Meet Doriane Argellies | Dancer and Performer

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

Hi Doriane, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I am still battling at times on this question. Especially as a dancer, if a job or a company is not working for you, or auditions are not successful etc, I found that taking a step back from everything and recentering around the most basic important matters; my family, my health, the people I hold dear, and remembering how insignificant our lives are in the grand scheme of things. Weirdly enough, remembering that what I do or don’t do doesn’t really matter gives me some much needed relief and freedom, allowing me to keep going. Because why does it matter if I fail or not. As long as I still like what I’m doing or I feel a pull towards it I think it is worth fighting for and keep trying to get closer to your goal, as small or big as can be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My nickname in my last company was The Chameleon, because I could apparently just morph into whichever style of dance I was thrown at; ballet, contemporary, modern, commercial, theater, I love it all, I try it all. So I would say I’m a pretty well rounded artist.

I have a deep interest in anything and everything unsettling; movies, paintings, stories, musics, architectures, landscapes… anything that would give you a feeling of uneasiness, I love to incorporate this in my art. This morbid attraction lead me to one of my favorite jobs I have done to this day: being a scare actor. Starring as a swing actor for Jimmy Fallon’s Tonightmares in 2024 was a sort of job revelation if I’d known one, as I discovered I loved scaring people.
This experience as well as many other in different genres and registers helped build the artist I am today.

I still have a long way of learning and discoveries waiting to happen to richen my artistic vocabulary, even though I am not aiming to be a specific type of artist, or have a precise goal in mind, I would just want to flourish in whichever field I will set my mind to.
I have been through hardships of questioning myself, my art, and self-sabotaging —I still do on some weaker days— but I am genuinely trying to just accept that I am my own person, I cannot copy or be exactly as someone else that I admire or am inspired by and that’s completely normal.
Comparison truly is the thief of joy and I am trying as much as humanely possible to stay far from it.
I’ve also learned that not everyone is going to resonate with my art and myself in general. In my early teen years, an indescribable need to please everyone and be liked by all around me was what drove me to some of the hardest social lessons I’ve had in my life, and dance actually helped me realize that we are all different, have various tastes in music, color, food, movie, people… discussing dance pieces with some friends; about what we liked, didn’t like, understood or didn’t get, without an ounce of malice, taught me it could all be like this with people as well. It’s not because you weren’t friend with someone that they hated you or were judgmental. And when I finally had a grasp of the concept I tried not to let go every time someone didn’t seem totally satisfied with me or my art. And the relief? Instant. “They didn’t like my piece, someone else will.” as simple as that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Choices, choices— we both LOVE dinosaurs, so I would definitely take her to the Natural History Museum first thing first. We would spend at least 8 hours inside, then we would go for a poke ball all the way down to Union Square. If it’s sunny we would go walk around Washington Square Park for a little bit before going back home.

I would definitely bring her to the movies, AMC on 34th to be precise, as it is my favorite and go-to movie theater, we would go see either a very dumb movie or very scary one, with the recliners and back-heating seats.
From there a little walk around Koreatown so I can make her try boba tea again, even if she didn’t like it the first two times I made her try it… and as my last weapon I would use I’Milky on 23rd, (best boba I’ve ever had)
Maybe go to Hmart to get some cheap lunch and then walk to Herald square to eventually go to Macy’s (depending on if she’s feeling like spending money or not). If we have time, from there I would bring her to the Highline, and we could just walk down all the way to little island during the sunset. Why not go to the outside theater and watch a show if there’s one.

On the next day, I’ll bring her to brooklyn, because she just HAS to see it. Maybe walk a little bit through Williamsburg first edging towards Dumbo, go to the iconic view of the Brooklyn Bridge. Then once she has her picture, we would go for food, probably some Nachos on that little street corner food place close to the water.

For the nightlife we could either try some rooftops like PHD or Le Bain, or some quieter less known places like Nowadays in Bushwick. (She doesn’t really like techno but the outdoor space is worth it).

And since we both love sushis, a little escapade through chinatown most hidden gems would be a whole afternoon of sushi and noodle testing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to dedicate this to my parents and former mentors, who accompanied and trusted me through all these years.
To mom and dad, I could never express enough how grateful and lucky I am to be your daughter. Having parents who supported me through all my choices and gave me the means to achieve my goals, but also kept me grounded and taught me that work pays and your efforts are always rewarded at some point truly built my mindset and how I see life and growth today. Your wisdom, trust and love are what kept me going during hard times, and I sincerely hope that one day, I will be able to repay even a small part of what you sacrificied for me.

As for my mentors; from when I started dance at 6 years old in my little dance school in the south of France with Sylvie Richaud and Aurélie Guibout. Nadège Cayron, my highschool dance teacher. And Cyrille de la Barre, the most admirable ballet master I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I do not have the words to explain how grateful I am for their never ending support and knowledge. I am eternally thankful for them always believing in me and pushing me to aim higher.

Instagram: dorianeargellies

Image Credits
Liz Schneider-cohen
Paul DuBois
Valerie Kosnevich