Pivot point

Raphaël Bouchard

Looking back at beginnings; a young man’s drive

When he was younger, Raphaël Bouchard worked on maintaining his good posture and perfect execution on a diving board, like his brother Maxim who went on to the Olympics. Born in Baie-Saint-Paul, but raised in Saint-Constant, it’s sheer fate (aversion to the instrument assigned to him as part of his academic concentration) that the young man took his first classical dance steps, at the age of 16. A late start to training that then led to a meteoric rise: from the École supérieure de ballet du Québec under the mentorship of Didier Chirpaz, to joining the Jeune ­Ballet du Québec company a few months later. Then, being awarded a scholarship to the Monaco Dance Forum. There, he is spotted by Jean-Christophe Maillot who invites him and his long-time friend and dance partner, Maude Sabourin, to join the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. He spends eight years with the company, becomes a solo dancer, dances the role of Puck, in Le Songe, plays Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet… After which he moves to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and finally returns to Quebec. In 2015, he joins the Grands Ballets Canadiens company, becomes a soloist, and principal dancer for the 2020-21 season.

Inflection point; 
On the brink of a new life

2022 - Injury. When venues slowly begin to re-open after the pandemic, Raphaël needs to take a break, do some thinking. As is true for athletes, the body breaks down and careers end prematurely for dancers. Though he was able to put on the ballet shoes and take to the stage since his injury, his forties herald the end of a career. On-stage at the Place des Arts, in the stunning Vendetta: Storie di mafia he took some of his last steps in Grands Ballets Canadiens productions. In the studio where we meet with him, between dress rehearsal and opening night performance, he is open about his physical fatigue and about the feelings that accompany his announced retirement, but he is selfless in front of our photographer’s camera. This selflessness, the desire to share, that’s who he is, that’s what’s reflected back at us in the mirror. Teaching: He already does plenty of that. Helping others discover dance: It’s a vocation that he honours by establishing the Festival Charlevoix Danse in his hometown of Baie-Saint-Paul, which will inaugurate its second year, this year (June 14-15, 2025), and offer performances by the great artists Raphaël has assembled, as well as workshops by Danse-Mouvement Thérapie (DMT). And for the future? The dream is: Masters classes for youth!