Isabelle Kirouac

Discipline: Interdisciplinary
Homebase: Vancouver
Languages: English, French
Themes: Climate Change and/or Environmentalism
Grant Eligibility: Eligible to apply for AIC

Isabelle Kirouac is an award-winning interdisciplinary choreographer, dance artist, acrobatic stilt walker and movement educator. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Simon Fraser University, and presented her artistic work across Canada, the USA, Mexico and Europe. Isabelle has been teaching movement practices to young people of all ages for nearly 20 years, often leading to the creation of performance work in collaboration with the students. Her work is often guided by land-based practices and inspired by interspecies relationships. She shares her artistic practice in an innovative, inclusive and non-competitive environment. As a movement educator, her approach is inspired by dance improvisation, contemporary dance, partnering techniques (Contact Improvisation), acrobatics, physical theater, site-specific installation, somatic practices, stilt-walking and voice work. She offers students the opportunity to move together, create artistic material that respects their interests and their bodies, and develop new technical skills through play. Isabelle taught youth through the Dance Center, Vancouver International Children's Festival, Still Moon Arts Society, ArtStarts, North Van Arts, Association Franco-Yukonnaise, and more.

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Classroom Residency(ies)

Contact Me: Email, Web

Learning through Movement

School Year: 24-25

Customized Interdisciplinary Dance Projects. Depending on the students' interests, I can offer classes in creative dance, movement improvisation, physical theatre, acrobatic dance and/or stilt-walking. Movement scores in relationship to a specific theme or curriculum subject chosen by the school can be integrated into each class. In addition, short presentations featuring the chosen theme can be created in collaboration with the students and offered in front of a school audience. Depending on time, ressources and interests, the presentations may incorporate props and/or costumes. Suitable for Kindergarten to Grade 7.

The Art & Fungi Project

School Year: 24-25

Dance, visual arts, ecology. Art & Fungi is a collaboration between bilinguals (French, English) interdisciplinary dance artist Isabelle Kirouac, visual artist and mycologist Willoughby Arevalo, aiming at developing a series of interdisciplinary art projects inspired by ecology and fungal life. Students will learn about fungi through dance improvisation, play-making, sensory walks, living sculpture, creative writing, natural dyes, painting and culinary arts, etc. We will provide frameworks encouraging the participants to create original artistic work, both collaboratively and individually, based on the living systems in and around us. Through experiential learning and conversations, everyone will be invited to reflect on the intersections between the kingdom of fungi, the body, art and ecology. This project is an opportunity to build connections with each other and with nature and to inspire students to explore and connect with their creative potential, gain confidence and develop new skills.

The Bird Project

School Year: 24-25

Stilt-walking, dance, puppetry. Through the Bird Project, students develop a series of short performances inspired by local birds. In this process, students will learn how to walk on stilts and explore bird anatomy and migration patterns by embodying specific bird movements and behaviors. They will create bird choreography, animate costumes and masks, build original bird puppets, learn bird songs and dances from a guest Indigenous artist, research their chosen bird with a guest ornithologist and devise collaborative performances integrating these elements. The project will culminate in a bird celebration, including short original performance presentations, which will showcase what they have learned through the process. Suitable for Grades K-6.

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Testimonials & Reviews

For over a decade Isabelle has taught dance and acrobatic stilts to youth through Still Moon Arts Society, creating interdisciplinary performances in collaboration with them for the annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival and other site specific events. The artistic work that Isabelle creates is thoughtful, skillful and extremely appreciated by the local community. She has been significantly impacting the creative development and education of youths in our neighborhood. Carmen Rosen, Artistic Director, Still Moon Arts Society

Many dancing practices are very human centred. Isabelle shared some amazing practices that allowed the children to expand how they think of dancing- in a way that involves the natural multi species world instead of separating their selves from it. Chloe Humprey, Program Director, Squamish Nature Learners

It has been a joy having Isabelle at our school. She has infused our classrooms with a sense of wonder, play and curiousity. Flexible and well organized, Isabelle is a skillful and passionate artist. She is knowledgeable about her craft and able to communicate fluently in English and French. Isabelle has a caring rapport with the students. They were able to take risks and trusted her completely. Isabelle is a dedicated artist and engaged educator. Anita Lau and Lisa Chang Dar Woon, Teachers, Grade ¾ , English and French, Mitchell Elementary School, Richmond

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