Regroupement québécois de la danse

Roundtable – Honouring the Past, Inspiring the Future

2:00PM to 3:00PM
Free

To mark Black History Month, the Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) will hold an online roundtable featuring guests Mecdy Jean-Pierre, Shérane Figaro and Cindy Belotte. The panelists will share their perspectives on the theme of the roundtable – Honouring the Past, Inspiring the Future – and take questions from participants. Our colleague, Cherylle Abessolo, will moderate the meeting. We hope to see you there in large numbers!

If you require a simultaneous English translation, please complete the following form by no later than Tuesday, February 22.

A few words about why this theme inspires them

“Before we honour the last, we must take the time to learn and to understand the history. Today, it is crucial that we deepen our knowledge of these great African civilizations, and not just know a list of black inventors.”
Shérane Figaro

“We are the fruit of our ancestors.
We, the descendants, carry the weight of the past.
We dance the memories of yesterday.
We use the body’s rhythms to reappropriate space and reorganize time.
I dance, you dance, we dance.
Let’s live fully.”
Mecdy Jean-Pierre

“This topic speaks to me a lot because I believe it is at the very core of my motivations as a traditional Haitian dancer. To tradition, I add research, understanding, reflecting, respect. I use these elements to better understand who I am and where I come from in order to lead my steps towards the future.”
Cindy Belotte

To find out more about the participants

Mecdy Jean-Pierre, panelist:
Mecdy is a choreographer-dancer and streetdance teacher specialized in Popping and contemporary dance. He brings his high-octane, athletic and tribal style to the international stage. Mecdy has represented Canada at various competitions throughout the world, and he has given expressive workshops and earned a number of distinctions. After starting his career in streetdance competitions in 2005, he went on to explore various styles and disciplines, including African dance, drumming, sonology and sacred mantras.

Shérane Figaro, panelist:
After moving to Quebec in 2004, this dancer, choreographer and teacher fostered a passion for traditional Haitian dance, while enriching her knowledge of modern and contemporary dance techniques through stages and workshops. In 2009, she founded Aurée Danse-Création, drawing on an approach that pairs tradition and contemporaneity. She developed the Esans technique that allows dancers to learn the gestural language of traditonal dance and integrate it into their work.

Cindy Belotte, panelist:
Artistic director, choreographer and dance teacher, Cindy’s creative process is influenced by her mastery of the Haitian traditional dance history. She is the artistic director of the MAPOU GINEN Dance Troupe’s school division and has been teaching there for 10 years. For the past two years, she has also taught the Haitian Repertoire for the artistic and professional training programme in dance offered by the Nyata Nyata Dance Company.

Cherylle Abessolo, moderator:
Cherylle Abessolo is responsible for development and member services at the RQD. She is in the process of establishing a province-wide membership development strategy. At the same time, she has worked as a professional dancer for some 10 years. With her heart set on promoting dance in Quebec and ensuring that future generations have access to quality learning, she opened A’motion, her own dance studio in Montreal.