Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2017 | Page 338

Sanford Placide
shared with Mélange . . .
About his love for Ballet About his dance journey over the years
I took my first dance class (Afro Caribbean) in
GonaIves Haiti while completing my primary school
education. Although I was enrolled with piano
lessons, I was so talent-less and miserable with
piano, that, without my parents knowledge, I took
dance classes instead and they only found out
when I asked them to pay for a costume I needed
for a graduation ceremony performance. Their
reaction - you can guess! I was never allowed to
return. I danced professionally with the North Carolina
Dance Theatre (present day Charlotte Ballet)
right after graduation, then I was invited to join
the 2nd company of Ballet West. I spent two years
performing in the corps of the main company
and travelled with them while maintaining an
independent schedule with the second company.
After Ballet West in Utah, I joined Alberta Ballet
in Canada under the direction of Jean Grand-
Maitre where I performed very different styles of
dance. They were more like broadway productions
and I wouldn’t change anything about that
experience. While dancing there I had the chance
to tour some great cities in Canada. One of my
favorites is Victoria - everything about it felt great. I
love the vibe of that city!
The dance classes I took at that time were very
informal. It usually went from learning salsa to
folklore in 30 mins and it was all done in a space
I wouldn’t now consider a proper dance studio. I
didn’t know any better since other than pictures
from encyclopedias and television, I knew nothing
else. Every time I attended those classes, I felt so
free, so happy and somehow I knew that it what I
want