Kat Harlton
Photos: Fabian Di Corcia
Vita Love is one of three members of the Toronto Drag family, “The Haus of Love,” alongside, Xtacy Love and Priyanka, and Vita recently released their single “Let It Crash” on June 16th.
Vita can regularly be seen performing in a number of LGBTQ+ establishments in Toronto. Vita was seen at last year’s Prism event “Revivial” as the opening act for Toronto’s largest and final Pride party. Vita can be seen on “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” on Paramount Plus and as a featured dancer in “Glamorous,” which recently premiered on Netflix.
Vita was an ensemble cast member of “Rock of Ages” at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre. Vita danced as one of the members of a Toronto based Contemporary ballet company, “Pro Arte Danza” under the direction of Roberto Campanella. Pre-drag, Vita was on tour with Cirque du Soleil’s VOLTA as the principal character, “Waz” and part of Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA as the principal character, “The Trickster”.
I had the opportunity to chat with Vita Love about their musical journey so far, what they’ve learned along the way, and what’s next.
Kat: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your music journey so far?
Vita Love: I grew up in a very music household, both of my parents being musicians. I learned some instruments as a kid alongside being a dancer, and really found my connection to music as a mover. As a vocalist, I trained through middle school, but put the skill aside to pursue my dance and acrobatic career as the star of 2 touring Cirque du Soleil productions around the world. Just recently (January-May 2023), I was given the opportunity to be a part of More Entertainments “Rock of Ages”, where I got the chance to sing 80s rock music 5 days a week for 5 months. What a blessing! In doing so, I got the chance to absorb energy and confidence from some of Canada’s top musical theatre talent. That energy brought the creation and strength that is “LET IT CRASH!”
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your new single “Let It Crash” released via So Fierce Music.
Vita Love: We have all been through times where we didn’t feel strong, worthy or able to move on. Sometimes, those moments appear because we don’t believe in ourselves, we agree to take in the unkindness of others and we end up blocking the blessings that the universe has in store for us. It is through those times of adversity and struggle, that we choose to find our strength, believe that we have the power to be exactly who we were meant to be and live as authentically as we can. “I could never see the sun until I found the dark.” I didn’t start experiencing true happiness until my life came into contact with some real hurting and struggle.
We get this chance to see the world through different lenses and perspectives, and in turn, we are enriched with gratitude for what we have and who we have become following that growth. The more we get to learn about the world around us, we learn so much more about ourselves. We believe in our divinity and connection to the universe, believing that if we trust in our hearts true path, the universe will bring us exactly where we need to be. We become more giving of ourselves to those who bask in the warmth of our light, while harnessing the skill to protect our own light at all costs. This mighty feeling provides the world with an energy like no other, and it mustn’t go to waste. Let your thunder crash, let your lightning strike, and let your “reign” wash down like the queen you are. Live Loud, Live Proud, Live with Love!
Kat: What do you hope fans take from the new track?
Vita Love: I want everyone, young, old, introverted, extroverted to feel empowered by the metaphor of letting your thunder crash. I want people to feel strong in who they are and relate to the journey of having to build one’s self back up to power and to continue spreading that message of loud, unapologetic authenticity. I, then, want that power to make them dance their faces off! It’s a bop!
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far and what have you learned along the way that you would like to share with other aspiring artists and creators?
Vita Love: Releasing my first original track that I was able to write alongside the amazing Velvet Code is a pretty huge career highlight! One of the biggest and most defining moments of my career thus far has been starring in 2 Cirque du Soleil Productions as the Lead Character. Those 6 years on tour allowed me to broaden my skill sets from working with multidisciplinary artists from all over the world. I took myself from a dancer/acrobat to a well rounded dancer, acrobat, actor, aerialist, vocalist and over all, a bold presence on stage. I learned two very important lessons through this time. First, TALENT IS TALENT. These skills we have as artists are transferable between different disciplines of art. The number of parallels I can draw between the technical training of dancing, acting, singing and beyond is amazing. It just takes the strength to know it is available to you because you believe it is. Second, no matter how big your dream is, DREAM BIGGER. I had wanted nothing but to star in a Cirque du Soleil show since I was 5 years old. At 21 years old, I achieved that goal and made my dream a reality. It was at that point I realized that I sold myself short in my own mind. This was all I ever wanted and I never entertained the idea that I was able to do so much more. I learned how to dream again, I learned how to fantasize about the kind of artist I could evolve into next. Upon further training, a multitude of spiritual journeys and inspirations from so many incredible people, VITA LOVE was birthed.
Kat: What else are you currently working on now, and what can we expect from you for the balance of 2023?
Vita Love: Well, I loved creating “LET IT CRASH,” so the plan is to make MORE! I am enjoying the process of exploring more truths about myself and putting those into lyrics to bring a song to life. Other than that, you can see me performing all over southern Ontario and beyond this year! Follow my instagram and LinkTree in bio for all VITA LOVE updates!
Instagram: @thestarvitalove