A cultural, community friendly centre of learning offering classes in classical ballet, modern and contemporary dance in our building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Louise Bédard Dancer/Choreographer
OTTAWA September 25, 2011: The School of Dance welcomes renowned Canadian dancer/choreographer, Louise Bédard, as its Artist in Residence from September 12 to 30, 2011. Ms Bédard is the first of four guest choreographers working with The School’s Contemporary Dance Programme during Season 33.
During her three weeks in residence, Ms. Bédard will create a new work for The School’s second and third year contemporary dance students. The new piece will become a major part of the Contemporary Dance Programme repertoire to be performed in both public performances and special student matinees during Season 33.
“An extremely talented dancer and choreographer, Louise Bédard is at the forefront of Canadian contemporary dance,” says Sylvie Desrosiers, Director of Contemporary Dance Studies at The School. “Exploring her intricate and detailed world is inspiring to the students. She leads them with great insight in the discovery of a fully engaging dance creation.”
“Working with these young dancers is a great way to discover tomorrow’s dance artists; what is intriguing to them, what touches their soul, what resonates in their world,” Louise Bédard says. “My role is to offer them an experience that allows the discovery of new perspectives in the realization of their artistic and expressive potential.”
In celebration of the nation-wide Culture Days, the piece, with introductory remarks by Louise Bédard, will be performed at the launch of The School's 2011 ISO 200 series on Friday, September 30 at 3:00pm in the Celia Franca Studio of The School of Dance, 200 Crichton Street, Ottawa. The new work will also be performed in December in TRACES, the second instalment of The School’s 2011 New Contemporary Dance Series.
For more information please contact:
Sylvie Desrosiers, B.F.A., C. Ed.
Director of Contemporary Dance Studies
With a career spanning over thirty years, Louise Bédard, both a dancer and a choreographer, has seen her singular work and artistic signature recognized by various awards and distinctions. She has danced for such outstanding dance creators as Jeanne Renaud, Jean-Pierre Perreault, Paul-André Fortier, Ginette Laurin, Daniel Léveillé and Sylvain Émard. As a choreographer herself, she has created more than thirty works, mostly for her own company, Louise Bédard Danse, but also for many other artists of all generations. Through her work both as a dancer and a choreographer, she thrives on investigating the very essence of movement. The language of her choreography describes the complexity and fragility of the human condition with poetry, humour, and irony, and this gives rise to works that are intense, impressed with an inexhaustible drive for authenticity, and great expressive force.