Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanie Blais.
Hi Shanie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started dancing when I was four years old back home in the south shore of Montreal, Canada. Growing up I would go to school and go to dance classes right after. Dance was my whole life. When I turned 15 years old I decided to grow my talent even more and train in the city. I started meeting people, I was training every day, and was becoming a professional dancer. I grew up training in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip-hop, and Jazz Funk. At some point I knew the commercial, hip-hop, Jazz-funk was what I needed to push for, my talent was definitely in those styles. I slowly started to book jobs but I was never a working dancer back home. In Montreal, jobs would be more for Technique dancers not so much for the commercial hip-hop scene. That’s when I decided I needed to go somewhere where I can be myself and use my talent to the fullest. I finally got to dance for the biggest artist in Montreal and everything clicked in my head. I need to be on stage, dance with artists, and tour the world.
From that moment, I started getting information about an O-1 visa and started to build my case. I was visiting Los Angeles and New York for a couple of months at the time. I was meeting people in the industry and training with the best dancers and choreographers. At 23 years old, before applying for my visa and moving to the next phase of my life. I got this opportunity of going on a love reality TV show. It was such a beautiful way to transition to a new version of myself. I got three months of working on myself, being secluded from the world, and reflecting on what I really wanted for the future. It was the greatest experience I ever had. The show also helped me with my Visa because I had lots of media talking about me, a good following (which nowadays is important in this industry), and gave me an extra income as an Instagram content creator to build my new life in Los Angeles.
Two years after, I got my visa approved and moved to LA right away. I had a boyfriend of two years at this time. He was the first person I ever experienced real passionate love. We tried to be together for that first year of me being in Los Angeles. Covid happened six months after I moved here. I went back home and spent six months with my boyfriend at the time. Covid for me was such a great reflection time. I realized that my the next years of my life needed to be in Los Angeles and my calling was to be a backup dancer. I then had to make the hardest decision of my life: do I stay home with the person I love deeply or do I choose myself and pursue my forever dreams? I chose myself because this will always be the right decision. 2021 was a whole year of breakup and crying but so many goals I had got reached. I booked my first job after three months of being in the city. A music video with Camila Cabello.
In 2021, I was already working a lot for a new dancer. VMAS with Olivia Rodrigo, Fashion show with Saweetie, music videos with Bebe Rhexa, Bella Poarch, and Sofia Carson. It was such an interesting time because I was so happy to finally do what I always wanted but also being so sad because my heart was hurting to much. Life showed me I made the right choice by giving me what I came here for. I worked so hard all those years it was reward time. After two years of being here, I was able to call Los Angeles my home. I have my friends, my career, my place that I love so much, and my everyday routine. I made the right choice and even at this day I can say it was the hardest and most painful sacrifice I ever had to do but I get to reach all the goals I set for myself since I was little. As an only child, it was also challenging to leave my parents who always supported me and pushed me to do everything I wished for.
I am beyond grateful to have them by my side even if we are so far from each other now. They are my biggest fans and my goal number one is to make them proud every step I take. Lots of sacrifices has to be made when you want to reach the top of your industry. But it is all worth it. This year has been my favorite year of my career. I got to be a dancer in my first huge movie “Wicked” and finally got to experience my goal number one since I am young: Touring with an artist. I booked my first tour after four years in Los Angeles. My first tour was a US stadium tour with a Latin Alist artist “KarolG”. I am so proud of myself and still can’t believe it happened. I have worked so hard my whole life for this moment.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have been very lucky to have my supportive parents every step of the way. Them and my friends were grounding me along the road. As a foreigner, it is never easy. You only can make money in the US as a dancer so you gotta book jobs. Every three years there’s a chance that the life you built in this country gets taken away if they don’t approve your visa. There is this constant stress for me. I am grateful to have a great case and a great path that brought me to this day. As I previously said, the biggest struggle I had was more towards sacrifices that I had to make. Dealing with the biggest heartbreak while making your dreams happen was very hard but I was kind to myself and would always take moments to realize what is happening for me and be grateful of the process.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a professional dancer. My favorite thing in the world is being on stage with an artist. I am so proud of being able to make all my dreams come through. I just went for it not knowing if it would work and it did. Being around the best dancers in the world is very challenging and scary because why would they pick me over other dancers that are as good or better than you. I am proud to have worked with the A-list artist that I always wanted to work for. I am proud of fighting every day. I am proud of believing in myself and my talent every day. What makes me different is my foreign hunger, my kindness to others, and the love I have to perform and show my talent to the world.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am a big risk taker. I also have an amazing intuition that I love to follow. The question I ask myself is: Is it going to kill me if I do it? Am I gonna hurt someone if I do it? If you don’t do it, how would you feel? I went on this reality TV show in Bali for three months, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I moved to a whole new country by myself and left everything behind. I went all in on my career choices. I have changed flights and plans for auditions because I felt like I needed to be there and get something out of it. I can’t live with what if so I do every experience that feels right. I love life, and I love to experience it to the fullest. I love to experience things that most people never did.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanie_blais/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shanie_blais?_t=8h988Ox7OcV&_r=1
Image Credits
@ryzeart @phraa @leegumbs.photography @alissarosestudio
