A true character to hard work, persistence, and amazing talent is Marie Bonnevay aka Marie Poppins. Marie is undeniably an inspiration and exactly what Mateo Magazine represents. She believes in what she does and she never gives up hope. Here is a bit of her story that she shared with us.

Mateo Magazine: What is/are your passion(s)?
Marie Poppins: Dance is my passion. I started young with Jazz, but I found my identity as a dancer when I discovered Hip Hop when I was 18. I fell in love with its freedom, its culture its principles. I started learning different styles: Locking, Breaking, house, choreography. But my favorite style became Popping. I focused mainly on this art form and I was really determined to get better and better.

MM: Why do you choose this road?
MP: It took me a while to decide that I wanted to be a professional dancer, because making a living out of what you love the most is very difficult. You have to take distance and not to take things personal. I made this choice because dance is the main thing I love to do, and I want to show my art form and inspire people. When you have a regular job, you can still dance, but it is harder to achieve some of your biggest dreams. Since I was a child, I felt like I wanted to perform on stage, dance on TV and live with passion. I was dancing for fun when I was in France, but I got more into it when I came into the United States. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Chicago, and I entered a crew called Stick and Move. From there, I knew I just wanted to dance. Then I moved to Los Angeles to live the dream.

MM: What are you working on right now?
MP: I am currently working with Anthony Thomas for his 20 minutes piece of Rhythm Nation, Janet Jackson. I am casted for the movie “Battle BBOY” directed by Franck Lin which mixes Bboying and Popping with Martial Arts. Finally I am working on another independent film called “My name is Seven”. At the same time, I am training for battles and other competitions coming soon such as Freestyle Session and Juste Debout.

MM: What were your successes?
MP: Recently, I won BBOY SUMMIT 2011, which is one of the biggest Hip Hop Festivals and running for more than 10 years. I also won the World Popping Battle at Hip Hop International 2009. In 2008, my all female popping crew, Foreign Exchange and I won Freestyle Session. I was part of We Are Heroes, winner of America’s Best Dance Crew 4. I danced for artists such as Common and Ludacris, Snoop Doggy Dogg, KRS One and Minus the Bear. Last year I earned my Master's Degree in International Business in Mexico, Tec de Monterrey, where I also taught Master Classes and judged competitions such as Hip Hop International Mexico 2010. I will be judging Hip Hop International Brazil and Uruguay.

MM: What trials and tribulations have you gone through?
MP: When you decide to live as an artist, you have to be prepared to live the most amazing moments but the worse ones as well. Your life is pretty much like a roller coaster, but that is why I love it. The industry is so tough. You have to hustle all the time without giving up. It's not only talent but also about promoting yourself, networking, and spreading your name. At the beginning, I didn’t know all these things, I thought the best dancer will book the job, but I quickly saw the reality of it. It also depends on your look, on your vibe, on your character, and the casting director. One time I booked a commercial for a Japanese clothing line where I was supposed to go to Japan for a 10 day shoot. I was really excited, but the next day I received a call saying I got released because…I was too fat! They wanted really skinny girls. I thought it was the end of the world! But then you move on, and other great things happen. It is like a game, then you take it or you leave it. The most important thing is having fun and never taking it personal.

MM: Did you ever feel like giving up?
MP: So many times! That is why I went to school because I don’t want to rely only on my passion. I will love it all my life, but I wanted to be able to say “I quit” and rely on something else. But every time you say you want to give up, you can’t because you love what you do too much. It is easy to get insecure and wonder if you are good enough and if you can still handle the competition. But I just remember why I dance and I love the feeling of getting down, create new moves, inspire and getting inspired. Then the next day you forget the bad experience and you keep going!

MM: What would you tell others trying to reach their dreams?
MP: Don’t give up! It is just a matter of working hard, being focused, knowing what you want and loving what you do. The most important thing is having a plan. A winner is a plan, a loser is an excuse. It is hard but you definitely don’t want to live your whole life with a “what if I tried”. It is better to go for it, see what happens, and then move on if it is not working. But most of the time, if this is what you want, you will get it!