Tatsiana Lazouskaya, Acting in English and French Student in Paris
- Can you tell us about your background before starting your studies in the Acting in English Department at Cours Florent in Paris?
I was born and raised in Belarus where I got two Master’s degrees: one in English teaching and the other one in Linguistics and interpreting. In Paris I got my License 3 in International Commerce at Paris-Sorbonne IV. Even if my education and diplomas seem to have nothing in common with acting, this experience was priceless in understanding the characters I was playing as well as working on my stage presence. I can say without any doubt that any experience outside of Cours Florent is priceless, because that’s what makes us unique.
What do you remember about your first / second / third year at Cours Florent?
I would call the first year “A Discovery”. I had no notion of acting before attending Cours Florent, so I was diving into the unknown and discovering my own body as an instrument as well as my own potential thanks to Marie-Aline Roule who was extremely patient and encouraging.
The second year was “pushing the limits and breaking the barriers”. I found out how much further I can go in acting and I began to fight against self-censorship on stage. I was very lucky to work with Hugues Boucher in my 2nd year in French, as he was not only teaching me how to act, but also how to be a decent human.
During the third year I was completely lost. I suddenly lost confidence and was questioning everything I was doing or even thinking. Isabelle Duperray was there to help me get a clearer image of myself as an actress and find my way of acting. And it’s only during the 3rd year that I came to realize that I really want to be an actress and WHY.
- You received the Prix François Florent International - Acting Femmes 2017. Could you tell us what this meant for you?
To be honest, I didn’t even know how one could get a prize at Cours Florent, so I never aspired to get one. Receiving the Prix François Florent International showed me that what I do, all the work I do on my own has a value to people, and that it’s not just fun and pastime. The prize was a proof to me that I’m not too small to make changes and that my voice can be heard. We all need praise and support to go on fighting for our dreams. It was not the Prize itself, but the love and appreciation I received from Francois Florent that I value the most.
- What advice would you give a future student at Cours Florent?
There is one rule that always works for me: the day/moment I feel the least like going on stage or working on my scene/character (because I’m tired, sick, I’m overwhelmed with my problems) is actually the BEST moments to do it. These are the moments when I’m very vulnerable and sensitive which makes it easier to go deeper and make beautiful discoveries, both professional and personal.
- I would say it’s vital never to compare ourselves to other people and judge our progress on the scale of other people’s success. We all have our own way, so just be patient and persistent.
- Stay hungry for getting better and learning, don’t rest on the laurels.
- Don’t judge or blame yourself for failures. There is no good or bad experience, it’s just an experience.
- Dream big. Give yourself a chance to really see what you want to become. In the worst case, you’ll stay exactly the way you are right now. So, you don’t take too much risk.
- One of the most important things: enjoy the process. You never know where exactly you will get in the end, so just take pleasure living every moment.
- Do you have any ongoing projects or upcoming ones?
I discovered a passion for writing and am currently working on several scripts. Apart from that, I’m looking for an agent as that’s one of the basic things to do for an actor. I am taking as many acting classes and going to as many castings outside Florent as possible. Anyway, I know that it’s just the beginning and I still have a lot of things to learn.