In 2018, FQD’s cultural mediation department chose to develop a new axis for its special projects: intergenerational activities, the objective being to unite different generations with dance and movement.
With that objective in mind, we cultivated a first partnership with the Cavelier-de-LaSalle highschool. In this establishment of 1 700 students, 67% come from recent immigration adding up to 100 different countries. Students evolve around francophone socio-cultural landmarks forming an active and implicated community. Intergenerational issues are amongst the principal Alain Lavoie’s preoccupation who wants to be leader in his community to fight against violence directed towards elders and perpetuated by teenagers, an uprising problem in LaSalle.
Kyra Jean Green gave a session of 8 workshops to the school’s students in order to initiate a reflection around the aging process and the elderly’s realities. They explored notions of weakness and slowing down of the body, but also solidarity and mutual aid.
Later in the process, France Roy and Marc Béland, both dancers and choreographers in their sixties, as well as partners of the FQD’s, came to participate and help conduct the workshops with Kyra. France Roy took the role of rehearsal director as Marc Béland danced with the students. The choreography they created together was presented in September 2018 as part of the 16th edition of the festival.
