QUEBEC CITY – A Quebec dancer is hoping to take his career to new heights after recently landing a huge opportunity.
Raphael Gagnon, 22, was one of a dozen dancers hired for Rihanna’s new music video, Work, which was filmed in Toronto.
Gagnon drove for eight hours for an audition that lasted less than a minute.
“There were so many people. There was a line that went all around the block,” he recalled.
In the end, Gagnon was selected, along with dancers from Toronto and Montreal, to appear in the video.
“It was a big day. It was a 20 hour day of shooting, very tiring,” Gagnon said.
“They played the Work song for the whole day and they said, ‘yeah, just dance, just grind. Have fun and party.'”
Despite the long day, he had little chance to actually speak with the superstar.
“She said ‘hi, everybody’ and started doing her thing,” he told Global News.
Edith Collin-Marcoux, one of Gagnon’s dance partners at Studio Party Time in Quebec City, explained exposure is key in the industry.
“To have the chance to dance with Rihanna in Canada, it’s really nice because it’s a huge opportunity for him,” she said.
Collin-Marcoux has also worked with celebrities.
In December, she was in a music video for Quebec pop singer Marie-Mai.
The 25-year-old also had a dance part in the movie Step Up 5.
“The industry here is really small, so it’s really hard to succeed. It’s really, really hard,” Collin-Marcoux said.
“I think we’re really lucky, me and Raph, to be able to dance with those artists.”
Gagnon said he hopes to relocate to L.A. in the near future.
“My dream is to do a tour, like booking a tour all around the world with a big artist like Rihanna or Lady Gaga or Britney Spears,” he told Global News.
“I hope you see me on TV or more in the next years.”
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