Today we’d like to introduce you to Eloise Harpas.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story begins with a little three years old girl from Sydney Australia, whose dream to be a professional dancer began watching a school dance team at the local shopping centre with her mum. I knew then and there this was the career I wanted and I’ve been true to that ever since.
I started in recreational dance when I was three years of age at a studio in Sydney called ‘Ettingshausens’ with only Jazz and Tap. Discovering a love for movement, I was then introduced to many other styles such as ballet, hip hop, contemporary, tap and musical theatre, just to name a few. When I was six years of age, my mum started me in competition teams, where I was able to take my training up a level. This then led me to compete as a soloist by the age of eight years as well as a team.
I trained in competitive dance for over a decade and during that time I also started my professional career. At the age of 14 years, I was lucky enough to secure my first agent (Jeep Management) and by 15 years, I had completed my first ever paid professional gig (Young Talent Time the Aus tour). At 18 years I graduated from the junior school program (competing teams) and decided to get my Cert IV in full-time dance training at ‘Ettingshausens Pro’. This was basically a pre-professional program that helps connect dancers into the industry and fortunately for me, I was granted a full scholarship into the course. I completed my Cert IV successfully at the age of 19 and my career really started to bloom.
I found myself dancing on TV shows such as Xfactor, The Voice, So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) and the Masked Singer. Dancing with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Charlie XCX, Little Mix and more. I was also doing live performances such as the ARIA Awards and Mardi Gras stage shows performing with pop artists such as Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Rita Ora and Katy Perry.
Once graduating ‘Ettingshausens Pro’ I was awarded with a partial scholarship to go train in NYC at Broadway Dance Centre (BDC). So in 2017 at 21 years, I packed up and moved to NYC for three months. Completely falling in love with the dance culture there and seeing that I could be successful, I decided to extend my trip another three months and head over to LA. This is where I really became serious about applying for my O1 Artist Visa of Extraordinary Ability. Upon my return home to Australia, I started the application process.
During this time I was still working professionally in AUS as a dancer and also a competitive dance teacher. I’ve been a professional dance teacher for about a decade now teaching most styles of dance from ages 8-21 years. In 2021, I also started my very first all-male competition team.
During November of 2020, I was fortunately granted approval for my first three years O1 Visa to the USA. Unfortunately, this was during the pandemic so I lost a year on my visa and moved to LOS Angeles, California in March of 2022 with two years up my sleeve.
Since living in LA, my career has been more than I could ask for. I’ve signed with one of US top dance agents MSA, and I have performed in live shows, music videos, TV shoots and more. A few highlights so far include performing with JBlavin at the 2021 Grammy Awards, Miss Shalae (Worlds #1 Beyonce tribute artist) for Canada Pride, working with world-renowned choreographers such as Kyle Hanagami and Brian Freedman as well as performing at the Bellagio in Vegas.
2023 has already brought in many memorable moments so far but what I am most looking forward to is my upcoming contract in Mexico City with Cirque Du Soleil the “Illusionists”. This is a two months job and my first ever long-term contract.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Anyone who has chosen this path within the industry can honestly probably tell you that it’s not always a smooth road most of the time. That’s what gives us dancers the tough skin and motivation to persevere. Being a professional dancer is not for the faint-hearted.
My personal challenges throughout my career so far have varied from physical hardships like tearing ligaments in my foot and being in a moon boot for four months to mental hurdles such as believing am I really good enough for this job. Besides the physical difficulties that can come with injuries, I would argue that the struggles with self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence are some of the hardest elements I’ve had to deal with personally.
During my time in Australia as a dancer, I was basically put into my place as a performer. I knew I wanted to be a commercial dancer so that automatically put me up against some of the best dancers in Australia. All I had to do was keep working hard and make sure that I was fully equipped with all the skills I needed to maintain my position so when the above generation left town or phased out I was ready to fill the spot.
Furthermore since moving to the United States, one of my biggest challenges has been recognition. Back home, I spent my whole life building my business and my personal brand for people to know who I am and trust that I can complete the task. Here, it’s a different story because no one knew who I was when I first moved therefore making work a little slower to come in, resulting in some financial difficulties also. On an O1 you can only work in your specific field of work so it’s not like I can go and get a retail job or a side job to help.
These challenges don’t shy me away from my goals as a performer, I know that if I keep the hustle going and keep showing up, I will achieve what I came here to do. I’ve been very blessed to have had completed what I have so far in the short year I’ve lived here, and the connections I’ve formed with dancers and choreographers are relationships I will take with me for life.
My new life here in LA is everything I’ve dreamed of and more.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a professional commercial dancer and a sole trader/independent contractor, meaning I am my own boss. I can be employed by a company and qualify as an employee but the majority of my career is individual.
Being a commercial dancer essentially means I am versatile in my styles of dance and tend to be hired for shorter-term contracts rather than long-term contracts. For example, jobs like the Grammys or a world tour are commercial jobs as they are a shorter process as opposed to something like dancing in a ballet company or contemporary company where you will be with that same business for years.
Personally, I specialize in the style of Jazz funk. My training is in all styles and I have performed in most genres, but this would be my strongest suit and the style that really makes me feel the most confident as a dancer. As a commercial dancer, there has been such a broad spectrum of where my talents have taken me, from dancing with pop icons such as Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Katy Perry, Jblavin and Rita Ora to performing in a German Opera (Salome) to then acting in a TV commercial for McDonald’s. The enjoyment I get from the spontaneity of my career really is what makes me excited.
Live performance, stage and TV work is what I am most known for within the industry. I am the girl with all the performance quality and love to be in a stadium full of thousands of people. The feeling you get when you are up on stage and hear the roaring crowd is like no other, definitely my happy place. If there is an audition for an artist you bet I will be there, 100% my specialty.
The thing that makes me the proudest is my resilience within this industry and my perseverance when it comes to putting in the hard yards. I know what I want and I make sure that I am always present and positive during it all. Being a dancer teacher/mentor back in AUS, I also believe gives me the upper hand in my career because I can relate to the upcoming generation of dancers.
In all these are the aspects of my job that I really feel set me apart from others. The attitude, work ethic and overall optimism for this industry.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
This question can easily stump me every time. For some reason, I separate my happiness into two sections.
Happiness with my personal life outside of work meaning family, friends, relationship and hobbies and then my happiness through work such as gigs, consistency, future goals and achievements. I do believe the two categories should be married when it comes to one’s happiness but when you are so passionate about you’re career I think it’s easy to get hyper-focused on one or the other.
At the present moment, my happiness is coming from so many factors around me. The fact that I am living my dream in LA really solidifies that I am right where I need to be and that overall gives me the most happiness. Meeting new people, exploring new places and being successful at what I do is a huge factor.
Not only am I lucky enough to be here and experience a new chapter of my life but I also get to do it with my significant other and that to me means the world. We are creating the best memories for our life.
Now I could deep dive into the materialistic aspects of my life that really put a smile on my face but I’ll just list a few and you best believe I’m smiling writing these.
– Dance!
– Being on stage with a roaring crowd
– Rehearsals
– Wardrobe fittings
– Travelling (especially for work)
– Beach/Sunshine
– Music
– Adventures outdoors
– Surfing
All the above just makes me feel like I’m really living my life to the fullest. They take away all my anxieties and negative feelings and connect me with the present. The more I can accomplish the above, the higher level of happiness I am.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eloise_harpas/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@eloisechristina?lang=en
Image Credits
Ben Adams
