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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, March 12, 2015 | 30 Lupien says The Next Step has been his `big break' Family Channel TV show returns for third season by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene "Connected to your Community" Although Isaac Lupien has been on television and in movies before, the Oakville native says his role on The Next Step has "definitely been (his) big break." "It has completely changed my life," said Lupien, whose first big roles were in the film Flash of Genius and TV's Sue Thomas F .B.EYE. "(The Next Step) has given me exposure to many more people in and outside of Canada. It exposed me more to acting as well, which is one of my passions. "Before The Next Step, I'd kind of gotten out of acting and this brought me back to it." The Next Step follows the lives of an elite group of young dancers who train at The Next Step Studio, as they balance the pressures of competition with the trials of growing up. The Canadian television series returns for its third season Monday (March 16) at 7:30 p.m. on Family Channel with new episodes airing every weeknight, leading up to the mid-season finale in April. Lupien stars as Eldon, a character he describes as a funny guy who has a lot of confidence when it comes to dancing, but not so much outside of the studio. "It's interesting to watch him switch between the two roles. For example, he'll go into a dance and `kill it', but then he'll talk to a girl and have no game at all," said Lupien, who has been a central character on The Next Step since its premiere in 2013. "You can see him struggle with relationships while he struggles with the incredibly high dance goals he sets for himself. He does eventually overcome his obstacles, but it takes him a while to get there." Oakville native Isaac Lupien has played the character Eldon on Family Channel's The Next Step since the show first aired in 2013. He credits the Canadian TV series with getting him back into acting. Lupien also teaches at Oakville's Canadian Dance Company, owned by his father Allain. | photo courtesy Family Channel An Oakville Trafalgar High School alum, Lupien now lives in Toronto; his parents still reside in Oakville. The 19-year-old started dancing at age two and first appeared on stage at 11 months old when one of the troupes at his family's studio, Canadian Dance Company (CDC), needed a prop baby for their dance. He has been trained in most styles of dance, such as hip hop, tap, ballet, gymnastics, musical theatre, jazz and contemporary, and featured on stages across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Lupien also teaches at the CDC, which is owned by his father Allain Lupien and where he grew up dancing. A bronze medallist at the 2008 International Dance Organization's World Championships in Germany, Lupien also was first overall teen dancer in the Showstopper American Dance Championships (2009), and named the senior first overall soloist at the Showstoppers American Dance Championships (2012). He has also trained with industry choreographers, such as Mia Michaels, Desmond Richardson and Mandy Moore. When asked where he sees his next big step, Lupien said he doesn't have a specific goal in mind, but wants to continue travelling the world performing through acting, dancing, producing music videos and films. "I want to try a lot in the entertainment industry, grow and expand, and do as many things as possible," he added. BIG MOVIES, SMALL PRICES! 171 Speers Road (at Kerr) Oakville 905-338-6397 www.film.ca facebook.com/filmca @FilmCaCinemas THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC CHAPPIE (14A) CINDERELLA (G) MARIGOLD HOTEL (PG) MARCH 6 MARCH 13 MARCH 6 INSURGENT (PG) MARCH 20 HOME (G) MARCH 20 Sign up for Cin-E-Mail and get a free popcorn! Get our showtimes and promos: cinemail.film.ca