SHOWTIME
How did you get your stage name?
“Zelda” is the name of a very resourceful and elflike videogame character. And “Showtime” is the story of my life, I was practically born on stage!
How did you get into dancing?
My history with dancing is intimately linked to my family’s. Both my parents are dancers and manage a traveling cabaret. You can say that I learned to walk amongst dancers who were doing the cancan and the charleston! When I turned eight I took lessons in jazz dance and in circus arts. At age ten, I got on stage with my father for my very first music hall act combining dance and contortion. My parents always supported me in my passion for dancing and taught me that keeping your feet firmly on the ground meant pursuing your dreams! So, when I turned sixteen, I left high school and went to the Rick Odums dance school in Paris where I began intensely training jazz, classical and contemporary dance. At the same time, I started dancing in my parents’ cabaret. At age eighteen, I decided to work for other dance troupes in order to get a professional outside view. That’s when one of my colleagues told me: “you have the physique to pass an audition at the Crazy Horse, you should try out”… And here I am!
What makes you passionate about your work?
Having grown up in a dance environment I think of work in a different kind of way. To me, working is the same thing as dancing and having fun! I don’t see myself doing anything else. Of course, it’s a lot of work, rigor and sacrifices. But it remains above all joy, laughter in the dressing room and shared emotions with the audience!
Your fondest memory at Crazy Horse Paris?
During my première, both unexpected and at the same time eagerly awaited! I was hired at Crazy Horse Paris just before the whole Covid pandemic began in 2019. So, I still had to wait two years before finally being able to get on stage. That evening, when I saw my silhouette, in the legendary costume of the opening act inspired by the British Royal Guard, being projected on the back wall of the stage, it finally came to me that I was now a Crazy Horse Paris dancer. When I then turned around and saw the audience, I was overwhelmed with emotions…
Do you have an Achilles heel tucked away in your stilettos?
I am very sensitive and emotional. I am a bit like an emotional sponge and this excessive empathy can sometimes torment me. But lucky for me, that’s usually when Zelda steps in and calls me to order and keeps me on the straight and narrow!
What strength makes you you?
I am very spontaneous. I often think after the fact. You could interpret that as a weakness, I thought so myself for a long time. But today, I’m comfortable with it and I’ve made it a strength. To me, spontaneity is being natural, sincere, honest. Values that I live by.
What do you do with your spare time when you’re not dancing on Crazy Horse Paris stage?
I keep working for my parents. I’ve now been given more responsibilities: I recruit the dancers, organize auditions and rehearsals… I love this double life: at Crazy Horse Paris I am at the beginning of my adventure, still learning, but with my parents I’m seen as a leader of the troupe, which I thoroughly enjoy.
Which act of the Totally Crazy! show do you love the most?
Rougir de désir. That playful interaction between lights and shadows makes it a very beautiful, voluptuous and sensual act. The silhouette of the dancer stands out against the dark background shrouded in a mystifying atmosphere. Her curves, arched back and movements are magnificent, a real feast for the eyes.
Discover Zelda Showtime in video :Â
Photos : RĂ©mi Desclaux, Esteban Wautier
Video : Paul-Henri Pesquet
