Some day I hope to write more about this but in the meantime, people can find out more about the evolution of skating through my coloring book entitled: "The History of Skating". I also hope to find collaborators that are interested in exploring these theories through performance art and to produce a piece of work that could be enjoyed by all ages and backgrounds.
As a child, I was mostly
self-taught, imitating and improvising any chance I got. Lessons were out of
the question as my parents struggled to give all five children classical
French educations in the best private Lycees in Montreal. As part of the
extra-curricular activities we had access to, I excelled in advanced
gymnastics training and performing in school productions in theatre, music
and dance. Once in high school I got my best friends to join me in running
for President of the student body and organized many activities including
numerous shows, sugaring-off parties, inter-school dances; we also were
activists and got the tunic banned as school uniform. We created the first
school radio (fund raised money for the system), the first year book, as
well as a smoking room for the students that we painted and decorated with a
beautiful mural.
Kathleen McDougall (who held the position of secretary but did much more
than keep records) had studied classical Ballet for years and was a very
talented choreographer and seamstress. Kathleen would create dance pieces
that she would choreograph for the shows we were producing. She would make
all of her able friends learn the steps and create and sew our costumes. One
of our other friends Dad’s was a professional theatre producer and helped us
hone our skills as producers; he taught us how to put on a good show. So for
years, we created these fun variety shows and rocked the house singing and
playing music, putting on skits and dancing to cool tunes written by the
latest and the greatest including: Elton John, Jethro Tull, Earth, Wind and
Fire and many others. Later, Kathleen encouraged me to try her Ballet class
with Angie Frank who was an inspiring teacher, who had enjoyed a successful
career as a professional dancer in New York in her younger days. I was invited
to follow the class due to my extensive training in Figure Skating and
Gymnastics; I was automatically "grandfathered" into the advanced class and
was thrilled about it. I took to Ballet like a fish takes to water and
participated in a few of the year-end dance shows that Angie produced every
end of season. Meanwhile, I was still skating three to four times a week and
taking every dance class I could. In Angie's class, I met other dancers who
taught other forms of dance including Modern and Contemporary dance and took
classes with them as well.
I finally decided to make a career of performance art and ended up at
Concordia University in the Contemporary Dance program in the fall of '90.
Unfortunately, I was burning the candle at both ends so to speak and had to
take a break... I had been running two skating schools which I had founded
in '82 ("The Alternative Skating School for Adults" and "Loisirs Patinage"
for Children, teaching skating for McGill and the University of Montreal
(since '79) and was producing, directing and choreographing pieces for my
Ice Theatre company (founded in '86) for the contracts I was fetching from
the City of Montreal and other surrounding municipalities in free public
performances during Winter Carnivals; professional representations of the
History of Skating show. We most often performed on outdoor ice and once, on
artificial ice for the opening of the new Rockefeller style plaza ice rink
in downtown Montreal (1000 de la Gauchetiere) for which many of my program
ideas were used (to not say stolen) to promote skating to the public . Added
to it all, I was still performing personally on TV and for private
contracts; one of my most memorable experiences was when I've worked the
hardest in my life, in a ten day stint on the Ottawa Rideau canal for the
Winterlude Carnival. A barrel jumping, juggling skating friend of mine asked
me to help him choreograph a 20 minute 2 man show that we would perform four
times a day. Boy oh boy! Was it hard to perform in the gusting, freezing
cold weather but I knew I had found my calling...to work everyday in such a
physical way was everything I had ever wanted and I knew I had "arrived".
So in '92, I moved to the Vineyard to catch my breath and became involved in
the Theatre and Dance communities where I worked with the likes of Lisa
Elliot, Jenny Abbot and Gwen Natusch in Theatre; Bill and Cathy Costanza of
Vineyard Dance, Megan Grennan and the Yard, an above average organization
that is a colony for dancers, predominantly fueled by the work and
performers of New York, top shelf professionals. Initially I took classes as
often as I could until I got pregnant with my son Spencer and finances had
me practicing on my own. As an annual participant of the Built on Stilts
dance choreographer's forum, I have created many pieces that were
choreographed and performed over the years including solos, duets and group
numbers that express what it has been like being a performing artist. Some
day I would like to compile some of my pieces into a one woman show that
speaks to other women and their plights to fulfill their dreams.
More to follow.
~ Corinne