A young Timmins dancer and an aspiring actor, Seth Guillemette says he would love to work in Hollywood one day.
Guillemette, 15, is a dance teacher at Dansons La Ronde and a Grade 10 student at École secondaire catholique Thériault.
He loves acting and wants to study musical theatre or acting at Ryerson University once he graduates high school.
When he is on stage, he feels excited.
“It’s always been my passion. I’m a very artistic person and this is where I excel,” he says. Voice acting is also something he enjoys doing.
From his experience attending two conferences held by Talent INC Canada, where he did various workshops and classes and received the Overall Youth Voiceover Award, Guillemette learned that he enjoys voice-over acting and that he’s pretty good at it.
“It just really exposes you to that kind of activity and you really discover yourself, what you’re good at, what you prefer,” Guillemette says. “That was pretty surprising for me, honestly.”
For Guillemette, working in Hollywood as a voice actor is a goal he would “definitely go for.”
“Because with that industry, it’s really difficult to say if you’re going to be up there. You have to work really hard and really go for it, and I’m going to put my utmost work into it. Someday, I would like to achieve that,” he says.
Guillemette started dancing at the age of nine. He tried playing soccer, baseball and karate and struggled to find something he liked.
Dancing, he feels like himself and like it has always been a part of him, he says.
About three years ago, he was asked to help teach at Melissa Kelly Dance Academy. At Dansons La Ronde, he teaches hip hop and musical theatre.
Guillemette still remembers how nervous he was on his first day of teaching.
To prepare for his classes, he listens to music and tries to visualize a dance in his head.
“When you create a choreography, you want your students to enjoy it and you pour your heart into it. You really want to see that reaction,” he says.
If he still gets nervous during his classes, he just powers through it. “The kids there want to dance and it’s my job.”
There are a few local dancers who inspire him including Matthew Dubé, Melissa Kelly, Julie Prévost, Matthew Barr as well as the LA-based Kinjaz dance crew.
“The Kinjaz is another big part of my appreciation for dance because they turn it into something so articulate and interesting, it’s just such a joy to watch,” he says.
For Guillemette, who speaks French, it’s “cool” and “fun” being able to speak both official languages.
“I remember this one time there was this woman and she needed help with her bags and she only spoke French,” he recalls. “So, I went to offer (help), said it in French, not having to be all confused and flustered. It’s a bridge to communicate with people and it’s fun.”
He was also chosen to be one of three candidates for the Bonhomme Carnaval. The identity of the mascot will be revealed on the last day of the carnival on Feb. 27.
“When I was younger, we used to have Bonhomme Carnaval. He used to come down to the school and say hello,” Guillemette says. “I remember, me and my friend used to hide and spy around on him … It was really entertaining.”
In his pastime, he likes reading, creating choreography, playing bass and listening to music.
His motto is to stay true to oneself because, “if you can’t be yourself, what’s the point?”
