Meet Our June Client of the Month: Gabriela Jovian-Mazon
Trying to build a sustainable career as an artist can feel overwhelming—especially without a clear path or support system. Meet Gabriela Jovian-Mazon and discover how she navigated uncertainty, built her own opportunities, and turned her passion into a thriving career.
From Engineering to the Stage
Gabriela Jovian-Mazon, aka Ellégance, is a theatrical and character-driven dance artist known for her authenticity and commitment to community. Her career spans international tours, contemporary dance productions, and deep involvement in the Punking-Whacking scene.
Creating Her Own Path
Without formal dance training, Gabriela built her own curriculum—attending classes, performing whenever possible, and embracing every opportunity to grow. Today, she celebrates over 10 years as a professional artist, continuously evolving and contributing to her artistic community.
Get inspired by Gabriela’s Journey and see how determination, community support, and the right resources can help transform your creative career.
When did you start your artistic journey, and what were some of your goals when you started?
Dance has always been a part of my life. At 3 years old, I was already on stage with Mexican folklore in the same company as my mom. It was only after completing my bachelor’s in engineering (and struggling to find an office job) that I began to explore dance as a potential career. My goal back then was to do and learn as much as I could; I was seeking to become a well-rounded and versatile dancer. I would attend as many dance classes as I could, and I would say yes to any performing opportunity. Since I did not have a formal dance education, I created my own curriculum.
What stage are you at now? How has your practice evolved?
I just recently celebrated 10 years as a professional artist! While I still feel I have so much to learn, I have gained so many wonderful experiences and skills, and feel proud to be doing this every day. Within dance, I have specialized in Punking-Whacking, a queer club culture dance. This community has become my family and my North Star. Within this style, I teach, choreograph, compete, travel and organize events. I have also had the chance to work in various performing art forms, from puppeteering, clowning, and contemporary dance. My practice has evolved in that I take a very active role in the Punking-Whacking community now and choreograph a lot more.
What were/are your biggest struggles?
In my early career, I built a strong ‘saying yes’ muscle, and so now I am working on streamlining and knowing when to say no. I am also working on finding a routine. With schedules that are dictated by projects and events, some days start early, others end late, and sometimes it’s both. Another struggle is sharing my work online! Once a project is done, I would love to take a moment to celebrate and share that on social media or my website. I have many videos and photos that have never seen the light.
You’ve been a YES client for several years now. Do you remember what your motivation for joining was? Was there a problem or challenge you were experiencing?
I actually joined in 2020 during the pandemic. There was an online program called Connecting Creative Youth Through the Arts, and we had access to workshops on branding, networking, finances, and grant writing. The pandemic was a moment for me to reflect on whether I wanted to continue in the arts. While I had many moments of hesitation, it ended up being a moment to deepen my craft. I eventually embarked on a daily project where I made a dance video almost every day.
What have you gained as a result of using our services?
When deciding to continue working as a dancer, I was definitely reassured by the YES workshops that provided tools and guidance in navigating this career. I distinctly remember learning grant writing skills, which helped me obtain many grants afterwards.
What I have appreciated the most, however, is the Artist Coaching. Major shout-out to Stacey Lavender! She has helped me so much in planning for the future and keeping an eye on the long-term vision. As an artist, there is so much invisible work that we do and manage alone; it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Having a coach helps to get out of the feeling of urgency and take concrete actions towards our goals. I am really grateful to have Stacey to bounce ideas with. She offers tremendous support by listening and guiding me to find solutions. Thank you, Stacey!
Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share?
I would love to take this moment to celebrate and share my current wins!
Recently, I got back from a dance trip to East Asia supported by a Canada Council for the Arts Micro-grant! I had been planning this trip for over a year and remember many coaching sessions planning it. Stacey often reviews my application drafts, including another recent win, the Trellis Grant! The grant will support a Punking-Whacking battle Wild Card in Montreal this fall. Nothing is announced yet but to stay tuned you can follow me on Instagram.
If you are curious to see my choreographic work, Find Your Light will be touring Quebec in early 2027, details here.
And if you are curious to learn more about Punking-Whacking, either by taking a class, joining a party, or watching a battle, our Instagram page releases a calendar each month so you don’t miss a thing, click here! https://instagram.com/mtl.waacking
I have to say that all of these projects were influenced by the support I have from YES. It is hard to imagine managing this career without their resources. So thank you YES!
Photo credit: Sarah Steben
To learn more about our services for Artists, click here.