IT’S BEEN
A
JOURNEY
By Emily Eymundson
There are a lot of children who look at beautiful, mesmerizing photos of ballerinas and dream of
one day being exactly that. Unfortunately for a lot of kids, this dream will never be a reality, due to
lack of time, energy, perseverance and other obstacles. Due to the fact that many professionals in
the industry started training from ages as young as four and five, it is seemingly too late for many
who are finally able to take classes in their teenage or adult years. But Canadian-born Emily
Eymundson isn’t letting the odds get her down.
“I didn’t really start until I was in high school. At that point I was training with dancers who had been
at it their whole lives, so it was tough not having the same technique for flexibility”.
While Emily felt a bit lost when performing, she found a passion in what lay behind the scenes, and
began choreographing pieces of her own for her high school’s dance shows.
“I was really fortunate,” says Emily, “to have had mentors who recognized my creative abilities and
gave me platforms to utilize and explore them. Now I’m pursuing a professional career as a
choreographer and can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Her work has taken her around the world, having spent time working in the dance industries of
China and Spain in the past few years. Emily now studies at Ryerson University and Canada’s
National Ballet School in Toronto, while simultaneously working on multiple dance projects.
“Being a working artist is way more work than people realize. I sometimes have trouble balancing
my school, my work, and my life,” she laughs. “One of the more important lessons I’m learning right
now about being in the industry is not losing myself in the business of it. If you spread yourself too
thin, you risk losing the authenticity that makes your work so special. Sometimes I have to stop and
remind myself that although I am my own manager, my own administrator, my own coordinator… I
am primarily an artist, and my art is the part of this whole thing that I should be putting the most of
my time and heart into.”
Emily is currently working for a few companies as well as developing her own piece, entitled
“The Human,” which she is exhibiting in Toronto and hopes to take to showcase in L.A. next year.
The message she would like to share with aspiring dancers and artists is that it’s never too late to
pursue your dreams. “It sounds cheesy, but you can literally do anything you want. Sometimes you
might have to change your perspective or even alter your ultimate goal, but the truth is that
everyone is in control of their own success. I was never given any kind of ‘lucky break’; I worked
really hard to get the opportunities I’ve had. I don’t believe in taking shortcuts because I want to be
able to say at the end of the day that my success came from my own perseverance and hard work.
It’s important to have core beliefs and values, and to always base your personal and professional
decisions around them.”
Dancer: Marine de Vachon
MakeUp: Shara Angelique Cofran