Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlena Britch.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m from Vancouver, BC Canada. I’ve got a multitude of titles that follow me around, playing into my desire for freedom and creative exploration as an artist. But, it all started when I discovered dance at the age of nine; the troubled and rebellious young girl in me so desperate to express.
Art saved my life, and I’m so fortunate that my very first platform was dance. It’s given me a unique relationship with my body and an ability to use movement as an expression in a way that I don’t take for granted. I danced my way to a top 7 finalist position on SYTYCD, traveled the world with artists like Justin Bieber and performed alongside legends like Prince, and was fortunate to express myself as a performer in numerous awards shows television series, films, and music videos. It slowly but surely crafted itself into the structure and guidance I lacked growing up and carved me into the fiercely independent woman I am today.
A few years ago, I transitioned from solely using my body as an artist to using my voice. I couldn’t have imagined growing up that I would one day call myself an actress; feeling as if dance would be my forever. And while I’m always moving and shaking, it’s been an incredibly humbling gift to climb an entirely new ladder. I’m proud to have worked alongside people like Jordan Peele, to have been featured on legendary shows like “The X-Files” and “Supernatural”, and to have utilized my strengths and abilities into movement and stunt heavy roles.
And when I crave spending more time behind the scenes, I absolutely love the work I’m so lucky to be able to do as a choreographer, creative director and movement coach. It’s been such a gift to merge my two main forms of communication: dance and acting and create specific ways to allow artists to express themselves authentically. From large sets like national commercials to the new, upcoming indie artists on the rise, my secret passion is directing those to places within themselves they didn’t know existed.
I’m certain ‘director’ will be the next title I hold without feeling like I have imposter syndrome. I’ve dabbled already on a few music videos and shorts, and I’m currently in the pitch phase of my very own pilot that I wrote and created alongside one of my best friends. Using my own intense experiences growing up, I have so much gratitude for the stories I’m able to create and the ways I inspire to transform darkness into light. It’s all a gift if you choose to look at is as such.
Has it been a smooth road?
I can’t imagine an artist’s journey as one to be filled entirely with smooth roads. Potholes, speed bumps, detours; those are what have carved, twisted and shaped me into who I am. With the earlier years of my life spent raising myself, there were plenty hardships and heartbreaks that gave me the tough skin that is absolutely mandatory for the industry I’m in now. The title as “professional dancer” or “actress” is merely “professional rejection handler” until one day, it isn’t. Because you’ve worked harder than you could have ever imagined and broken down each barrier of your own personal restraints until it starts to click. And even after it’s clicked; either (and both!) for you and the industry you’re seeking acceptance from, our job as an artist is to constantly redefine what it all looks like, staying one foot ahead of yourself.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I absolutely have faith that the entertainment industry will continue to evolve into a more diverse and inclusive platform, proudly sharing voices of our unique POC and queer performers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carlenabritch.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Richard Doromal
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