Jacqueline Lemieux

Lemieux, Jacqueline

Jacqueline Lemieux, dancer, choreographer and dance teacher (b at East Angus, Québec 13 Nov 1957). Jacqueline Lemieux is an eloquent, passionate dancer well known to international audiences. Her movement qualities and outlook are a vibrant example of a style that is both expressionistic and introspective - a style that emerged in Québec in the 1970s and is often referred to as "nouvelle danse."

Lemieux's decision to dance professionally was made at the age of 13 while a participant in the classes and performances of the Entre-Deux dance group headed by Richard Lewis (1971-76). She went on to dance and choreograph for Jean Ruest's Educanima children's performing company (1977-78). Her professional modern dance training began later at École de danse Pointépiénu (1978-79) and the GROUPE NOUVELLE AIRE's school (1980), with Linda Rabin and Jo Lechay (1980-84), and in New York City at the Lubovitch and Limon schools (1981-82). Other influences include studies in Butoh (1981, 1990), Skinner Release Technique (1980) and with numerous American postmodern choreographers (1982-present).

In 1978, she created 3 dances under the auspices of Québec's first choreographer's collective, "Qui danse?": Volambule (1978), Délices (1979), and Aqua (1980). As a member of this and numerous other groups she fostered dance experimentation. During the 1980s Lemieux toured internationally as a performer and artistic collaborator with several groups, including Françoise SULLIVAN (1980); Paul St-Jean and his Performance Multi-Media company (1982-84); the Jo Lechay Dance Company (1981- 85); Édouard LOCK's LaLaLa Human Steps (1984); and the O Vertigo dance company directed by choreographer Ginette LAURIN (1985-91).

After a decade working primarily as a company dancer, Lemieux returned to independent dancing, working with Montréal choreographers Isabelle Van Grimde (1992), Louise BÉDARD (1993-present), Irène Stamou (1995-97), Andrew Harwood (1996) and Jean-Pierre PERREAULT (1996). She presented dances created for her by Marie CHOUINARD, Linda Rabin and Tedd Robinson in the Danse Cité Volet Interprètes (1993). She also began to choreograph for local theatre productions.

Lemieux's approach to dance pedagogy evolved through a series of influences, including modern jazz (1974-80) and the Limon technique (1980-84). In the 1990s, working with colleague Marc Boivin, she created a partnering technique for dancers. Jacqueline Lemieux retired from her career as a choreographer and dancer in 1999, and has since devoted herself to the healing arts. She is also an artistic consultant to circus performers.