Pierre-Paul Savoie

1955-2021

Pierre-Paul Savoie 1955-2021

“My approach has been to find links, the ways of doing things, through movement. To see how the body, while being non-verbal, can be a very strong communication tool.”

Pierre-Paul Savoie, sharing encounters

The PPS Danse team pays tribute to the man who founded and ran the company for over thirty years (1989-2021). Under his artistic direction, the organization created, evolved, collaborated, dreamed, and made its mark. Pierre-Paul Savoie’s career and the company have been punctuated by more than thirty works, with over 850 performances in some fifteen countries across America, Europe and Asia. Regardless of the creative cycle to which they belong, all are marked by multidisciplinarity in their form and humanity in their content. Humanity is a word that suits Pierre-Paul so well.

“In addition to being a formidable artist with innumerable talents, a tireless visionary for whom the growth and influence of dance nourished his life’s journey until the very end, Pierre-Paul leaves us with the memory of a man of heart.”…read the complete testimonial

The members of the PPS Danse Board of DirectorsPPS Danse

Pierre-Paul (the lighthouse),

“It is not trivial to tell that I encountered Bagne at the Theatre du cuivre in Rouyn-Noranda, in 1997 I think. There were not many of us in the room that night. I was there with friends from the Studio Rythme et Danse, my brother and my parents. For each of us, or almost, it was our first encounter with contemporary dance. What an evening!”… read the complete testimonial

David RancourtArtistic Director, PPS Danse

“We have had the honor and pleasure of working with Pierre-Paul to advance the company’s projects. We have shared the fervor, determination and strength he brought to each project. We have seen the trust, the listening and the recognition for each collaboration. ”… read the complete testimonial

Anne, Benjamin, Céline, Ginette et DavidThe PPS Dance Team

PP, (PP-roni, Pierre-Paul), my friend.
“1982 or 1983, I first saw you at Concordia University in the elevator of the VA building. Everytime the teacher tried to enter, you closed the elevator doors. Frantically pushing buttons, playing the confused innocent, you had everyone screaming with laughter. I wondered “Who is that!!?”… read the complete restimonial

Heather Mahdance performer

“It was February 2007, in Quebec City, during RIDEAU’s annual gathering. You and I were sharing the same table in a restaurant in Old Quebec City. You had been listening to me talk for a while about a theater solo I had just seen; why it was so powerful. The last day, at the Palais des Congrès, in a room that was emptying, you invited me to a table. You told me that you wanted to go back on stage; that you hadn’t done it for twenty-five years; ”…  read the complete testimonial

Lise VaillancourtAuthor and playwright

“It was in Quebec City, in the hustle and bustle of the closing of the contact room of the Bourse RIDEAU 2011. We barely knew each other. “Do you have two minutes, I have a project I’d like to talk to you about.” Nine months later, the show Danse Lhasa Danse, co-produced by our two companies, was presented at the Place des Arts as part of the 25th edition of Coup de cœur francophone.”… read the complete testimonial

Alain ChartrandGeneral and artistic director, Coup de coeur francophone

Dance, Pierre-Paul, dance…
“January 31 marked the end of 47 years of friendship.
It was in Matane, in the Gaspé Peninsula, that Pierre-Paul and I met with the Cegep theater troupe. We fell in love with the stage and decided to make it our profession. We both went to Montreal, on the fly, to audition for the National Theatre School with excerpts from Demain matin, Montréal m’attend by Michel Tremblay. And we were both accepted! The joy.”… read the complete testimonial

Jasmine DubéArtistic Director. Théâtre Bouches Décousues

“It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Pierre-Paul Savoie, a talented choreographer and an extraordinary human being, sensitive and generous. Over the years, we had the privilege of collaborating on several artistic projects, hosting him in creative residencies and presenting his exceptional shows to the public in our region.”… read the complete testimonial

Jacques PineauGeneral and artistic director, Spect’Art, Rimouski

Pierre-Paul Savoie, a career

Choreographer-performer and director, Pierre-Paul Savoie founded PPS Danse in 1989, a company renowned for its multidisciplinary works with strong images and pertinent questions. A versatile artist, he has worked for the stage, film and television, often collaborating with major theatrical, musical and circus institutions. Very involved in his milieu, he was president of the Regroupement québécois de la danse for five years and until recently worked on structuring an international network for young dance (Young Dance Network). His career has been marked by several awards, notably in recognition of his contribution to the development and presence of dance in Quebec.

From theatre to dance

Upon entering the National Theatre School of Canada in 1975, he became interested in a form of theatricality that marked his work. There he discovered the dance that would become his true path. Curious, he was introduced to acrobatics at the National Circus School of Montreal before enrolling in the dance program at Concordia University. There he met Jeff Hall, with whom he partnered creatively for nearly 15 years. Through their athletic qualities, charm and humanist vision, they captivated audiences imposing an interdisciplinary approach to dance that combines voice, text, various theatrical interpretations, choreography, sculptural decor and innovative images. In 1995, they won the Jacqueline-Lemieux Prize for Bagne, a work inscribed in the memories and history of Quebec dance.

Several collaborations mark Pierre-Paul’s career, including those with Luc Plamondon, Claude Poissant, André Montmorency, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. He has contributed to a large number of cultural events, among others as choreographer for the Gémeaux awards gala (1996), the ADISQ gala (1995), the parade for the 350th anniversary of the city of Montreal (1992), and a show paying tribute to Cirque du Soleil music at Montreal’s International Jazz Festival (1995).

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Copie de Don Quichotte de la tache_Kristel Martin-2000-cropped

The time of maturity

When Pierre-Paul Savoie came up with the idea of seeking out exiled Canadian choreographers for the Diasporama series in 2007, he intuitively initiated the openness to the outside world that characterizes PPS Danse’s creations today. Until very recently, they are the fruit of collaborations with artists from here and elsewhere, bringing together various disciplines and imposing a humanist point of view that was his, such as Danse Lhasa Danse and Corps Amour Anarchie / Léo Ferré. At the same time in 2006, Pierre-Paul Savoie started giving a concrete expression to his desire to contribute to the awakening of new generations by including works for young audiences in the PPS Danse repertoire. The freedom he finds there is uncompromising for this demanding audience. In doing so, he attaches great importance to cultural action, which he places at the heart of the creative process and the inspiring encounters it makes possible. In fact, in 2015, he will receive the City of Montreal’s Prix de l’action culturelle in recognition of his contribution in this field.

Countless encounters…

As Pierre-Paul said on the occasion of anniversaries that have marked the company, “to look back is to illuminate the road ahead. It is an opportunity to measure the extent of the road travelled through countless inspiring or memorable encounters”. Pierre-Paul Savoie knew the art of communication and knew how to cultivate a warm closeness with people. Whether during performances, evening meetings or activities, he was happy to meet with the public to discuss and transmit his passion. A key figure in the Quebec dance scene, he maintained close ties with artists and collaborators who crossed his path in large numbers.

We invite you below to share your own memories and testimonials about Pierre-Paul Savoie.

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Pierre-Paul

“Dance is a means of expression that is non-verbal, poetic and imaginative. It takes us on a journey of the mind and soul.”

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

As time goes by…
Regardless of the creative cycle to which they belong, Pierre-Paul Savoie’s works are all marked by interdisciplinarity in their form and humanity in their content. Renowned for his works with strong images and pertinent questioning, he was also involved in theatre, film and television. Openness, creativity, humanism, sharing and commitment have always been the driving force behind his activities.

  • 2020

    Le Trésor (The Treasure)

    Inspired by a deep attachment to this musical form, Pierre-Paul Savoie has drawn from the repertoire of Quebec song to create Le Trésor, his latest work for young audiences. read more

    The songs of Vigneault, Léveillée and Leclerc combine with those composed by Alexandre Désilets, Alexis Dumais and Lise Vaillancourt (lyrics) to set the canvas for a choreography that oscillates between ardour and poetry, between softness and tonicity. Anchored in values of humanity, fraternity and sharing, Le Trésor reveals the greatness of the little ones.

  • 2019

    Attractions

    Attractions, co-produced with the company Sacré Tympan, features two dancers and two musicians. read more

    Opposite and complementary, they explore the zones and interactive forces of their respective languages by multiplying the crossovers, opening up new scenic perspectives.

    2019

  • 2019

    Danse Lhasa Danse. An Ode to Life

    Created in 2011, Danse Lhasa Danse is an ode to life highlighting both the work of Lhasa de Sela, who died in 2010, and the candles of the thirty-year anniversary of the company PPS Danse (2019). read more

    A choral work bringing together on stage about fifteen performers, the vibrant show, warmly welcomed at the time of its creation, in co-production with Coup de cœur francophone, echoes the unclassifiable repertoire of the one that incites us to celebrate life in all serenity.

  • 2016

    Corps Amour Anarchie / Léo Ferré

    Created in 2016 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Léo Ferré, Corps Amour Anarchie / Léo Ferré celebrates the work of this immense 20th century artist, reviving his spirit, his music, his words, always vibrantly alive.read more

    Co-produced by PPS Danse and Coup de cœur francophone, the show, designed and directed by Pierre-Paul Savoie, brings together on stage a dozen artists of song and contemporary dance. Carried by the voices of Bïa, Betty Bonifassi and Alexandre Désilets, (Catherine Major, Philippe B et Michel Flaubert from 2016 to 2018) by the choreographies of Hélène Blackburn, Emmanuel Jouthe, Anne Plamondon, David Rancourt, Alexandre Carlos, Pierre-Paul Savoie, and by the brio of the six dancers, Léo Ferré’s repertoire resonates more than ever.

    2016

  • 2015

    L’École buissonnière (Playing Hooky)

    After Contes pour enfants pas sages, Pierre-Paul Savoie returns to the unusual and bewitching world of poet Jacques Prévert, this time with L’École buissonnière, a show for four dancers.read more

     A celebration in games, dance, song, music and poetry of childhood, creativity, tenacity and camaraderie.

  • 2015

    Bagne re-création

    More than 20 years after its original creation, co-creators and performers Pierre-Paul Savoie and Jeff Hall revisit one of their greatest successes, Bagne. read more

    In this work at the crossroads of dance and theater, the brutal force of the performers is mixed with universal tenderness. By calling on a new generation of male performers and inviting the original collaborators to update their work, the creators update the subject matter and make the work timeless.

    2015

  • 2013

    Les Chaises (The Chairs)

    Deepening his choreographic research on the interaction between dance, theater and singing, Pierre-Paul Savoie is inspired by the theater of the absurd and comic tragedy with the choreographic adaptation of a strong work from the repertoire, Eugène Ionesco’s Les chaises. read more

    He explores the power of the imagination by opposing it to the themes of isolation and boredom. In this open space, dance and text meet to create a poetic clownesque imprint of great humanity.

  • 2011

    Danse Lhasa Danse

    Danse Lhasa Danse, a creation in homage to Lhasa, whose soul remains nestled in the depths of hearts. read more

    A show orchestrated by Pierre-Paul Savoie where dance, words and music blend into one voice to echo the work of the one who calls us to celebrate life in all serenity. “No need for words (…) here there is only the vehemence of the gesture, the emotion of the song, the impalpability of the music to pay homage to a strong and eternal work”. Marie-Christine Trottier, Espace musique.

    2011

  • 2010-2011

    Contes pour enfants pas sages (Tales for Naughty Children)

    Eight not-so-wise tales for children from three to six feet tall who love fantasy. read more

    Contes pour enfants pas sages is a stage adaptation of Jacques Prévert’s book. A show full of poetry, humour and fraternity featuring animals that are larger than life!

  • 2007-2009

    Cycle Diasporama

    Confidence d’un corps (Confidence of a body) by Pierre-Paul Savoie read more


    Mi-un, ni d’eux by Luc Dumberry (Berlin)
    … et comme si l’air allait s’embraser (… and as if the air was going to be set ablaze) by André Gingras (Amsterdam)
    Je suis moche (I am ugly) by Mireille Leblanc (Goteborg)
    Bain public (Public bath) by Linda Mancini (New-York)
    Five countries. Five choreographers. Five postcard-like works that exhale the perfumes of the cities they have adopted. This tetralogy offers an unprecedented panorama of different currents in dance. A fascinating journey into singular universes. “It’s audacious, it’s disconcerting, and it’s terribly relevant.” (Janet Smith, Straight.com, Vancouver, April 17, 2009)

    2007-2009

  • 2009

    Va-et-vient

    Order  from Dansencorps Company (Moncton).

  • 2009

    Nous sommes =

    Community Creation.

    2009

  • 2009

    Rencontres interdisciplinaires 2009

    Conception, direction and choreography by Pierre-Paul Savoie.
    With Suzie Arioli, Alexandre Désilets, Carl Prieur, Thomas Hellman, David Rancourt and Sinha Danse.

  • 2008

    Les passeurs

    Order  from Dansencorps Company (Moncton).

    2008

  • 2007

    Rencontres interdisciplinaires 2007

    Conception, direction and choreography by Pierre-Paul Savoie.

    With Jean Derome, Bruno Roy, Carl Béchard, Isabelle Cyr, Alexandre Désilets, Luciana Pinto and Sinha Danse.

  • 2006

    Les flaques

    In Les Flaques, dance, theater and music merge. On stage, dancers, actors and a musician explore the encounter with oneself, with the other. read more

    This interdisciplinary dialogue brings out the power and singularity of each form. The text is by Marc-Antoine Cyr, directed by Jasmine Dubé with the complicity of Pierre-Paul Savoie, who wrote the choreography. The music is by Maryse Poulin. A PPS Danse co-production with Théâtre Bouche décousue.

    2006

  • 2005

    Danses circassiennes

    With Danses circassiennes, Pierre-Paul Savoie continues and enriches the dialogue between disciplines. read more

    In addition to bringing together dance and circus arts, the show also calls for song and theater. Danses circassiennes is a universe in itself. It is a world full of humour and humanity, because beyond the zany, satire and comedy, it also invites us to intimacy. On stage, six artists from the circus arts. Six characters at once singular, comic, and above all profoundly human.

  • 2004

    Débranché

    Pierre-Paul Savoie turns his attention to the behind-the-scenes life of the dancers with the creation of a series of three short, dramatic dance numbers: Solosansfils, Extase and Louves, consisting of a solo, a duet and a trio, featuring five dancers. read more

    A production with up-and-coming dancers combining dance and theater. Débranché, because it is not a multimedia production but rather an event marked by sobriety, intimacy and stripped bare. Pierre-Paul Savoie questions the essence of his artistic approach and choreographic language and, more broadly, the medium he has chosen, dance.

    2004

  • 2003

    Élément cirque

    Pierre-Paul Savoie directs the first show of a company founded by three young graduates of the National Circus School: Marc Pieklo, Laura Smith and Nicolas Lauriault.read more

    Theater is very much present, the athletes are also actors who speak and tell stories. Of the production, Pierre-Paul Savoie said: “The circus is a world of personal acts. You can’t escape it. At the same time, I think we have found a tone, a way. I mean, it doesn’t look like a collage. We opted for a theater or, rather, a scene of poverty, a bare space, dressed by the light. » Co-production with Element Cirque.

  • 2001

    Strata, mémoire d’un amoureux

    Strata, mémoires d’un amoureux proposes a new episode in the association between dance and technology, with an interactive sound environment designed by Äke Parmerud and a visual environment designed by Yves Labelle, in which an intergenerational quintet represents the passage of time. read more

    Strata is a reflection on the meaning of existence. Using a global understanding of the stages of an earthly life, the show addresses the relational and generational dynamics of Western societies, incidentally exploring the fate of the elderly.

    2001

  • 1998

    Bagne (female version)

    Pierre-Paul Savoie and Jeff Hall are pushing the audacious by adapting Bagne for two women. read more

    In co-production with the Banff National Art Center, this women’s version is presented at the Canada Dance Festival, and later at the Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur. Carole Courtois and Sarah Williams share the stage. At the Joyce Theater in New York, the two versions (for male and female performers) were presented alternately. In collaboration with Jeff Hall.

  • 1996

    Pôles

    After having contributed to several creations by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, Pierre-Paul Savoie invites them to take part in a co-creation with Jeff Hall. read more

    The result, Pôles, is an innovative virtual dance show that will help redefine the boundaries of stage language. Pôles is a dreamlike encounter between two exiled beings in an imaginary world where body, soul, mind and movement interact with virtual projections in an attempt to rethink stage performance. Here, dance and virtual marry. It is a tale for all, a fresco of life that reminds us of the human filiation that exists beyond time and space. Two uprooted beings projected in the heart of a fabulous universe find themselves confronted with their differences. Marked by duality and fragility, but also by hope and tolerance, this unusual encounter reveals with as much poetry and magic the riches of the soul. In collaboration with Jeff Hall, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon.

    1996

  • 1993-1994

    Bagne

    A flagship work in the PPS Danse repertoire, Bagne is the centerpiece of a fruitful collaboration that began in 1986 between Pierre-Paul Savoie and Jeff Hall. read more

    Both combine their talents as dancers, acrobats, actors, singers and musicians. Like a cry from the heart, Bagne speaks of the immanent need for freedom and love. This work is a metaphor for imprisonment, both physical and psychological. Intense, brutal and tender, Bagne is an enveloping and energetic work that goes to the essential. A “slice of life” both sensitive and raw. A reminder of the fragility of life itself. Bagne has been presented in many countries and has had an enormous impact. “Their Bagne is actually a beautiful tale (for all) of extreme affinities, a superb tale of total love…Bagne is a unique duo… ” ¬ Le Devoir, Montreal, Canada. In collaboration with Jeff Hall.

  • 1992

    L’ombre d’un doute

    A large-scale dance-opera project, L’ombre d’un doute brings together 37 participants (dancers, actors and musicians) and is rooted in the history of art.read more

    Pierre-Paul Savoie, stages a universe that is at once baroque, absurd and modern, inspired by paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, archives, music and texts that have marked the history of humanity.

    1992

  • 1992

    Le radeau de la méduse

    Order from Manon Levac.

  • 1991

    Encre de Chine

    In Encre de Chine, Pierre-Paul Savoie and Marie-Sylvie Labelle seek to combine choreographic and literary writing. read more

    The creation takes the form of a correspondence exchanged between two isolated beings in the same place. The play of bodies evokes and amplifies the states of mind and spirit of these two beings. It highlights the back and forth between the transmitter and the receiver, the present and the past, the intimate and the social, between a voice and unison.

    1991

  • 1988

    Don Quichotte de la tache

    In 1988, Pierre-Paul Savoie first tackled a literary work, Cervantes’ Don Quixote, “in the deliciously delirious manner of a comic strip” (Le Devoir). read more

    Straddling theater and dance, oscillating between the extravagance of the imagination and an innate taste for risk, this unusual piece is based on a scenography of heterogeneous objects: a horse-stick, a shield-bicycle wheel, a spear too big and a windmill-fan, to embody beautifully the Knight of the Sad Figure, idealist with a big heart, derisory and pathetic hero. With original music by Ginette Bertrand and a conceptual collaboration by Bernard Lagacé.

  • 1988

    Ce n’est guère civil

    Commissioned choreography by Montréal-Danse.

    1988

  • 1987

    Tripes attisées

    Tripes attisées: dance and resilience. read more

    Tripes attisées is the founding work of Pierre-Paul Savoie’s choreographic research. It occupies a special place in his career, since it is his very first creation, while he was still a dance student at Concordia University. An autobiographical solo directly inspired by a dramatic episode, the piece evokes the desire to say, life force, resilience, the will to get up after falling. Tripes attisées already establishes a dialogue between different artistic disciplines. In essence, it contains the dramaturgy and theatricality that will define Pierre-Paul Savoie’s choreographic writing. A trial run in which the choreographer gives free rein to his desire to explore movement, acting and singing at the same time. To original music by Ginette Bertrand. Conceptual collaboration by Bernard Lagacé.

  • 1987

    Antichambre

    Beneath this evocative and discreet title, hides a cruel and ironic portrait of love relationships. read more

    The “loves of alcoves”, as Pierre-Paul Savoie sees them, are atrophied by this incessant quest for the other, for the idealized being in a society nourished by aesthetics and the ephemeral. Set to original music by Ginette Bertrand.

    1987

  • 1987

    Désirée Laflamme

    A thousand and one nights, a silence of absence. In a bed, a lost body, amused eyes, dumb hands scratch the emptiness. Tender without an “S”, as if alone. To original music by Janet Lumb.

  • 1987

    Duodénum

    Jeff Hall and Pierre-Paul Savoie embody in Duodénum a duo full of vivacity, anti-heroes.read more

    Inspired by animated films, they explore the psyche of the contemporary male through a series of misadventures, injecting a dose of freshness, humour and social criticism into the Montreal dance world. Transfigured, two men find themselves in the middle of a comical and daredevil suspense where, haunted by comic book heroes, they set out in pursuit of the epic myth. Set to original music by Mireille Chamberland. Choreography created in collaboration with Jeff Hall and Marc Boivin.

    1987

  • 1985

    Images de l’enfance infinie

    Choreography created in collaboration with Jeff Hall.

  • 1984

    Madame Edwarda

    Work in psychiatric movements. Conception by Bernard Lagacé. A being… its wall… its world… A breach opened on the mental and physical limits. A loud cry… a heart that beats madly…

    1984

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1995

Jacqueline Lemieux Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts (1995) prize shared with Jeff Hall;

2002

Special Jury Prize of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival (2002) for Strata, mémoires d’un amoureux;

2004

Prix Attitude awarded by ROSEQ (Réseau des Organisateurs de Spectacles de l’Est du Québec);

2008

Hommage RIDEAU Award (Réseau indépendant des diffuseurs d’événements artistiques unis);

2014

RIDEAU Tournée Award (Réseau indépendant des diffuseurs d’événements artistiques unis), prize shared with Coup de coeur francophone;

2015

Prix de l’action culturelle de la ville de Montréal.

“There is much joy in me.”

« Pierre-Paul, tu es l’homme qui fait danser les voix et chanter les corps.
Sous tes yeux pétillants d’un feu sacré, la poésie déjoue la mort
Dans ta mort très douce tu m’apprends encore
À danser ma vie
Dors, mon ami, dors »

Bia

« J’ai eu la chance de collaborer avec Pierre-Paul pendant une dizaine d’années. Grâce à lui, j’ai fait partie de deux équipes de création chez PPS Danse avec lesquelles j’ai vécu des moments formidables. Pierre-Paul avait l’art de réunir les gens, les artistes et de stimuler les esprits créatifs. Quelle aventure cela a été de créer avec lui. On travaillait fort car lui, il travaillait sans cesse. Profondément positif et passionné, il avait une énergie hors du commun et toujours plein d’idées qui l’allumaient. Il fallait le suivre et on avait envie de le suivre! Ce n’était pas toujours facile en studio, car il était exigeant, mais sa détermination était admirable. Il était aussi une personne particulièrement sociable, amicale et drôle qui avait un rire contagieux.

Pierre-Paul a été un précieux mentor, un collaborateur inoubliable et un ami bienveillant. Ses œuvres auxquelles j’ai participé m’habitent encore, dans mon corps comme dans mon imaginaire, et je chéris leurs empreintes qui témoignent du passage de Pierre-Paul sur mon chemin. Merci PP, merci mille fois! Merci de m’avoir pris sous tes grandes ailes. Ce fut un privilège de partager ton univers. »

Amélie Rajotte

« Cher Pierre-Paul, je t’ai connu sur les planches de Tangente dans Duodénum, présenté en 1987. Tu formais un duo incroyable avec ton complice des premières heures Jeff Hall. J’ai un vif souvenir de ta forte présence sur scène et de ta belle voix chantée. Notre amitié s’est soudée au fil du temps. J’ai été témoin de ton engagement exceptionnel dans notre communauté, de ta vision unique, de ton immense force de travail et de ta grande humanité. Depuis 10 ans, notre amour commun pour la danse et les petits spectateurs nous a liés solidement.

Deux jours avant ton départ, j’ai eu l’immense privilège de passer un peu de temps seule avec toi. En entrant dans ta chambre, tu m’as souri avec toute la force qu’il te restait. Je me suis assise à tes côtés dans ton lit. Tu ne parlais plus. Je t’ai dit je t’aime et tu as chuchoté, moi aussi. J’ai ajouté spontanément qu’on se mordrait les doigts de ne pas t’avoir octroyé l’Ordre du Canada ou le Prix du Québec. Je t’ai fait la promesse de veiller à ta mémoire. Tu as encore souri. Je suis sortie de la chambre en battant des ailes avec légèreté et en t’invitant à t’envoler. Tu m’as souri une dernière fois. »

Ginette Ferland

« Il y a déjà 10 ans, je rencontrais pour la première fois cet être débordant d’énergie, d’inspirations et de rêves… Un homme aux yeux pétillants et au sourire indélogeable. À ce moment-là, je ne me doutais pas encore de l’impact qu’il aurait sur moi, sur ma carrière, sur ma vie… Je nous revois, en 2011 à la Place des Arts, quelques heures avant le levé du rideau pour la première du spectacle Danse Lhasa Danse. À la fois fébriles, mais hypnotisés par le charisme de cet artiste, nous étions tous ébahis par sa façon si naturelle de nous rassembler et de nous allier, chanteurs, musiciens et danseurs. Pour ma part, je découvrais alors un créateur aux inspirations sans limites qui avait une foi inébranlable en la richesse des rencontres humaines et en ce qui est possible de réaliser au nom de notre passion pour l’art.

Mon admiration pour ce grand homme est née ce jour-là et depuis, je ne peux entendre une chanson de Lhasa De Sela sans voir apparaître le visage de Pierre-Paul au fond de ma mémoire. Au fil du temps, dans un paysage de complicité, de confiance, d’échanges, d’écoute et de profonde tendresse, une sincère amitié est née.

Au cours de cette décennie, il m’a vu grandir, il m’a fait grandir… Une part de lui habite ma vision du monde, habite mes mouvements, habite mes souvenirs, habite l’artiste que je suis devenue… C’est remplie de reconnaissance et d’amour que je dis aujourd’hui au revoir à cet être rayonnant, à cet artiste inspirant et à cet ami chaleureux et réconfortant.
De tout mon coeur, cher Pierre-Paul… »

Sara Harton

« Je vois un mobile, / des formes géométriques colorées, / elles dansent.
Une fleur pousse en accéléré, / un petit sac de velours rempli de billes, / un papillon qui virevolte.
Je sens le vent du large, / une odeur de mer, / ton regard bienveillant.
J’hume des pâtisseries gourmandes, / j’entends des rires d’enfants, puis le tien. / Au loin, un carrousel scintillant.
J’entends le tic-tac de l’horloge grand-père / et découvre une paire de belles chaussettes de laine fait main.
Je caresse une douce fourrure, / perçoit un ronronnement.
Quelqu’un fredonne un air / et c’est tout l’orchestre qui s’ensuit.
Une grande lignée de gens se tiennent par la main.
C’est là où je suis, lorsque les yeux clos, je pense à toi cher ami. »

Marie-Ève Carrière

« Pierre-Paul avait cette volonté de créer l’impossible et de faire vivre sur scène ces mondes spectaculaires en quoi il croyait, des univers qui véhiculent la beauté et la richesse des artistes qu’il aimait tant. Danser ses pièces nous permettaient en tant qu’artiste de voyager au plus profond de son cœur et c’est un souvenir que je chérirai à jamais, tous ces moments d’émerveillement qui brillaient dans ses yeux quand toute la magie remplissait la scène. Ces yeux étincelants qui nous ouvraient la porte vers ce qu’il ressentait, ce qu’il voulait transmettre, vers la magnificence et la splendeur cachée en son plus profond. Un grand homme qui a marqué toutes les personnes qui ont eu la chance de simplement le voir sourire de cette immense fierté pour ces artistes. Un ami précieux qui m’a fait m’épanouir en tant qu’interprète mais qui m’a davantage fait grandir en tant qu’être humain. Merci pour tout mon cher et unique Pierre-Paul. »

Alexandre Carlos

« C’était un privilège et un honneur que de faire partie des spectacles Danse Lhasa Danse et Corps Amour Anarchie, qui resteront pour moi parmi les plus beaux et émouvants que j’ai vécu en tant que musicienne. La grande poésie intérieure de Pierre-Paul s’est manifestée sur la scène, en beauté, intimité, humour, amour, partage et humanité. Comme directeur artistique, Pierre-Paul a su cultiver, tout naturellement, une ambiance de respect et d’amitié.

Le voir travailler était très inspirant : dès les premières rencontres d’exploration, on comprenait les grandes lignes. Au fond, je ressentais que le but n’était pas un spectacle réglé au quart de tour, figé dans une « perfection », mais plutôt un moment éphémère, vivant, où l’on pouvait accueillir les élans de créativité de chacun. Pierre-Paul adorait animer des rencontres avec le public et les artistes après les représentations. Généreux, il était si intéressé de savoir ce que chacun avait vécu; il n’essayait ni de diriger la conversation, ni d’expliquer les éléments du spectacle. Il était présent et à l’écoute. Cette grande ouverture d’esprit est l’une des qualités que j’appréciais tant de Pierre-Paul. J’ai eu la chance de le côtoyer durant plusieurs années et je le remercie pour toute la joie et la beauté qu’il a apporté à ce monde qui en a tant besoin. »

Sheila Hannigan

“Le terme “artiste-citoyen” décrit très bien le Pierre-Paul que j’ai connu mais celui de ” créateur humaniste ” sied encore davantage pour embrasser toute sa carrière. C’était un être non seulement passionné par son art, la danse, mais bien plus encore par les individus et le désir de les toucher, de les aider, de les transformer. Un à un. Autant de détermination ne peut qu’ouvrir des coeurs et des portes et il en a ouvert un nombre innombrable.”

Clothilde Cardinal
Directrice de la Programmation, Place des Arts (2014- )

“One of my fondest memories of Pierre-Paul was when he came to Winnipeg to perform Duodenum in the late eighties. He was generous enough to give workshops to my young students while he was here. They were enthralled with him, especially when he treated them to a little opera singing! In addition to performing Duodenum, we were also give the gift of him performing his magnificent solo bringing to life his journey to dance, Tripe Attisées (I hope the spelling is correct). My last visit with Pierre-Paul was a trip to Vancouver to see Danse Lhasa Danse. I will hold him in my heart always. I believe he is one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. I’m sad that he is no longer in this world, but we is so much richer because he was.”

Megan LaTouche

“Dear Pierre-Paul, I treasure your memory not only for the dance you gave us so generously but for the casual meetings we shared over the years. With shining eyes and a huge smile, you would spot me in a crowd and cross the space between us to hug me warmly.

You were a great, great hugger.”

Linde Howe-Beck

Photo credits, in order of appearance:
Portrait Pierre-Paul Savoie © Rolline Laporte
Bagne © Marik Boudreault
Médiation culturelle © PPS Danse
Don Quichotte de la tache © Kristel Martin
Diasporama. Confidence d’un corps © Sylvain Légaré
Don Quichotte de la tache © Kristel Martin
Diasporama. Mi un, ni d’eux © Peter Juranka
Portrait Pierre-Paul Savoie © Rolline Laporte
Don Quichotte de la tache © Kristel Martin
Journal de création, Don Quichotte de la tache
Portrait Pierre-Paul Savoie © Rolline Laporte
Don Quichotte de la tache © Kristel Martin

Video editing: Alejandro Jiménez
Music: Benoit Côté. Extract from l’Orateur. The Chairs.

Sound editing: Benjamin Perreault
Source of the excerpts:
Station PDA – episode 11. Interview of Tristan Malavoy with Pierre-Paul Savoie, 2020;
Le 15-18, Radio-Canada. Interview with Katerine Verebely. 5 mars 2020;
Interview of Pierre-Paul Savoie on the occasion of the presentation of David Rancourt, co-artistic director of the company;
Colloquium on dance dedicated to young audiences, Bouge de là, PPS Danse, Département de danse de l’UQAM, in collaboration with Cas public, 2014.