Netflix has just put Dance 100 online, a dance competition between choreographers who must direct seven to a hundred dancers over the course of the episodes. Among the competitors, we find Janick Arseneau, who has already danced for Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B. and Rihanna, and who will be choreographer in the fall of the popular show Chanteurs Masqués.
Originally from Bathurst, New Brunswick and now living in Montreal, Arseneau made a name for himself dancing in the United States for years. When told about a first televised competition between choreographers, the artist – who identifies as a non-binary person – loved the idea.
His enthusiasm was all the greater when he visualized himself directing dozens of performers. “Imagine working with 100 energies, 100 opinions and 100 personalities with their needs, figuring out how to exercise your authority so that all of these beautiful people respect you and listen to you. »
Fun fact: the fate of choreographers is determined by the performers they work with. And not by celebrity judges. “As dancers, when you watch dance competitions on TV, you feel like the judges don’t always know what they’re talking about and maybe they don’t have the knowledge to decipher the dance. There, it is the dancers who have a voice. »
Moreover, Janick Arseneau says he has done everything to listen to their abilities and their needs. “You have to be smart enough to highlight each other’s strengths. But at 100 dancers, who do we put forward? It gets harder and harder with each issue. Already it is a huge challenge to create formations and visuals with so many people on stage. »
The dancers tell the camera what they think of the choreographers in rehearsal. They comment on the good and less good moves in front of an audience after the numbers. And they determine who remains in the competition by moving behind the choreographers of their choice at the end of the episode. A moment under high tension. “The first time, I didn’t want to look, but I heard footsteps behind me. In addition, the production adds flashing lights and dramatic music. It’s really scary. If I compare to the elimination processes of the other shows in which I participated, this is the one that scared me the most. »
Indeed, the artist participated in So You Think You Can Dance Canada and America’s Best Dance Crew. So her past experiences set the stage for Dance 100. “In any TV production, the crew picks you up at your most vulnerable to ask questions and elicit an emotion. I knew what to expect. »
At 32, Arseneau claims to have a more defined identity than at 19, when Canadians discovered his talent. ” I know who I am. I am comfortable talking about my fiancée, representing the LGBTQ community and non-binary people to show that we exist, that we can live in happiness and be successful. It made a difference to have done two shows to prepare me for this one. »
Dance 100 is in his eyes the biggest experience of his career. “It’s on Netflix and it’s a global phenomenon. The show has only been online for a few days and I’m already getting loads of messages from people in Japan, Brazil, Portugal and Germany. I’m starting to realize the magnitude of it all. »
This visibility could change the rest of his life.
If his talent as a choreographer has been seen in small doses in La voix or in an issue of Marie-Mai in the past, the general public will be able to discover it more on the airwaves of TVA in the fall of 2023. “I will be a choreographer of the third season of Masked Singers. The production offered me the contract before the release of Dance 100. It was a great validation that I was chosen for my talent and not to surf the Netflix wave. »
In the future, Janick Arseneau undoubtedly wants to focus on choreography. “If someone tells me that such an artist wants me to dance for them or that they ask me to perform at the Super Bowl, I’m not going to refuse. But I want to put all my attention on my career as a choreographer and my Bee-Yond Belief dance program, which I manage with my partner. »
