MEDIATHEK

Born in 1955, Québécois choreographer, interpreter and stage director Pierre-Paul Savoie founded his company PPS Danse in 1989. Renowned for the striking images of his multidisciplinary works and for the pertinent questions that they raise, he has created for the stage, for film and for television, often collaborating with important institutions in theatre, music and circus. He shared with Jeff Hall the prestigious Jacqueline-Lemieux Prize. As an artist who is also very involved in his community, he was president of Regroupement québécois de la danse during five years and received two awards for his contribution to the development and dissemination of dance in Quebec. From theatre to dance Pierre-Paul Savoie began his training in 1975 at the National Theatre School of Canada, where he cultivated the theatricality that continues to define his works. It was there that he took his first dance class and discovered his true path. His curiosity led him to the National Circus School in Montreal, where he trained in acrobatics before entering Concordia University’s dance program. He was then 26 years old, and made his twenties a time for discovery and experimentation. In addition to exploring singing, he practiced improvisation and contact dance. A decisive encounter It was in university that Pierre-Paul Savoie met Jeff Hall. Sharing the same propensity for risk-taking and humor, the two artists remained privileged creation partners for nearly 15 years. The piece Duodenum, which was created in the context of their studies at Concordia, gave them a soaring start on the Québécois scene in 1986. Ten years later, they were awarded the Jacqueline-Lemieux Prize for Bagne, a piece which remains etched in people’s memories and in the history of Quebec dance. The 80’s and 90’s also yielded for the young creator many opportunities for exceptional collaborations, with such artists as Luc Plamondon, Claude Poissant, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. Artist-citizen 1999 was a pivotal moment in Pierre-Paul Savoie’s career. Throwing himself wholeheartedly into his new function as president of Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) to defend the cause of dance, the performer temporarily withdrew in order to allow the citizen to fully occupy the role assigned to him by his community. During this time, Pierre-Paul Savoie experimented with a different way of communicating, organizing, sharing, bringing together his community, and expressing himself. His presidency lasted five years and his involvement contributed to the advancement of such important causes as the augmentation of funding for the performing arts and the improvement of conditions of practice in dance. In 2004, his contribution to the dissemination of dance was rewarded with the Prix Attitude, bestowed by ROSEQ (Réseau de diffuseurs de l’Est du Québec). In 2008, he received the Prix Hommage from RIDEAU (Réseau indépendant des diffuseurs d’évènements artistiques unis) for his contribution to the development of dance in Quebec. This unfailing commitment to the evolution of the discipline and to the wellbeing of his community has been tangibly demonstrated for many years now by residencies and mentorship programs, which are graciously offered to young creators. The time of maturity "The desire to translate what I live and experience on a personal level into a universal language is what drives my creativity." Pierre-Paul Savoie When Pierre-Paul Savoie had the idea of approaching expatriate Canadian choreographers for his Diasporama series in 2007, he intuitively initiated an opening on the outside world, which has become characteristic of the creations of PPS Danse. More than ever, these are the fruit of collaborations with artists from here and from elsewhere, resolutely affirming the multidisciplinary and multicultural orientation of the company.