There are many layers to the dance recitals which took place at the École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge (ESSC) on the evenings of May 25 and 26. In their wake, countless memories, sentiments and emotions likely endure in the heads and hearts of dancers, instructors and attendees, for any of a variety of reasons, not least of which was the performance.
The Corriveau School of Dance is primerly based in Shawville and Fort-Coulonge, but it is very clear from the recitals that the whole valley plays a role. The official photographer is in Pembroke while the videographer calls Cobden home. The recitals were held in Fort-Coulonge while dance spaces were found at St Johns Elementary in Campbell’s Bay, McDowell Elementary in Shawville, Centre Des Loisirs Des Draveurs, The Parish Hall of the Knights of Columbus in Fort-Coulonge and the Mansfield Municipal Hall.
And the audience? Well, they were from one end of the valley to the other and it was obvious from the get-go, certainly with the long line-up snaking across the school grounds, that this was the event to attend. Sold out, year after year, dance is very much a part of life here.
Manager Cindy Corriveau – with choreographers Natacha Corriveau, Alisha Corriveau, Samantha Corriveau and Jordan Long – put together an astonishing display of artistry, athleticism, talent, community and passion through no less than 35 numbers by some 60 dancers.
It is the collectivity of the experience which sits most profoundly afterward – much like the glow from having rested in the sun for some time.
There were little dancers and big. Some in suits and others in skirts. Some tall and some short. Some with short hair and others with long. Some younger and some older. Some confident and others timid. Some with backgrounds from here and some from elsewhere.
All in all? It was us. It was all of us. And it was brilliant.
The official theme was Dance Dance Dance With my Hands, and from the opening Addams Family-inspired number complete with plenty of finger-snaps right through to the closing salutation, hands were in motion almost as much as feet. The choreographers deserve nothing less than the standing ovation afforded the ensemble.
Performance art is demanding. There is a physicality and demonstrativeness to it which is different from visual and literary arts. From the sweat adorning the dancers’ brows to the feathers scattered post-dance and the occasional hitching of pants, there was ample evidence that the dancers gave their all. And from the enthusiastic applause, their effort and artistry were recognized.
And just as there was evidence of the effort required, there was obvious joy. Dancers smiled one to the next through their numbers, joined hands and fell away, swung, swayed, flowed and glided, and one felt that had it not been for the curtain, they could have danced all night.
This was the first recital after two significant events for this dance community and both had echoes here. In the first, an alumni, Marie-Josée Corriveau, with dance partner Jason Morel, was victorious in the fourth season of the provincial television dance competition, Révolution. Marie-Josée was recently honoured with the Pontiac Paddle of Accomplishment, the municipality’s highest recognition, for her victory.
In the second, a young member of the troupe, Annabelle St-Cyr, passed away suddenly this January leaving behind a legacy which reverberates still. There have been events, competitions and fundraisers in her name and there is even now a scrapbooking effort named after her: The Annabelle Project.
Losing Annabelle has struck hard, and the recital and troupe both took the opportunity to honour her. The recital paused before the intermission to announce a scholarship in Annabelle’s name and to offer a slide-show replete with troupe memories so that all in attendance might know the extent of their loss and of their adoration for a member of their dance family. Leading to intermission, the last number was In The Stars, a final dance dedication for Annabelle where the dancers brought everything and left it all on stage.
This forward facing display of dance was also a proxy for community, but it could have been the reverse: a display of community brought to bear through the beauty of dance.
Glen Hartle
Mansfield-et-Pontefract
May 25 & 26, 2023
