Who is Enola Bédard? For Generation Z, the answer to this question is patently obvious. Enola is the Quebec queen of the social network TikTok with some 16.5 million subscribers (in comparison, Celine Dion has “only” 2.6 million). Her talent and showcase have allowed her to collaborate on social media with stars like Nicki Minaj, Usher, Shania Twain and – most recently – Jennifer Lopez.
Fans of Revolution, at TVA, will also be able to put it back by delving into their memories: Enola Bédard competed in the first two seasons of the show, in 2018 and 2019, then barely out of adolescence. In 2019, she suffered a heartbreaking elimination on waivers despite an admirable performance.
“From 17 to 20, I tried so hard to break into the industry,” remembers Enola, contacted this week at her home in Los Angeles. I even tried to do So You Think You Can Dance. The judges told me no, because I didn’t have enough technique.
For years, I wasn’t technically advanced enough to do these shows.
Enola Bedard
“I experienced a lot of rejection and questioning,” says Enola, now 23 years old. Am I made for this environment? Should I change careers? But a little voice told me: “Enola, there is something bigger waiting for you and you must never give up”. »
Cette petite voix avait raison. Ça roule pour Enola. Elle a performé à l’émission World of Dance. Elle a remporté deux années de suite un prix en danse aux Streamy Awards, un gala qui récompense les productions web. Et début janvier, elle a surpris ses abonnés en publiant une vidéo où elle danse en duo avec nulle autre que Jennifer Lopez. C’est l’équipe de la superstar qui a communiqué avec la créatrice de contenu québécoise pour lui proposer cette collaboration. Le but était de promouvoir sur les réseaux sociaux le nouveau single de J. Lo, Can’t Get Enough.
« Son équipe a vu mes vidéos, probablement celles que j’ai faites sur les chansons de Jennifer Lopez », raconte Enola. La célèbre chanteuse a passé environ deux heures avec elle, d’abord pour lui enseigner la chorégraphie choisie par l’équipe de la star, puis pour enregistrer la vidéo d’une minute.
PHOTO MATT PARSON, FOURNIE PAR ENOLA BÉDARD
Enola Bédard
[Jennifer Lopez] is one of my biggest inspirations, because she knows where she’s going. This is also the direction I want to take.
Enola Bedard
Enola accepts it: her goal is to go on tour with her own songs. Because in addition to dancing, Enola sings. She also released two singles originals in recent months, Yes, Please! And It burns, effective pop songs that she wrote herself. She dreams of a full album, this year or next. “I think anything is possible if you put in the work,” she says.
Enola is not idle. She takes three dance classes, three singing classes, and one to two acting classes every week. She writes songs. And, of course, with Montreal videographer Justin Corbo, she creates on average 20 videos per week to feed her social networks. We see her dancing in public on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on the Santa Monica Pier, in Old Quebec (when she visits her parents!), or even repeating the choreographies of stars like Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. “I’m not afraid to dance in public, to step out of my comfort zone, and that’s what allowed me to stand out,” she says.
A full-time job
Enola posts on TikTok all the time, even when she’s working on major projects (last year, she created the choreography and starred in the music video Giddy Up!, by Shania Twain). Doesn’t this imperative to produce videos create pressure?
“When I started making videos, during the pandemic, I didn’t really realize that it’s a full-time job,” agrees Enola. Even if I have a big platform, I have to think about how to get views, how to go viral, how to always go higher, but without losing sight of my art, dance. »
“So I have to find that balance,” she continues. Yes, it comes with a little pressure, but in the end, I really like it. »
It’s not always easy, Enola agrees, but she recalls that to get there, she mowed the lawn 60 hours a week with her father and sold chocolate on the weekends with her mother. “I can’t complain, because before, I would have given everything to do what I’m doing right now. I say to myself: “Enola, you got this”. »