Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Bernier-dionne
Hi Caroline, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Matane, Quebec (a very small town of 15 000 people), but I lived most of my adult life in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I am currently performing for Cirque du Soleil as a Puppeteer and a main character, in their show called “Drawn to Life” in Orlando, Florida. But my career as a puppeteer/entertainer/actress began a long time ago. Funny enough, I started my artistic journey by doing figure skating. Later on, I decided to study acting in college and graduated in 2007; I was 22 years old and had NO IDEA of what my future was going to be…
This is when I discovered, by coincidence, the art of “giant puppetry”! I fell in love with this art of manipulating giant puppets and this was the start of my lifelong career in that very creative field: puppetry!
Since then, I traveled around Quebec, Canada and the US for street performances, theater shows, corporate events, and many festivals.
I was at the top of my craft, when in 2018, I was offered an opportunity to work with “Cirque du Soleil” for their new show “on ice”. They were looking for a very specific set of abilities for one of their main character. Someone who was able to manipulate a giant puppet while skating on ice and with a theater background. That was me! So, I went outside with my husband and we went to film my figure skating abilities as it was the middle of winter in Montreal. We sent the video to Cirque du Soleil and it was an instant, YES! I got the role and we started, a couple months later, our North American tour for their new show called “Axel”. It was a pure success until… the pandemic hit!
We were sent back home and this gave me the opportunity to create one of the biggest podcast on Youtube about the world of puppetry: the “Puppet Podcast”. This helped me to keep motivating puppeteers from all around the world during the lockdowns and I was even able to teach hundreds of puppeteers on how to continue to offer their shows online.
In 2022, that “Puppet Podcast” adventure gave birth to a book called “Living From Your Art” on Amazon that my husband wrote with my help. The purpose of that book was to use everything we had learned throughout my years of success as a professional puppeteer and to help any other kind of artist achieve the same kind of success.
Soon after that, we had our little girl Athena (she is now 3 years old) who came into our life and we then started to travel a bit more for work and for spiritual retreats in the UK and the US. This is when, a year ago, I had the opportunity to audition for the Disney and Cirque du Soleil collaboration show called “Drawn to Life” in Orlando, Florida. I was selected to be one of the main characters, so we decided to leave Canada for this new American adventure, and we packed our stuff and drove to Orlando in March 2024.
And here I am on Orlando Voyager and the rest is history…!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Actually, when I finished my college degree in acting and theater, I have to admit that I was pretty lost… In those kinds of school programs, they teach you how to act but they do not tell you how to create a successful and prosperous career; you have to kind of figure it out by yourself. Lots of ups and downs were part of my life for many many years, until I stumbled upon some self-help books that literally took me out of my “roller-coaster” life pattern for good. This is when things started to really take off for me and that I actually started to figure out in which field I wanted to work: the entertainment industry.
Since that time, I met my husband, Elie, and he became my partner in all of my projects and endeavors. Because of our team, I am now at the top of my career and I cannot thank him enough for all the support and the help he has given me so far, and that he still gives me every single day. I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to work in the art industry, to find a partner or a very good friend who will support you all along the way to make the right decisions. Make sure it is someone who really believes in you and who is not constantly criticizing you.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Well, I summarized it well, but what I could say is that I am now very much focused on giving back to others. All my life, I had the chance of meeting incredible people who showed me how to learn new crafts (stilts, giant puppetry, make-up, etc.) and all of these skills that I learned along the way gave me the wonderful life that I have right now. Working for Cirque du Soleil is like a dream and I would not change this for any other job in the world.
So, my focus now is mainly to connect with more and more artists and to help them with whatever kind of advice they need to succeed. I also sometimes go into schools and do presentations about the art of puppetry. One booklet I loved to give is called “The Way to Happiness” that is a non-religious moral code based on common sense. That book literally changed my view point toward life 13 years ago and I want others to have success like I did.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Living from your art from Élie Castonguay
Sell or Be Sold from Grant Cardone
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.puppetpodcast.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinebernierdionne/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caroline.bernierdionne/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CarolineBernierDionne
Image Credits
Scott Bucher for the Casting Picture.
Photo on stage @Cirque du Soleil
