EVENT. The third edition of the Cégep Drummond reverse Christmas parade proved to be a success. 1,400 people wandered between the walls of the establishment to admire the performances of young artists from the region.
For the weekend of December 21 and 22, visitors were treated to eight artistic displays, varying between musical and dance performances, an artisans' lounge and an outdoor space.
Around 550 artists participated in the activity including dancers, choir singers and musicians. The dancers came from the dance programs of Cégep Drummond, École Formation Danse, Jean-Raimbault high school and Saint-Bernard college, and were divided into four teams that joined forces over the weekend.
Two of the dancers, Florence Letendre and Naomie Mésadieux, play the role of two elves in the last scene of the reverse parade, the one on the theme of Santa Claus holidays. The first is in its third participation, while the second is in its second and last.
Both love participating with their friends in this festive event which allows them to keep in shape. “I am proud to be able to show what we do at CEGEP to adults. I also like to use my character to the fullest and see the children's reaction when they see us. They have lights in their eyes every time,” explains Florence Letendre.
“It’s a very family event. It’s a change from the few times we perform on stage at CEGEP. It also allows you to discover other facets of dance. The fact that we redo the choreography several times allows us to experiment with different ways of getting the children to react,” adds Naomie Mésadieux.
While most visitors fell in love with the last painting, they appreciated the reverse parade as a whole. “I really liked the idea of walking from scene to scene. Each one was original and the music was very good,” shares a spectator at the end of the course.
Always renew yourself
The coordinator of the dance program at Cégep Drummond and one of the artistic directors of the Inverted Parade, Maryse Blanchette, confides that the paintings were not the same as last year.
“Every year, we want the tables to be completely different. We have the same places in the CEGEP, but as soon as the expansion is completed, we will be able to put more and add new proposals,” she lets know.
Between the instrumental compositions as well as the choreographies taking place in a candy factory, or featuring ice fairies, Ms. Blanchette finds that it is a window on the talent of the young people of Drummondville. She specifies that there can even be up to 14 performances in a single afternoon.
The reverse parade team is already thinking about its fourth edition for the year 2025.
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