Marie Claire Forté
Chercheur.se, Chorégraphe, Enseignant.e
The relational, experiential, and experimental potential of dance inspires me. I dance, choreograph, write, translate, teach, and support artists. I am Imogen Keith’s mother, and her presence is an incredible force coursing through me. My career has been nourished by long-term creative relationships with artists from different generations and esthetics, all sharing a love of process, rigour and exploration. Important artistic and pedagogical influences include Peter Boneham, artistic director and master teacher of the now-defunct Le Groupe Dance Lab in Ottawa; Toronto-based choreographer Ame Henderson; Montréal-based choreographer Louise Bédard and multidisciplinary performance group PME-ART. I create work, including the video installation Mères et mouvements d’enfants presented in 2022 at the Foreman Gallery in partnership with Sursaut and the Centennial Theatre in Sherbooke, with the curator and artist Camila Vásquez. I work with artists whom I love, recently Catherine Lalonde, Louise Bédard, Katie Ward, PME-ART and Aurélie Pédron. I was Dancer in residence at l’Agora de la danse from 2017 to 2019. In 2016, my friend Sophie Bélair Clément and I created the exhibition project and bilingual publication – I’d rather something ambiguous. Mais précis à la fois. at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery. I have been teaching professionals and pre-professionals since 2007, regularly at Concordia University. Through my love of language and thoughtfulness, I am regularly invited to various other artistic activities: outside eye, post-performance talk host, and writer, editor and translator for arts publications and websites. I am currently working on a book with Peter Boneham about his teaching.