The Twins | “Dancing can mend people”

The reception of the Twins in the gymnasium of Jules-Verne elementary school in Montreal North was spectacular. Suddenly, the students of 5^e and 6^e year who waited quietly jumped to their feet shouting “The Twins! “, then accompanied them to the stage, under cries of joy.

Cet enthousiasme débordant a duré pendant plus de trois heures. Le célèbre duo de danseurs, Laurent et Larry Bourgeois, qui sont aussi juges à l’émission Révolution à TVA, ont donné un atelier sur les bienfaits de la danse, rempli d’émotions.

Chaleureux et drôles, Les Twins ont parlé aux élèves de leur parcours qui n’a pas été facile, de leur rêve et de leur grande motivation à devenir les meilleurs danseurs du monde (ils ont dansé avec Beyoncé et Jay-Z).

Le duo vient de Sarcelles, une banlieue au nord de Paris. « On a grandi dans un ghetto, un milieu difficile et dangereux. On a 33 ans [aujourd’hui 34 ans], there was no gymnasium in our school, and when there was one in the neighborhood, people would break the windows and the gymnasium would close. We were nine children at home with our mom, without dad. I dressed in the clothes of my sisters, because we had no money, so we had the clothes of the older ones,” explains Laurent, in front of the very attentive students.

“Dancing was really my reason for living, I was dancing before I even walked! I said to myself: I have to succeed, I want to be recognized, to be the best, that’s my greatest motivation,” he adds.

The Twins then propose an exercise on motivation and ask children to run on the spot, supporting their efforts. It is then about restoring self-confidence through dance, overcoming problems and believing in your dreams.

For Les Twins, it is essential to give back to the community and reach out to children with these workshops. They have partnered with the Kids Write Network, a support program that uses art to improve the mental health of young people.

let off steam

“Those who are disrupting the class, raise your hands,” says Larry. Faced with a general burst of laughter, and a few hands raised, he continues: “I was a disruptive child because I felt like I didn’t exist, and doing stupid things was a way of making myself visible, because I wanted to be looked at. When we have a problem, my brother and I, we dance. It’s our way of expressing ourselves,” he told the students.

“Do you use a sport or an art to let off steam? asks Laurent. The students have different answers: “soccer, basketball, volleyball”. “It’s good to play sports, answer the brothers. I would like to share with you our love for dance as a way to feel and communicate your emotions, be it sadness, joy, love, anger. It’s not just words that can do it, your body can express itself! »

The Twins involve the students in different workshops, dancing and learning to show what they feel through their gestures. The students, smiling and motivated, listen to them, follow them in their steps, watch them dance too. Very generous, Les Twins give a few demonstrations that amaze the students and teachers, as does the school director. The craze in the gymnasium is so great that even the director general of the Pointe-de-l’Île school service centre, Marjolaine Dupuis, who had come for the occasion, started dancing.

“Our students have the chance to express their emotions, to move, it’s a great moment when they are valued. We are in Montreal North, in a neighborhood that is not always easy. Some children have backpacks filled with sometimes unimaginable stories, so it’s important to experience beautiful moments like these,” said Anik Lessard, principal of Jules-Verne school.

have the flame

“Today, the students who didn’t know how to dance touched me more than any dancer,” confides Laurent in an interview. “It’s nice to see that the children manage to reveal themselves physically. They discover themselves in front of everyone, it’s impressive, they start talking and revealing themselves all of a sudden when they’ve never done it before. My duty is that these students understand that you can use your art. Me, it’s dance, but it can be music or sport. »

“Every day of my life I remember where I came from and how hard and long it was, but I still have this flame in me since I was little, and I want children to feel this flame . I want to make them want to excel,” continues Laurent, father of an 11-year-old girl.

“The children are really happy, it’s so nice to see them. Dance can repair people, it can relieve. Dance is not about technique, but what you want to make people feel, it helps to have better communication, greater self-confidence,” says Larry, also the father of a daughter of 11 years old.

Larry and Laurent Bourgeois continue their tour in primary and secondary schools. “Schools are continuity for us, we want to pass on our passion, go see the children to make them better. I know that I am changing the lives of these children, and that’s what giving back means doing good to others, and to us too. »