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December 2023: Anne Daroussin

Who is Anne Daroussin in a sentence?

A passionate recreational dancer, professional voice actor and amateur writer who loves the challenge of learning new things all the time.

Tell us a bit about your work and practice.

In the past, I worked in dance quite a lot, as a production manager in France, and here in Vancouver as a venue manager at Scotiabank Dance Centre, for Out Innerspace/Modus Operandi, and as a stage manager for many BC dance companies.

I also run a community adult contemporary dance class, now in its 7th year.

Currently, I have three jobs unrelated to dance: I work at Radio-Canada, and I’m also a voice actor and a dialogue adapter reviewing and preparing scripts for dubbing. I love voice acting, and I wish I could do more of it.

I also write, a lot of poetry these days, but I’ve also been working on a novel for quite some time.

I’ve been learning Mandarin Chinese for a couple years, and recently took on Chinese calligraphy. It’s such a beautiful art form. I feel it’s almost like dancing on paper. Beyond the technique, there’s a lot of intuitive sensation and movement that goes into it. It’s all at the same time physical, emotional and spiritual, just like dance.

How long have you been dancing?

I’ve been a passionate dancer since the age of 3, so 37 years and counting. I know I’ll dance until I die.

I’ve done contemporary jazz, ballet, and contemporary, which is currently my main form of dance. This year at age 40, I also tried some hip-hop and started taking K-pop classes and I’m having so much fun. Learning new forms of dance is like learning a new language, every time you do so, your mind expands a little bit more.

I believe it’s never too late to start something new because we’re never too old for anything. And most importantly, we’re never “not good enough” to do something we love.

How does dance fit into your life currently? 

Dance is probably the one and only immutable passion that I have never moved away from. It runs in my blood, it’s rooted in me. So it’s there all the time, be it in class, at home, or “in my head” when I’m out and about listening to music.

Sharing my love for dance is important for me, which is why I started a community dance class. I’m really happy that I managed to create this safe space for people to just enjoy dance without any kind of pressure about looking a certain way.

On a personal level, I miss performing on stage and I’m also at a point in my life where I feel the need and desire to create something for myself. Something that would obviously involve dance, but also my other creative practices like writing, acting, sound. It’s very slowly taking shape in my mind.

How would you describe dance’s impact on your life?

Dancing brings me so much joy and seeing other people dance inspires me. Dance is, and has always been, my anchor, my life buoy, my meds, my energy booster, my refueling station, my therapy. And when I can share this essential part of my life with others, it just makes me happy.

What three core values drive your engagement with dance? 

Passion. Joy. Community.

Do you have a particular practice that you carry out each day or have you implemented new practices over these last few years?

I write every day. Either creative writing or journaling. I’ve been journaling on and off since I was about 8 or 9 and I thank myself for doing this. Reading again what I wrote over the years gives me such an interesting insight on myself and on life.

I started yoga early on in the pandemic. It became part of my overall well-being. I try to fit in a practice every day, even if just for 15 minutes.

Other than that, I walk. A lot. Everywhere. My mind wanders very easily when I take long walks, and that’s usually when I find inspiration for my creative writing. And if I wasn’t so self-aware, I would probably dance-walk a lot as well.

What would you say are the most significant benefits for you in being a Dance Centre member?

To feel part of the community is probably the major benefit for me. Of course I enjoy the discounted studio rates, but it’s much more than financial benefits. I like receiving e-central, to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the community. Even if I don’t attend that many events, at least the information is there when I need it.

And I know that if I finally take the leap to create my own little performance someday, I will be able to find support here.

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Photos by Wendy D Photography