Conversations with Karolina Larion

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karolina Larion.

Hi Karolina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Ukraine and grew up in Berlin, Germany. Since I was a child, I was always on the artsy side of life doing pottery, having painting classes, learning how to play the violin and doing kid’s theater. One of my biggest passions is dancing Latin American ballroom dances professionally for over 15 years! When I was five years old, I told my parents I want to become an actress but they thought it would be just one of my childhood fantasies. Growing up I felt that a piece of me was missing, no matter what I was doing. Eventually, I realized that I needed to give acting a real shot, otherwise I would regret it for the rest of my life. After I finished my Bachelor of Arts in European Media Science and saying a bitter goodbye to dancing I moved to NYC to pursue acting. You have only one life, so you might as well use it to chase your dreams!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road but that’s alright because that’s how you grow! It’s important to embrace challenges and make the best out of it! It was very tough to move to NYC to begin with, especially if you’re so crazy like me and just come here without ever even stepping a foot on American ground before! Adapting to the fast pace lifestyle, speaking a foreign language the whole time and not being shy because of your accent, the culture shock and the tough acting business were a few of many challenges. After graduating from my acting conservatory AADA, I found myself in this weird “in between pandemic and nonpandemic “ time, where a lot of auditions and acting were still over zoom. It was really hard to find acting work, so I had to start building my network. Eventually, I became part of a company at the American Theater Of Actors, which gave me a platform to express myself artistically in many different roles! Since then, things have been really picking up! As everyone says, persistence is the key!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a classical trained and experienced actress and dancer who constantly looks for ways to combine those two art forms together and create magic. Something I’m really proud of are my roots and my cultural background. Growing up in a Russian-speaking household in Germany, which was very normal for Ukrainians by the way, I was exposed to different cultures very early in my life. I always had the desire to be able to speak multiple languages, which is why I was determined to become fluent in German and English. I also added French later on to my list and have nowadays a lot of fun experimenting around with different accents. Another thing that makes me unique is my talent and my burning passion for Latin American ballroom dances. Back in Germany I competed constantly and was very successful in the dancing world. Expressing your soul through your body is truly a beautiful thing and I want to continue doing that here in NYC while bringing in some influences from Europe!

How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy is my decision to completely turn my life around, take a leap of faith and move to NYC to follow my dreams! Although it was bittersweet to give up my dancing career, I clearly feel like I‘m on the right path with everything that I‘m doing here. Doing what I love is a privilege and I‘m happy to not be stuck in a job or life that I can’t stand. Life is way too short for that! Oh… and chocolate makes me happy too!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.backstage.com/u/karolina-larion/
• Instagram: Karolina Larion (@karolinalarion) • Instagram photos and videos https://www.instagram.com/karolinalarion/?hl=en

Image Credits
Stephanie Verstraten Sconi Piladi Fotografie Luana Seu Nicole Hagan Jay Peterson