From Montreal to Ottawa and Toronto, here are three Canadian women of colour innovating in French theatre.
The National Arts Centre is partnering with SHIFTER to spotlight Canadian women of colour in live performance with its first ever Innovators & Icons lists. As a part of this groundbreaking article series, every month the NAC and SHIFTER will be honouring Canadian women of colour who align with the NAC’s various disciplines―Popular Music & Variety, Dance, Indigenous Theatre, English Theatre, French Theatre, and NACO (the NAC Orchestra). These women are not only stellar creators and live performers, representing the geographical and ethnic diversity of Canada, but they are pushing the envelope and breaking barriers in their craft, on the way to becoming Canada’s future stars.
Last month, we highlighted 17 women of colour who are blazing a trail in English theatre. Next in the series, we are honouring Canadian women of colour who are making a difference on and off the stage in French theatre.
So without further adieu, here are free outstanding Canadian women of colour doing their thing in French theatre.
MÉLANIE DEMERS | MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST
City: Montreal, QC
Instagram: @maydaydanse
Previous work: WOULD (2015), Animal Triste (2016), Icône Pop (2016), Something About Wilderness (2017), Danse Mutante, La Goddam Voie Lactée (2021), Confession Publique (2021), Cabaret Noir (2022)
Mélanie Demers is a Montreal-based multidisciplinary artist who started exploring the balance between dance and theatre at a young age. This led her to found her dance company MAYDAY in 2007 to explore the “powerful link between the poetical and the political”. This link has gone on to inform her body of work. Her fascination interplay between word and gesture her award-winning work WOULD (2015), which won the CALQ Prize for Best Choreography.
In 2016, she returned with Animal Triste and Icône Pop with both works touring internationally. Her work then took her to Malmö (Sweden) where she was invited, alongside Laïla Diallo, to work as a guest choreographer at the Skånes Dansteater for Something About Wilderness.
Her growth as an international artist continued when Danse Mutante hit the stage, followed by La Goddam Voie Lactée (2021), Confession Publique (2021) and Cabaret Noir (2022).
Along the way, the awards have continued to pour in. In 2021, she won the GRAND PRIX de la danse de Montréal as recognition for the unique mark she left on her era. She was then awarded the CALQ Prize for Best Choreography for Confession Publique.
She pivoted to theatre, directing Déclarations by acclaimed author Jordan Tannahill. She continues to teach as the leading theatre schools in Canada and has choreographed 30 works to date and has presented in 40 cities across Europe, America, Africa and Asia.
More about Mélanie Demers
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline (i.e. music, dance, comedy, etc.)?
“I have been constantly balancing between dance and theatre all my life. A way to weave together different intelligences!”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“Montreal is an anchor. That is where my clan is, my artistic freedom, my allies, my mentors, my family, my friends, my inspirations!”
What has been your biggest professional achievement(s) so far?
“To stay alive and still be inspired!”
STACEY DÉSILIER (aka Stiggy) | DANCER
City: Montreal, QC
Instagram: @stacey.desilier
Previous work: FRONTERA, Creation Destruction, The Goddam Milky Way, Cabaret Noir
Stacey’s desire to dance professionally came out of her passion for movement and the possibilities of the human body. Her decision to become a professional dance led her to pursue professional studies at ‘École de danse contemporaine de Montréal where she collaborated with other choreographers and performers including Marie-Claire Forté and George Stamos.
She worked with Cirque Éloize for several years, as well as Helen Simard with We All Fall Down Interdisciplinary Creations. In 2018, she moved on to the company Animals of Distinction and performed in their new productions FRONTERA and Creation Destruction.
After a number of years being a part of large-scale shows, she began working with Mélanie Demers at Mayday. This led her to expand her creative reach into film, podcasting, solo work, and two new creations―The Goddam Milky Way and Cabaret Noir.
Despite exploring other creative disciplines, Stacey stays true to her roots in dance through collaborations with musical groups like Fly Pan Am, dead Messenger, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Jerusalem in my heart, Frannie Holder and L’Opéra de Québec with Starmania.More recently, she went back to her roots in urban dance by work with the company Tentacle Tribe.
More about Stiggy
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline (i.e. music, dance, comedy, etc.)?
“I started street dance in my neighborhood with friends. Then, my introduction to creative movement and contemporary dance was made through the dance film Seek you too. I later discovered the contemporary institution in Montreal Ladmmi created by Linda Rabin and Candace Loubert.”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“I was lucky to have many of Montreal’s pioneers teaching near my childhood home in a neighboring city. It impacted my creativity and my desire to travel out of my city to discover new knowledge and inspirations.”
What has been your biggest professional achievement(s) so far?
“To earn a living from my art.”
EDWIGE JEAN-PIERRE | ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT
City: Ottawa, ON, Toronto, ON
LinkedIn: Edwige J.
Previous work: Even Darkness is Made of Light, Saint Bitch/Our Lady of Spills, SOS/MS/ASAP, GOIN4BROKE, The Big Mess, Espoir/Espwa, La déception m’a ouvert les yeux
Born and raised in Ottawa, Edwige Jean-Pierre is a Toronto-based bilingual actor and playwright of Haitian and Congolese descent. The University of Ottawa and Studio 58 graduate is a past member of Obsidian Theatre and Tarragon Theatre’s Playwriting Units, as well as Les Héritières de Toto B. (in collaboration with Théâtre français de Toronto).
More about Edwige Jean-Pierre
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline (i.e. music, dance, comedy, etc.)?
“In elementary school, we had theatre companies for young audience (Théâtre pour Jeune Public) present regularly. I was captivated by the stories presented to us as kids. I was mesmerized to see people play all these different types of characters and eliciting a strong reaction/emotion from the audience.”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“My mother always said that I had a very active imagination as a child. And so, she signed me up for dance classes and improv at the local community centre (Patro d’Ottawa). I enjoyed performing and received praise from classmates when participating in school talent shows and school plays. This was my saving grace as a 2nd generation Canadian, and being the only black kid in my class from kindergarten to grade 8.”
What’s something people should know about you?
“One of the biggest achievements so far has been co-writing and acting in “Espoir/Espwa” along along with my co-creators (Djennie Laguerre and Carline Zamar). We were fortunate to have Théâtre français de Toronto produce our show. We gave it our all and it really paid off. It proved the naysayers wrong. Another great achievement was having one of my plays published in “Give Voice: Ten Plays from Obsidian Theatre Company.”
Innovators & Icons is a presented by the National Arts Centre in partnership with SHIFTER
