The Arts play a key role in the education of all children, supporting their social and intellectual development, stimulating their imagination and giving them new tools to analyze the world around them. 

CORPUS has a long-standing relationship with Prologue to the Performing Arts, MASC and ArtStarts, three Canadian arts education organizations committed to bringing diverse performing arts experiences to schools. In collaboration with these organizations, CORPUS has presented over 300 performances in elementary and secondary schools across Ontario and British Columbia. 

CORPUS’ performances in schools challenge and broaden the views of students on the definition of contemporary dance, and the arts in general. During question and answer periods, which always follow a school performance, students are introduced to the concept of creation in the context of the performing arts. 

CORPUS’ outreach to young people is not limited to schools: for the past years, CORPUS initiated and took part in unique projects for young people:

• In 2006, CORPUS was commissioned by the Canada Dance Festival to form a large flock of human sheep with dance students from École de la Salle in Ottawa. The dance students were trained and later paired with CORPUS’ professional performers. Together, they performed an extended version of  Les moutons at The Experimental Farm in the nation’s capital.
• Since 2006, many presenters of children’s festivals have programmed CORPUS including the Kijimuna Festa in Okinawa JAPAN, the International Children’s Festival in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., and the Awesome Festival in Perth, Australia, to name a few.
• Finally, CORPUS participates on a regular basis in school showcases and conferences such as the Penticton Children Showcase in BC, and the CODE Conference in Toronto.

From a whimsical story told through the innocence of the clown and the grace of dance, to the hilarity of an expertly choreographed squadron of flyers training on an imaginary air field, CORPUS has entertained, educated, and enriched the lives of young people everywhere, to rave reviews.

In the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010, in partnership with local arts presenters and cultural centres, CORPUS traveled to 10 cities across the province of Ontario to bring arts at the core of the community, in its local shopping mall. This innovative arts outreach project included workshops with local theatre/dance groups, 6 performance in each shopping mall, showcase of at least 1 local artist, and an online platform to share videos and pictures.

Whether it is for a morning walk in winter, for a chat with colleagues in the food court, or for shopping with friends, the mall is the main gathering place for members of small communities throughout Ontario. By presenting free performances in this lively environment, we offered an original twist on the shopping experience. Arts outreach starts with an invitation. This project offered such an invitation and we hope that it left the audience with lasting memories, and the desire to seek more arts presentations.

The company traveled to Peterborough, Cornwall, Pembroke, North Bay, Sault Sainte Marie, Timmins, Orillia, Kapuskasing, Chapleau and Sudbury.

We would like to thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Without the support of these institutions, this project would not have been possible.

A workshop is offered on the performance technique of Les moutons, CORPUS’ international phenomena. Is it dance, performance art, method acting? Discover for yourself.

More than just an animal study exploring every facet of sheep behaviour, this all-encompassing workshop zeroes in on the fundamentals of performance, including the integration of voice and movement, improvisation, comic timing and precision. The workshop includes an extensive warm-up designed specifically for Les moutons. 

Taught by CORPUS’ artistic director, David Danzon.