About me
I see modeling as a transformation...A unique way to create a character, an image, or even an idea... It’s beyond simply standing there and posing...It’s about expressing emotions and feeling something deeper and connecting with my audience.
I was born in Ukraine but moved to the United States in my late teens. I eventually settled in Austin, Texas and never looked back! However, I still have extensive family in Ukraine and visit them often. Though I am an American now, my Ukrainian roots run deep and people often compliment my unique look as my Slavic origins tend to stand out here.
Modeling Experience:
While living in Ukraine, I modeled for numerous companies, did fashion shows and appeared in a few ads. I gained a huge amount of experience which helped build my confidence and understanding of being in front of a camera. When I moved to the U.S., modeling wasn’t my first priority. I focused on learning the English language because I had decided to pursue a degree in business so my long term future would be secure. After settling in Austin, I was signed by a local talent agency and received a few interesting modeling and acting jobs. Among them, I was a stand in for an actress in the feature film Grindhouse directed by Robert Rodriguez, which sparked my interest in acting and left me wanting to pursue more opportunities in the film industry. However, I could not dedicate much of my time to modeling and acting because of school and studying in pursuit of my degree. After graduating, I was torn between my long term goals of working in corporate finance and my artistic side that was searching to express itself through numerous artistic endeavors in photography, dancing, and acting.
Acting
After being on the Grindhouse set and experiencing all that goes into making a film, it opened my mind to the possibility of an acting career. I started taking classical acting classes around my work schedule under the tutelage of Babs George of the Shakespeare Theatre and David Cox, who teaches Meisner's technique of acting and philosophy about life behind the scenes. I made my movie debut in the small budget film called “The End”, which was submitted to the 2014 South by Southwest Music and Film Festival for the independent short films category. It was very difficult, but I really enjoyed the experience and I promised myself that it was only the beginning. Today, I continue to work on my acting skills by taking various training classes and am currently working on a new feature film in addition to a short film with two local directors.
Hobby and Interests:
I really enjoy dancing and although I am not a professional dancer, I trained for professional figure skating in elementary school and they are quite similar. After all, figure skating is basically dancing on ice! Along with my interest in dance, I have started taking English style horseback riding and it’s been an exciting and thrilling experience! It also makes you appreciate the power and magnificence of those wonderful animals!