Secondaire en spectacle: a return to the classroom that is all the rage

Sonia Roy

 

After two years of pandemic and virtual editions, the regional final of Secondaire en spectacle, which took place March 30 and 31, was back in force for a 28th edition.
Young and old alike were able to gather in the amphitheater of the CÉGEP de l'Outaouais, located on the Gabrielle-Roy campus, and witness a myriad of acts, each more entertaining than the last. The talented students gave the jury a hard time selecting three winners who will have the opportunity to perform at the Secondaire en spectacle pan-Quebec event from May 13 to June 4, 2022.

The numbers presented by the students, which included 16 competition numbers and 3 non-competition performances, were a clever mix of song, dance, humour and instruments. With a formula that prioritized francophone music, spectators were treated to stylish interpretations of quebecois songs (La rue principale, Femme like U), original compositions, athletic performances and, of course, the charm and humour of the masters of ceremony. All these young people, who have the performing arts at heart, come from schools in the Outaouais region, such as Collège Saint-Alexandre, École secondaire de l'Île, École secondaire Grande-Rivière, École Polyvalente Le Carrefour and many others. Secondaire en spectacle also promoted the professions of stage technician and journalist by awarding prizes to students who were involved in ways other than on-stage performance. The awards ceremony was preceded by a performance by Mexican-Quebec artist Flora, accompanied by artist and musician Soraï, and singer-songwriter Jordan Labrecque.

The winners of the jury's prizes, who will have the chance to participate in the pan-Quebec rendezvous of the event, are the performers: Loïc Lepage, for his creation and interpretation in dance (Collège Saint-Alexandre), Abigael Langlois for her interpretation of Ce que la vie a fait de moi (Cité étudiante de la Haute-Gatineau), and Carolyn Xiao and Ryan Shen, for their musical duet interpretation on the violin and the piano (Collège Saint-Alexandre). An award was given to the hosts Arnaud Forget, Mathilde Guilbault and Victor Denoncourt for their humourous performance. One was also given to the masters of ceremony Marc-Olivier Lampron and Joshua Lacroix. Finally, the awards for best journalist (Marika Gauthier), organizer (Samuel Boileau and Laurie Toussaint) and technician (Wesley Boileau) concluded this emotional and colourful evening.

"Two years since we met, two years of wondering where the next generation of artists in the Outaouais is - tonight, it's here!’’ Geneviève Roberge-Bouchard, singer-songwriter and jury leader

Photos: Sonia Roy