Nominations for the RQD Board of Directors – AGM 2023
by Rymel Laroui
Six positions will be up for election at the 2023 AGM of the Regroupement québécois de la danse: three (3) in the college of individual members and three (3) in the college of corporate members. Here are the candidates who have applied to sit on the RQD Board of Directors.
On the day of the AGM, each candidate will have 90 seconds (1’30) to introduce himself or herself to the members. Self-nominations will also be accepted during the election period.
Updated: October 24, 2023.
CORPORATE MEMBERS
3 positions up for election
Fannie Bellefeuille | General Manager, RUBBERBAND
Fannie Bellefeuille © Isabel Rancier
Experience and expertise
Fannie has been with RUBBERBAND since 2010. With a degree in theater from UQAM, she turned to a career in arts administration, founding her own theater company, Collectif Ikaria. She then obtained a DESS in management from HEC Montréal, followed by a master’s degree and a certificate in philanthropic management from UdeM. Alongside her administrative activities, Fannie performed on stage and television between 1992 and 2005, writing and producing several plays and two short films. Her work has earned her the ISPA Fellowship Program and the Raymond Blais Scholarship. In 2012, she joined the Board of Directors of the Regroupement québécois de la danse, becoming Co-President in 2021. Finally, she was elected Chair of the Board of the Canadian Dance Assembly in 2017, in addition to her role as representative of creative companies.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
In the interest of continuity, I hope to be able to share the experience I’ve acquired over the past 10 years on the RQD Board of Directors.
Marc Lalonde | General Manager, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal
Marc Lalonde © Sasha Onyshchenko
Experience and expertise
Graduate of ESBQ; dancer for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Calgary City Ballet, Howard Richard Danse; B.A. Philosophy and Economics, M.A. Administration. A cultural manager for nearly 30 years, I have contributed as general manager to magnificent organizations including I Musici de Montréal, the National Circus School, the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. At the same time, I’ve been a director of various industry organizations: Conseil québécois de la musique, Regroupement des arts du cirque En Piste, Tohu – Cité des arts du cirque, CALQ and Regroupement québécois de la danse.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
I was recently co-opted onto the Regroupement’s Board of Directors, and have already had the privilege of contributing to the governance and recruitment committees. I have worked with a surprisingly diverse team and group of volunteers. Particularly sensitive to the unity and solidarity that our sector must demonstrate in this period of uncertainty and profound upheaval, and for the fundamental and superior interests of our discipline and our members of all categories, traditions and aesthetics, I am seeking a regular mandate during which I would like to participate actively in the challenges of governance, planning and representation.
Sophie Corriveau | Artistic and General Director Danse-Cité
Experience and expertise
I’ve been Artistic and General Director of Danse-Cité for 4 years now. Since I was very young, dance has been a part of my life. I’m originally from Quebec City, where I took my first ballet classes. I moved to Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal to continue my training. I have danced with various companies and choreographers. I have created 3 choreographic works and initiated several artistic projects. I’ve taught a lot, with great pleasure. I have accompanied several artists as an artistic advisor or rehearsal director. I am the mother of 2 young adults.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
Today, more than ever, dance needs to be together. To be heard and to make demands, to support artists, creation and the sector as a whole in these fragile and anxious times. For me, the RQD represents this togetherness and has a major role to play as a rallying force, a spokesperson and a bearer of concrete actions. I want to take part in this work, to the best of my ability. At Danse-Cité, we work to support creation, the well-being of artists, diversity of practices, diversity of aesthetics and inclusion in all spheres of our actions.
Nicolas Filion | FOVE diffusion
© Mathilde F-Desrochers
Experience and expertise
After studying literature and silver photography, Nicolas Filion turned to dance in 1998. For 15 years, he danced with numerous companies and choreographers, pursued graduate studies in dance and arts studies and practice, acted as a cultural mediator, taught and contributed to several research projects. Following a brief entrepreneurial detour at the helm of his own café, he returned to dance in 2017 to become a development officer, before taking over from Stéphanie Hinton as director of FÔVE diffusion in September 2019. With a unique and varied background and a passion for the living arts, Nicolas favors a human and committed approach to arts development and administration.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
Two years on the RQD Board of Directors have shown me how important it is to bring together a plurality of voices in the milieu in order to keep abreast of issues across the discipline. I’ve been active as a dissemination agent for six years now: I believe I’m in a position to contribute to the Board’s work by keeping in mind issues related to exports, the strategic development of artistic signatures, and the financing and promotion of home-grown creations. I am convinced of the importance of the RQD in defending and promoting the discipline, and remain at the disposal of members if they wish to support me for a further two-year term.
Anne Plamondon | Anne Plamondon Productions
Anne Plamondon ©Jocelyn Michel
Experience and expertise
Choreographer, dancer, teacher and curator, Anne Plamondon has danced for some of Canada’s and the world’s leading companies, including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Kidd Pivot, Nederlands Dans Theater 2 and Ballet Gulbenkian. She has also worked with renowned choreographers and directors including Marie Chouinard, James Kudelka, Serge Denoncourt, Marcos Morau and Ina Christel Johannessen. In 2002, she joined Victor Quijada’s RUBBERBANDance, where she was Co-Artistic Director from 2006 to 2015. In parallel, she began her career as a choreographer in 2012 and founded her own company, Anne Plamondon Productions, in 2018.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
I hope that my experience as a performer, choreographer, artistic director, curator and teacher can contribute to the advancement of my discipline. In particular, I want to foster the idea that there is strength in unity, that curiosity to better understand others opens our minds and enriches us, and that dance is an art of inestimable power that can touch the soul.
INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS
3 positions up for election
Maude Sabourin © Bertrand Exertier
Experience and expertise
I have been a professional dancer since 2006. I rose through the ranks at Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo to become a principal dancer in 2014. I’ve traveled the world and worked with some of the most influential choreographers of our generation. I returned to Montreal in 2018 and have been dancing at the grand ballets ever since. I founded an association called The Dance Lab, which organizes master classes and workshops to bring dance and learning opportunities to future generations of dancers. I also take part in several international galas.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
I want to get involved in the Quebec community and share my experience and expertise with the local dance scene. I want to learn and exchange in order to help our beautiful Quebec community grow. I hope we can build bridges between different dance styles.
Amandine Garrido
Experience and expertise
Amandine Garrido has many years’ experience in the performing arts, bringing a diverse background as a dancer-performer, choreographer, director and teacher. She graduated as a dance interpreter with training in classical and contemporary dance in 2002 (Honors, Conservatory of Arts of the University of Chile) and has worked for various contemporary companies throughout her country. In 2008, she arrived in Canada via Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai show, where she practiced aerial art. In spring 2013, she joined the Sursaut dance company. A multi-talented performer and choreographer, she inspires us with her stage presence, versatility and fluidity of movement. Her inspirations, a blend of contemporary influences and a grounding in classical technique, allow her to bring to life the way she embodies her art: as a bewitching expression of suppleness and agility. She has taken part in numerous creative projects, including Sève, Tierra mi cuerpo as part of the Rurart – Art contemporain en milieu rural project, Le regarde animal presented as part of the Viva! Art Action festival in Montreal, among others. She made her first collaboration as choreographer and performer for the company Sursaut in 2017. She is currently part of the dance company ZemmourBallet as a performer and resident artist for 2022, and is working on her personal creative projects as a choreographer. She has taken part in several video-dance projects in Chile, one of which won numerous international awards, and has just completed her second video-dance called Grandir, in which she participated as choreographer, director and performer. This creation was made possible thanks to the support of the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec, zemmourballet, CASJB and the magnificent work of Matthew Gaines as second director. Grandir à was shown in 3 different countries and at 5 video-dance festivals.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
I’m interested in joining the RQD Board of Directors for several exciting reasons. Firstly, my experience in the Chilean and Quebec dance communities has given me a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing artists. I’m deeply committed to improving the dance milieu in Quebec, with a focus on respecting and valuing artists. As an immigrant artist working mainly in the regions, I feel a special responsibility to contribute to the integration and enrichment of the Quebec dance family. I want to be actively involved in promoting cultural diversity within this dynamic artistic community. My 100% commitment to my career means I want to play an active role in the development and growth of Quebec’s dance sector. By joining the RQD Board of Directors, I pledge to work closely with the other members to achieve these essential goals.
Victoria Mackenzie © Do Phan Hoi
Experience and expertise
My experience in the arts (particularly street dance and dance theater) comes from hands-on expertise acquired as a performer, choreographer, animator, teacher, mentor, event organizer and event participant. I’ve been involved in Montreal’s street dance and dance theater scene since 2008, first as a club dancer, then as a b-girl (breakdancer). I quickly expanded my knowledge of street dances by attending local and international events, connecting and learning from community members, and eventually starting to organize open practices and events for my community. I have acquired skills through the multiple demands of a performing artist and community arts worker. I feel well-positioned as an arts worker who listens to the needs of the community and has the experience and organizational skills to offer tools for change.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
I believe I can offer an avenue for advocacy for self-taught dancers, street dancers, and dancers that have practices other than show-making. The hip hop arts and street dance community are often underrepresented in structural development efforts (although popular in performative spectatorship). Some major reasons include: ambiguity surrounding the practices of hip hop arts & street dance; discomfort when immersed in their social customs; inability to work with artists who require assistance with administrative and communication tools; and general lack of advocacy. I also feel that I can speak to an element of the dance scene that is often overlooked: the nightlife/club scene.
Sasha Kleinplatz ©Henri Michaud
Experience and expertise
I have been a dance artist based out of Tio:tia’ke/Montreal since 2004. I am a graduate of the Concordia Contemporary Dance program, focused on choreographic practice. I am the co-creator and curator of the dance events Short&Sweet, Piss in the Pool and Lots of Love. I have shown works at Tangente, Studio 303, Cinquieme Salle, and the MAI, and toured pieces throughout Canada. My areas of expertise are curation, and choreography, as well as collective organizing in the arts.
Motivation for joining the RQD Board of Directors
I am interested in serving on the RQD board of directors because I have always seen myself as an activist for dance working outside of traditional administrative structures. Recently, a colleague suggested to me that I might be of good to the dance milieu use volunteering within an organization that has a set infrastructure, and encouraged me to apply to the RQD CA. I am interested in supporting the needs and interests of independent choreographers and dance artists who tend to work outside of paths of incorporation. I believe that our experiences are quite unique, and have specific issues that could be addressed, and in doing so could actually help the milieu as a whole. I also view this a great opportunity to better understand the structures of decision making and consensus finding in an arts oriented board.