Corpuscule Danse

Choreographer : Johanne Madore
Music: Paul Hubert, Lak Mé de Delibes, Kid Koala
Dancers: France Geoffroy, Martine Lusignan, Isaac Savoie

France Geoffroy always wanted to dance. In 1991, when she was 17 years old, she signed up for dance in college. Classes were to start on August 21, but on the 17th, in a diving mishap, her body was shattered, destroying any chance she had to become a dancer. Despite the verdict of paralysis in all four extremities, Ms. Geoffroy soon realized that the sacred passion for dance still burned bright within her. In 1994, she met Valérie Dean, a specialist in movement and a circus performer. This encounter was to be crucial, because, under Valérie’s watchful eye and support, Ms. Geoffrey was to become reconciled with her body and to dance once again. In 1997, she returned to college and completed a degree in art, with a major in dance. She also studied the Bartenieff technique and contact dance improvisation. Among the experiences that were to be the most formative for her, were several internships with the internationally renowned integrated dance company, CandoCo, in London. She also worked with Kuldip Singh-Barmi, formerly a dancer with CandoCo. In 2001, Ms. Geoffroy founded her integrated dance company Corpuscule Danse with two professional dancers from Quebec, Martine Lusignan and Isaac Savoie.

Martine Lusignan put on her first pink ballerina tights at the age of four. When she was six, she entered the École Supérieure de Danse du Québec (“Quebec Academy of Dance”) and graduated from there at age 17. Through this school, she discovered her passion for dance, her fascination for the human body and the benefits of discipline. But she also experienced frustration over the limits of this body and the disappointments of a world where fame does not always go hand in hand with talent and perseverance. Due to a serious injury, she had to delay for more than a year before entering the intensive dance program for pre-professionals at the National Ballet School of Canada. She made her debut as a professional ballerina in 1997 at the National Ballet of Canada. In 1999, she left that prestigious company and returned to Montreal to explore different styles of dance. As a freelance artist, she danced with the Grand Ballets Canadiens, the Montreal Opera, the Banff Center and Ballet Ouest. She took part in choreographic workshops as a dancer and choreographer and became initiated into new techniques. She also shared her knowledge, her skills and her understanding of dance in many places as a teacher. Then, between two projects, she met Ms. Geoffroy, who invited her to go to London to study integrated dance with CandoCo. After their trip, they founded, along with Isaac Savoie, Corpuscule Danse. In 2001, Ms. Lusignan was invited to replace an injured dancer with the Ballets Jazz de Montréal. A few months later, she joined that company as a permanent member. In 2003, after dancing on the international stage with the Ballets Jazz de Montréal, she left the company to devote more time to Corpuscule and other projects.

Isaac Savoie is a leading specialist in improvisational dance. Enriched by an impressive array of experience, he has practiced yoga, tai chi, feldenkrais (awareness of the body), underwater dancing and gymnastics. He teaches the rudiments of integrated dance with Corpuscule Danse and is likewise involved in its performances as a designer, choreographer and performer. It was in 1985 that he made his debut in the world of dance and discovered his passion for expression through gestures and freedom of movement. At the time he was engaged in various related activities and regularly took part in weekly and international “jams,” before taking up studies in improvisation dance in 1988 with Louis Guillemette. Later he was a performer with the folklore dance company Ballet of the Americas from 1993 to 1998, where he explored various forms of dance. In 1997, he joined the group Les Garçons, led by Louis Guillemette, performing at the International Dance Day, Moment’Hommes at the Espace Tangente, and at the opening reception of Studio 303, among other events. In 2002, he returned to his first love, namely folklore dancing, with the company Les Gens de mon pays (“The folks from my country”), and with them he went on tour in Poland in the summer of 2002, to represent the province of Quebec. It was after that experience that Mr. Savoie joined Corpuscule Danse, with the primary goal of demystifying the unique dance form that is known as integrated dance through his teaching and theatrical performances.

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6/10/04: 2004 International VSA arts Festival

2004 International VSA arts Festival: Corpuscule Danse has a strong interest in the social integration of people with disabilities and the development of a new trend in professional dance training. Joint Forces Dance Company contributes to the evolution of contemporary dance and its unique ability to change attitudes about disability.

2004 International VSA arts Festival

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