Spotlight on talent: Local teen working to become a triple threat

Pursuing a life in the limelight can be daunting.

Add in some anxiety, and that might make the dream of performing in any way remain a dream.

For Brennan Bielefeld, their attitude is to take that leap of faith.

“Do the things that scare you,” says Bielefeld.

The 17-year-old Georgian Bay Secondary School Grade 12 student is a multi-talented person who loves theatre, acting, singing, and writing their own music.

As a person that struggles with anxiety, Bielefeld knew that it might affect their acting.

“Before this summer, I wondered if I was too nervous to do this stuff,” admits the performer.

However, taking a page from the likes of Andrew Barth Feldman, a multi-talented performer who made his Broadway debut at 16 in Dear Evan Hansen, Bielefled is giving it their all.

It’s no surprise that Dear Evan Hansen is Bielefeld’s favourite musical since it is about a young person with anxiety.

One line from the show says it all: “All you gotta’ do Is just believe you can be who you wanna’ be.”

And, that’s just what Bielefeld is in the process of doing.

Being one of the only people excited that Mid Summer Night’s Dream was the school play last year, Bielefeld was cast as Oberon — King of the Fairies — one of the central characters in the play.

“I love Shakespeare, and this one is my favourites,” says Bielefeld.

After that success, in the last few years, Bielefeld has taken their talents to the small screen in commercials, and the stages of Toronto training and performing with the Taragon, Talk is Free, Shakespeare in the Ruff and Soulpepper theatres.

Since performing and learning alongside others interested in and working in the field, Bielefeld has a new perspective on performing.

While taking part in a summer program offered through Soulpepper theatre, Bielefled gained the confidence to teach his fellow performers a song with harmonies as a piece of performance art.

Bielefeld lists Ed Sheeran and Bon Iver as their major influences. They have performed at the Butter Tart Festival, Grounded, Quest Art Gallery and School, and various open mics around the area. Find their music on YouTube and Instagram.

When discussing their many talents, Bielefeld is matter of fact while naming each aspect of their diverse interests.

“I do a bunch of stuff within the theatre and the performance world — I act, sing, write my own music, and I direct and do some theatre making,” explains the teenager. 

“My one thing is that I could never dance,” laughs the self-deprecating performer.

“I love dance, but I was really bad at dance,” Bielefeld laughs, “People will say, ‘nobody’s bad at dance,’ but I was really bad.”

Last year, the Georgian Bay School of Dance started a teen musical theatre class, and Bielefeld sashayed into the opportunity to fine-tune their pas de bourrée.

This summer, Bielefled felt confident enough to take classes at the Underground Dance Centre in Toronto where all the classes are taught by professional dancers.

“With that I got to take a lot of contemporary dance, and a little bit of hip hop. It was definitely a challenge to keep up with them as a beginner,” explains Bielefeld.

“Everybody my age knew how to dance, and started as a toddler, so that was holding me back,” explains the teen of how they felt dancing with their peers.

“Then, in Toronto, I was in this space where nobody knows who I am, and I had a lot of fun.”

Apart from working on the dance moves, Bielefeld has no plans of slowing down, and hopes to move to Toronto to continue auditioning, and hopefully go to school for theatre or film.