The National Ballet of Canada’s principal dancer Guillaume Côté is the guest of the grand finale of “Revolution”, this Sunday. A native of Lac-Saint-Jean, he is considered the best classical dancer in Canadian history, having had the chance to shine on the biggest stages in the world.
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Even before “Revolution” was on the air, Guillaume Côté was contacted by the production to discuss the concept. “They did a lot of research and I think they wanted there to be a consensus in the middle, he explained in an interview. I came to Montreal for a meeting and found what they wanted to do very interesting. Put some dance in [heure de grande écoute] on TV, there is nothing more exciting.”
Four years later, he was asked to create a solo that he will dance during the finale. “The atmosphere on set was really ‘fun’ and I wanted to be there, not just passing through. So I stay throughout the evening to talk with the competitors and try to inspire them. I loved seeing the emotions they convey through their performances. They give their all, and they really invested everything during the season to perfect their streaks. That’s wonderful.”
An important role
Guillaume Côté is also artistic director of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, which promotes dance in all its forms. “We didn’t put ourselves in a box, we present dance in general, movement. We can also program tap, jazz, ballroom, contemporary, classical ballet galas, or even hip-hop “battles”. There is something fantastic in everything, be it flamenco or otherwise. My message, like that of the show, is to get out of the snobbery of classical or contemporary circles. We have to talk about fusion, diversity, multiculturalism… We have to be a reflection of society.”
He even recognizes that “Revolution” has made it possible, to a certain extent, to rejuvenate the clientele of dance shows, which is an art less public than music, for example.
Projects
In addition to beginning the creation of a new production with his company, Côté Danse, jointly with Robert Lepage and Ex-Machina, Guillaume Côté will soon be dancing, for the last time, the role of the prince in “The Nutcraker”, with the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto.
“I’ve been dancing in this production since I was 10 years old. I started playing the prince at 19, I’m now 41. And this year, my little girl will also be part of the show. The dancer and choreographer confides that he wants to dance other roles from the repertoire that are just as interesting and that suit him better.