Hélène Blackburn

Passionate about dance, which she has practiced since the age of five, Quebec choreographer Hélène Blackburn initially studied ethnography and theater. She eventually returned to the exploration of the dancing body, which proved to be the best means of expressing her reflexion on human behavior, a subject that seemed inexhaustible to her. She received professional training at Linda Rabin's studios (now the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal) and at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), where she met choreographer Jean-Pierre Perreault, with whom she collaborated as a performer until 1989 (Joe, Stella, Nuit, Les Lieux dits and Piazza). In 1989, she founded the Cas Public company, which went on to forge an international reputation. In its 34 years of activity, Cas Public has produced no fewer than fifteen creations, including several for young audiences: Barbe Bleue (2004) and GOLD (2011), which were presented at the Opéra national de Paris, as well as Journal intime (2006), Variations S (2010), and more recently Suites ténébreuses (2019). An artist committed to the advancement of her discipline, choreographer and teacher, Hélène Blackburn is also renowned outside Cas Public. She is regularly invited to create for companies (UK, Norway...), both for the general public and for young audiences. She also works as a teacher and choreographer with leading professional dance training centers in Canada and Europe.