From Living Heritage to the Stage: Key Insights for Programming Traditional Dance

Exact Schedule

• Thursday, June 4 from 1PM to 6:30PM
• Friday, June 5 from 9AM to 11:45AM

Following the official designation of the gigue as part of Québec’s intangible cultural heritage, La danse sur les routes du Québec, in partnership with Danse Trad Québec, is offering a training program for presenters and their teams.

This workshop introduces participants to various aspects of the gigue and, more broadly, Québec traditional dance: its history, its performance potential, and the many ways it can be mediated to audiences. Four instructors and a guest expert will guide you through two half-day training sessions, as well as a dance evening on June 4 with live music, where you can experience the unifying energy of this unique moment alongside seasoned traditional dance artists.

Objectives

• Acquire a basic vocabulary related to the history and practices of the gigue and Québec traditional dance.
• Distinguish, appreciate, and analyze the different approaches to these dances.
• Gain the knowledge needed to communicate effectively with audiences about the gigue and traditional dance.
• Deepen understanding of collaboration mechanisms with traditional dance artists to design audience engagement activities.
• Exchange ideas on innovative initiatives to integrate the gigue and Québec traditional dance into programming, taking into account their unique characteristics and subtleties.

Who is this training for ?

For presenters and their teams.

Instructors

Lük Fleury

Lük Fleury is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans theater, dance, and the gigue. Since the beginning of his career, his artistic practice has centered on a dialogue between tradition and modernity. He began performing in the 1980s with folkloric troupes: first with the Loups-Garous (1982–1984), then with the Éclusiers de Lachine (1985–2025), where he developed a strong foundation in traditional gigue.

From 1995 to 2003, he co-directed Théâtre Kafala, exploring the integration of gigue into actor training and staging two creations at Monument-National: Le Chœur des Silences (1997) and Richard moins III (1998). By the late 1990s, he shifted toward choreography, contributing actively to the development of contemporary gigue, presenting over seven works at Tangente between 1999 and 2007, primarily with the Fuxi Club.

In 2005, he co-founded BIGICO, a specialized presenter supporting the growth of the contemporary gigue movement, and has served as its artistic director for over fifteen years, advocating for an evolving, modernized form of gigue as an art form.

Since 2018, he has also led a series of choreographic projects focused on the concept of “science-fiction gigue.” Actively engaged in his community, he served on the board of the Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) from 2015 to 2024, co-chairing with Jamie Wright from 2017 to 2021.

Pierre Chartrand

Pierre Chartrand is recognized nationally and internationally as a dancer and teacher, dance historian and ethnologist, choreographer, gigueur, and caller. He began dancing in 1971 with the troupe Les Sortilèges. In the early 1980s, he taught in the undergraduate dance program at UQAM and obtained his Laban Movement Analysis and Writing certificate in 1987.

Between 1983 and 1987, he performed solo or in groups at various U.S. festivals (there were no such festivals in Quebec at the time). During this period, he also choreographed for multiple companies and productions, including Mackinaw, Les Sortilèges, Bons Diables, Les Pieds Légers, Les Loups-Garous, Les danseurs de Sainte-Marie, Radio-Québec, and Radio-Canada (winning the Anik Prize in 1982 for Le Temps d’une paix), as well as designing and directing the halftime choreography for the 1982 Grey Cup, involving 500 dancers.

In 1987, he went to France to pursue a master’s degree in dance at the Sorbonne (Paris IV) under the supervision of Jean-Michel Guilcher, an ethnologist and CNRS research master, which he completed in 1991. During his years abroad (1987–1991), he performed with various companies and groups, including Ris & Danceries (directed by Francine Lancelot, specializing in Baroque and Renaissance dance), Maître Guillaume (Renaissance dance), Marc Peronne’s group (folk music, primarily French and Quebecois), Les Maudzits Français (Francine Reeves, traditional Quebecois), and founded Les Maganés with Olivier Chérès and Benoît Reeves (traditional Quebecois).

Upon returning to Quebec, he founded Centre Mnémo, which has become a key resource in Quebecois traditional dance and music. He also resumed teaching in the undergraduate dance program at UQAM for several years, offered regular workshops in Quebec, led international training programs (France, Italy, England, U.S., Canada, Denmark, Taiwan), and continued choreographing for various companies. Additionally, he was one of the founders of the new traditional music program at Cégep de Lanaudière, where he taught for about ten years.

In the 2000s, he co-founded the company Danse Cadence withhis partner Anne-Marie Gardette, dedicated to traditional dance and early dance (Baroque, Renaissance, New France). Several productions emerged from this initiative, including the performance group Rapetipetam and the storytelling show La Chasse Galerie.

Pierre Chartrand has published around forty articles in various history and ethnology journals, many of which are available in the Bulletin Mnémo. He is also highly involved in promoting and developing intangible heritage. He served as president of the Conseil québécois du patrimoine vivant, co-founder and president of Danse traditionnelle Québec, a board member of the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and is currently co-chair of EspaceTrad.

Yaëlle Azoulay

Cultural worker, choreographer, and performer, but also a teacher, Yaëlle Azoulay has more than one string to her bow! Her career as a dance booking agent began with the Collectif de folklore urbain [ZØGMA], where she was responsible for booking shows in 2012 across Canada, and later in France and Australia. In 2018, Yaëlle joined the team at Agence Résonances, representing several dance projects and participating in numerous performance markets both in Canada and abroad. Committed to being involved with the traditional dance community, Yaëlle Azoulay serves as the president of the board of directors for the organization Danse Trad Québec.

Alongside her work as a cultural professional, Yaëlle performs as a giggeuse (traditional dance musician) in various productions such as Pas Perdus (2017–2023), several works by Zeugma Danse (2003–2017) and Bigico (2003–2018), among others. During social dance gatherings, she can be found in the role of caller. She is also a choreographer in the duo YaRo with violinist Robin Boulianne and a teacher at Club Gigus, founded in 2017 with Véronique Papillon-Sauvageau.

Jonathan C. Rousseau

Jonathan C. Rousseau is an artist in Québécois traditional dance and step dancing (gigue). A dancer, teacher, choreographer, and artistic designer, he develops an approach that explores the expressive potential of traditional arts, particularly through improvisation techniques where rhythm and movement become the driving forces of expression.

In 2011, he co-founded La R’voyure, a traditional dance company recognized for its innovative approach. There, he serves as the artistic director of the organization’s flagship event, Les manteaux su’ l’lit pis les bottes dans l’bain, one of the most important professional traditional dance events in Québec. In parallel, he works as a performer with various choreographers and companies, including Nancy Gloutnez (2013–2016), Isabelle Boulanger (2015), Zeugma (2016–2019), and Les Archipels (2016–present), performing on stages across Québec and internationally.

His commitment to step dance improvisation has led him to collaborate with Bigico, with whom he created the Matchs d’improvisation de gigue, fostering spontaneous creation among traditional and contemporary step dance artists. As a creator, he has developed several works that push the boundaries of gigue, including S’accorder (2017), Chorus (2019), and Five Facts That Nobody Told You About Gigue or 15 façons de pratiquer la gigue (2023), co-created with Antoine Turmine.

Invited Expert

Samuel Téguel

Guided by his passion for his work, Samuel Téguel has been the director of the presenting organization Maximum 90 for twenty-five years. He serves as a programmer, carrying the mission and artistic vision of the Carleton-sur-Mer–based organization. Maximum 90 is recognized by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and by Canadian Heritage as a dual-mandate presenter (both a multidisciplinary presenter and a national festival). As director, he is responsible for management, programming, and organizing an annual season of performances as well as a festival—specifically, the La Virée Trad festival, a living heritage event with a focus on traditional music, song, and dance.

The 24th edition of La Virée Trad will take place in mid-October 2025. As a programmer, Samuel Téguel participates in ROSEQ meetings and events such as RIDEAU, FOCUS Québec, Parcours Danse, and CINARS. As both a multidisciplinary and specialized presenter, he also occasionally serves on peer juries for organizations such as the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Circuits Paroles Vivantes, ROSEQ, and RIDEAU.

Questions ?

Contact Gabrielle Bertrand-Lehouillier
Training Coordinator
formation@ladansesurlesroutes.com

This training is created by our partner Danse Trad Québec for La danse sur les routes du Québec.