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Christie's | Dance School | QA close-ups
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Moving experiences
By Janet McDonald

Brooke Desnoës... An American dance schoo in Paris


Paris is the capital of many things, fashion, food... and, in the dance world, ballet. Americans can be credited with teaching people to slide, jump and bounce. To jazz, tap and hip hop... But, the French created ballet in its modern form. The first ballet was performed at the court of Catherine de Médicis in 1581. The place in Paris to learn ballet has always been the Ecole de Danse — the Ballet de l’Opéra’s centuries-old “feeder” school. Surprisingly, in the midst of so much old-world tradition there’s a new kid on the block with one hell of a grand jeté.
Enter Brooke Desnoës, founder of the bilingual Académie Américaine de Danse à Paris, which in five short years has grown into one of the largest and most respected classical dance schools in Paris for children and adults. Desnoës moved to Paris in 1992 after working as a professional dancer with the Scottish Ballet and obtaining a college degree in dance.
Today, barely 30 and brimming with energy, her story is one of overcoming obstacles (the only French she knew upon arrival was “demi-plié, grand jeté and arabesque”). Establishing the school meant untangling a web of regulations. Desnoës soared above each hurdle with the tenacity that has swept her from her native Alabama, to direct a dance school with 350 students.
Founding a school is no easy task in a country famous for its administrative quirks. “The French have laws about everything,” she said, her accent still holding a hint of the South. “It’s constant problems... They say do this and that. Then, it’s ‘non, c’est pas du tout ça.’” It took a year to obtain approval from the Ministry of Culture, but the school was an instant hit. “Parents were flabbergasted we could achieve such quality of technique without yelling or criticizing the kids.”
Initially, the students were mostly American but “the French population boomed by word of mouth as the school came to be seen as an alternative to the French conservatory system.” “At the Scottish Ballet, dancers said that if you woke up and something didn’t hurt — you weren’t working hard enough.” Desnoës emphasizes health. “If children are being trained properly, they shouldn’t be injured.We teach them to respect their bodies by good eating and rest... We don’t push them too quickly!”
She brightens as she talks about her many talented students. When a kid stands out, she “seizes the spark” of their gift and cultivates it. Her classes must indeed be “sparking” these days, for Académie students have been accepted at top dance company schools across the United States.
L’Academie Américaine de Danse à Paris, 5 rue Rousselet, 7e, tel: 01 47 34 36 23
Janet McDonald, www.projectgirl.com, is an attorney and the author of “Project Girl,” “Spellbound” and “Chill Wind.”


In class with students…
© Vincent Desnoes
Brooke Desnoës
© Vincent Desnoes