“Revolution”: dancing against all odds

The two-year pandemic has had a huge impact on dancers, and perhaps even more so on ballroom couples who haven’t been able to train and rehearse together. Jessie and Jason, who live in Montreal and New York, nevertheless managed to get through this ordeal.

If they have tried to do joint training via zoom, it is above all on their own that Jessie and Jason have continued to dance over the past two years. “It was complicated because my partner is the father of two children, we were not in the same bubble, explained Jessie in an interview. There was also the issue of the mandatory two-week quarantine. We didn’t see each other for two years.”

An unshakeable bond

Jason also couldn’t understand why the studios were still open in the United States, when everything had closed on this side of the border. “We like each other so much, we get along very well, and we thought we wanted to end our career together,” said the bubbly 33-year-old dancer. We only have a few years left to perform, we thought we were going to hold on. And the minute the borders reopened, Jason drove 16 hours round trip just for a two-hour workout with his partner.

From their first meeting, Jessie and Jason had a friendly and professional crush. “We are two enthusiasts at the same level, and this is the first time that we get on really well with our partner. The training is much longer than the performance and you have to be on the same wavelength to spend so much time together.

A complete investment

If they waited for the fourth season of the show to participate in the auditions, it is also for an administrative reason.

“I thought we couldn’t be on the show because Jason needed a work visa. This year is the first where the production could have us one. The couple is considered professional in the middle of the ballroom, but it is never paid in international competitions. They just receive scholarships that they simply have to declare to customs.

For “Revolution”, they then decided to get out of the shackles of the ballroom to seduce the masters and the public. “On the show, you have to do spectacular things that you don’t usually do. So we went to get help. We took litter classes in Toronto with a specialist, and we also took acting classes to be able to show expressions.”

The investment paid off as the masters appreciated their routine and praised their technique and creativity.

For the future, the couple sees big. “We would like to make it to the final. We know very well that there is plenty of talent and that everyone is good and wants to win. In addition, no ballroom couple has ever won, it would be the first time in the history of “Revolution”.

Étienne Delorme, 25, Montreal

A dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for four years, Étienne has a great interest in choreography. “I think I have a creative instinct more than a dancer’s instinct. I feel comfortable creating, that’s what excites me the most, and I would like to make a transition to the world of choreography.” His first ballet lesson, at the age of 10, left him with a bitter taste, but when he decided to dedicate his life to dance, he had no choice. “I knew it was important to take ballet lessons for technique, for the cleanliness of the movements. So I enrolled in a school where there were ballet lessons to have the best possible technique. My strength remains in the contemporary, but funny, today I have a bigger background in classical ballet, even if I hated it when I was younger. With his participation in the show, Étienne wants to encourage young people to be more creative. “I would also like it to allow me to get a foothold in the world of commercial dance, work for films, music videos, for example, and see what I could bring to this environment.”

Mélisande Lalonde, 17, Gatineau

Friend of Justin Verreault, a former candidate for season 3, Mélisande was strongly advised to participate in the show. “I was told it was a good experience.” Very embarrassed on a daily basis, the young girl confides that dancing allows her to express herself more easily. “I’m a pretty shy girl at social events, but when I’m dancing I’m a completely different person. Dancing gives me greater confidence. I do not know how to explain it. When I’m on stage, I know I belong because I know that’s what I want to do with my life.” The masters were also impressed by his dexterity, his originality and his risk-taking.

Gabrielle Bouchard, 18, Chambly

A student at the École de Danse contemporaine de Montréal, Gabrielle was happy to take part in “Revolution” along with her two friends, Clodie and Angélyk. “We are always together at school, we also prepared together. It was comforting.” The young woman wanted to address her dysmorphic disorder in her number. “At the time of the auditions, it was a problem that was really present in my life, I was going through very difficult phases. In front of mirrors at dance school, I compared myself a lot and found it difficult to look at myself. It affected my self-confidence enormously, but dancing on this subject allowed me to feel it less, to externalize it and it did me good. Today, she is much better, but if she still experiences small difficult passes. “Dancing this choreography helped me become more aware of my problem. By doing it, I felt good and completely at ease. The masters were also touched by his truth and sensitivity.

The candidates selected this week:

Lil V’s, 13 to 15 years old, Trois-Rivières (hip-hop)

Jessie and Jason, 33 and 30, Laval and New York (ballroom)

Étienne Delorme, 25, Montreal (merger)

Angélyk Delisle-Hevey, 18, Montreal (contemporary)

Miranda and Palomecc, 27 and 25, Montreal (merger)

Mélisande Lalonde, 17, Gatineau (contemporary)

Gabrielle Bouchard, 18, Chambly (contemporary)

Candidates on waivers:

Katherine NG, 31, Ottawa (contemporary)

Project K, 15 to 17 years old, South Shore of Montreal (contemporary)

Éklectik, 16 to 22 years old, Quebec (merger)

Intrikid, 31, Montreal (breakdance)