What would your younger self think?
Throughout my journey in life, I have realized that the moment when you feel like giving up is usually the moment when the magic happens.
For 2 years I shared the idea that I wanted to book a cruise-ship with my family and friends. I dreamed of traveling the world and being a performer that it became an insistent mantra in my mind. I attended numerous auditions, however I was rejected over and over again. I auditioned for almost every possible cruise line that came to Toronto and was hoping that there would be a cruise-ship that would hire a street dancer like myself, but they always came with expectations of technical training. I had auditioned for Royal Caribbean, Disney, Norwegian and Carnival just to name a few.. Carnival came back around again and at this point I felt a little defeated and wondered, “What was the point?” I had to take myself out of this mind space and not give up and I was able to do this with the help of my mom. She was supportive and gave me loving words of encouragement that reignited my motivation and focus. I decided to wake up early, get ready and attend this audition for Carnival Cruiselines, which happened to be taking place at the studio I first started dancing at as a kid, The Toronto Dance Industry.
I walked into the room and was ready for the battement kicks across the floor, which is usually how these auditions began only to be surprised with a Latin combo.
I was in shock and quickly became filled with excitement as I started learning a combo that felt natural to my movement and fuelled my confidence. I made it to the next round! We learned another Latin combo and were observed to see how well we connected with each other while performing; I was brought in for some harmony work with a few others; and finally we were all asked about our availability. We were left in the waiting room, and as all cliches go, it felt like forever waiting for their decision. After some time, three of us were called into the room and were immediately offered ship contracts that would start two months from the day. As I drove back home I cried in joy and happiness that I didn’t let rejection get me down and kept going after my dream. I performed as a dancer and singer with Carnival for about 3 years and have had amazing opportunities on the ship that allowed me to grow in so many ways.
