Ep.23 – Dancer turned entrepreneur, with Sandrine Lafond

In this episode, I speak with Sandrine Lafond. A trained dancer from France who worked with Marie Chouinard in Canada, danced for Celine Dion in Vegas, and then performed with Cirque du Soleil. Today, Sandrine is a co-owner and artist with Miyusaka, a kimono and japanese calligraphy business.

• Introduction and background (0:00:30)
• Sandrine’s beginnings in France and in dance (0:01:15)
• The appeal to work and create in Montreal (0:03:40)
• The decision to make a living as a professional dancer (0:05:52)
• How do you know when you’re a great artist? (0:07:45)
• The daily regimen of a trained dancer (0:10:50)
• Competition or community in the dance world (0:12:42)
• Balance between being directed and being yourself (0:15:10)
• Transition from Canadian productions to US productions (0:16:43)
• What’s it like to be on stage during a Celine Dion concert? (0:18:22)
• Being in the spotlight vs being in the background (0:20:45)
• Is talent innate or learned? (0:23:02)
• Giving it your all and work ethic (0:24:17)
• Drugs and alcohol in the arts and in dance (0:27:20)
• Studying clowning (0:30:33)
• “Little Lady” Sandrine’s one-woman show (0:34:30)
• The pressure to sell yourself as an artist (0:40:00)
• Artists and menopause (0:42:52)
• Shodo: the art of Japanese Calligraphy (0:48:20)
• Miyusaka: the art of kimonos (0:52:37)

Visit Miyusaka on the web: https://miyusaka.com/ Follow Miyusaka on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contactmiyusaka/ Follow Miyusaka on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ContactMiyusaka/

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