that all sacrifices are worth it and they are indeed very proud.

The bright side of this hard work is that I am now on tour with an amazing artist and this was my goal #1 since I was little. I am beyond grateful to have accomplished so many goals and still continues to work hard to accomplish even more. Only this year, I was able to work on my first big movie with my favorite artist and be on my first world tour with a talented woman.

Believe in yourself, work hard on your craft and the most important lead with love and be kind to people.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Malibu beaches are always a must when I have guests. Eat and drinks would be in the silverlake area, very easy to walk around and find cool bars and good food. Bar flores and cafe Stella are my favorite places for drinks. LA has so many hikes so it is a must, the Griffith hike is beautiful and the Malibu hikes are also stunning.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents are the one who deserve all the credits and recognition. Without them my story would’ve been absolutely different. They pushed me and believed in me even when people around us would have doubts. They trusted that all my crazy dreams would come true and invested all their money and energy. I will be forever grateful

Instagram: @shanie_blais

Image Credits
@henryhwu @felipeorvi @leegumbs.photography @mc.turcotte

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