Meet Bevin Victoria | Actor, Dancer, Musician, Producer, Writer, Fight Choreographer, Director

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

Hi Bevin, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
There is something really special about ending the day knowing that, not only did you work hard at a craft your truly enjoy, but also, you bore something into life, breathed it into existence. I knew for certain I wanted to pursue a creative career as a very young child. I remember various moments throughout my childhood when I would be telling a story and the rush of having everyone’s attention but also the enormous responsibility that comes with was fascinating to me.

Also, without trying to sound too cliché, choosing a career in the arts, specifically performing arts, has always felt as if it was meant to be. Both of my parents were performers from as early as I can remember and I am extremely fortunate to have their unyielding support and guidance as I navigate my career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Right now I am super invested in growing a new stunt/fight collective called Fights and Crafts. I, Billy Dunston and Maria Thomas run the group as a sort of collective where industry folks can come and train and connect, work on fight sequences, problem solve and build portfolios and reel material. The thing I love about it is that it’s less focused on networking and more focused on building relationships and community. We work with local DP’s and collaborate on various projects and create an environment where professionals on both sides of the camera can work together to build action in film. It’s been really cool to see how the culture of trust and communication between directors, dp’s and actors/performers is starting to become more widespread in this film community. It’s also been really cool to see more woman and specifically women of color are connecting with us. I will say for me, it has never been an easy path being a woman in film and entertainment and I find it even more so in martial arts and in stunts but we I believe we are slowly shifting the culture by creating access for anyone to come and train with us. Our main objective is to be the go-to industry leaders in Portland film for anything stunt/fight related and to really change the culture around stunts in film in a positive way. We want filmmakers to expect that safety and quality are top priorities when it comes to action in film. It’s been really nice to see our growth in the past year and I’m looking forward to seeing how we grow in 2023 and beyond.
You can find more info on IG @fightsandcrafts

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always think “if traffic weren’t an issue” we would start the day at Paper or Plastik Cafe with a coffee or a matcha and then pop around the corner to Mimoda dance studio behind it to see if there are any classes going on that we could try. From there I would go full, classic 2000’s LA kid experience and we would rent roller blades and spend a few hours cruising around the beach. Then we would get lunch at Cafe Brasil and then head over to the canals to take a walk around. I have a couple of friends that live in the area so we could stop in and hang for a bit around the fire pit and have some tea or drinks. Usually instruments come out at some point as well so we would definitely stay long enough to jam on a few tunes. Dinner is at Cafe Gratitude in Venice and then we would head up to Topanga Overlook for awesome sunset. I honestly just described my ideal date here, ha!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I can’t even talk about the success I have had in my career so far without talking about both of my parents. I mentioned before that they both have had careers in performing arts. I know a lot of artists have to spend time justifying their reasons for choosing such an unpredictable path but I have never had to justify my choice to dedicate myself to performing arts to them. They knew same as I did pretty early on that I was going to end up telling stories either on stages through music and dance or on film one way or another and they have been and continue to be incredibly supportive. It’s also so amazing to have all of their hilarious stories, warnings, “I wish I had known _” and general insight and perspective on both the creative and the business side of things.

The list of people in my world that I would love to shoutout is quite long but there is one other person I feel compelled to highlight at this moment in my life.
I’ve always wanted to write my own stories but I struggled with confidence for a long time. I remember my first semester of college, I was 15 years old and really dreading writing class. I would have crazy anxiety about papers that were due and I would procrastinate to an extreme degree. At some point a few weeks in there was an essay due and a light bulb went off in my head about how to approach it. I asked the teacher if she was open to accepting a different kind of essay submission and knowing how bad I struggled, she agreed so I ran with it. After she reviewed them she read mine aloud to the class and followed up with “that was the best in-class essay I have ever read”. Whether or not she really felt that way, she saw that I needed a very specific kind of encouragement and gave that to me. That moment completely shifted my perspective on writing and my ability to do it well (or at all and I think about it every time I sit down to write. That teacher is Lydia Yuknavitch and I’m grateful for the time I spent learning from her.

x

Website: https://www.bevinvictoria.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bevinvictoria/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bevinvictoria.solmon

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/BevinVictoriaHybridDance

Image Credits
Jason Mehrtens Dennis Glisson Chad Brigman Martin McQuillan Andrea Juneau Sophia Phoenix