After more than half a century, Régine Chopinot returned to the school she left in 1971. Warmly welcomed by Claire-Marie Durand-Bärtschi, art teacher, and Quentin Delobel, drama teacher, she revisited the school located opposite Oullins' Parc Chabrières. Before welcoming students to the art room, Régine Chopinot reorganized the space so that everyone could sit in a circle, see each other and move around.
The dancer introduced the meeting by talking about the Claude Bernard retirement home next door, where her 95-year-old father Hubert lives. She suggested that the students go and greet him from the courtyard, which overlooks the Ehpad's terrace. To do this, she rehearsed a short choreography with them, preceded by a warm-up involving body movements and rhythms, which gave rise to a joyful and unexpected moment.
Her father, visibly moved, watched the greeting from his terrace. This spontaneous exercise established a first contact between Régine Chopinot and the students, before entering into a deeper dialogue.
Back in the classroom, Régine Chopinot briefly introduced herself, saying how important it was for her to meet those who would be there when she was no longer, that it was a kind of relay. It was in this spirit of transmission that the meeting took place. Very different from the usual talks organized by Un Artiste à l'École, this one was not primarily about the artist's career or work, but about what she gets out of it. With wisdom, philosophy and lightness, she shared with the students her perception of the world, art and creation.
With sincere attention and deep respect for everyone, Régine Chopinot turned to the students, asking them who would like to become an artist and what they like about the art they practice. Several shy hands went up: one would like to become an actress, another a film-maker, yet another an illustrator.
Régine Chopinot responded to these responses by talking about the artists she has worked with, mentioning in particular Andy Goldsworthy and Jean-Paul Gaultier, with whom she has long collaborated. Together, they plan to remount Le Défiléa piece created in 1985, which they will present in Lyon in 2027. She looks back on how this collaboration began. In 1978, driven by her passion for fashion, she took the initiative of writing to the then little-known Jean-Paul Gaultier, proposing to work with him. This bold move earned her an appointment. Through this anecdote, she encouraged students to follow their desires without hesitation: "When you feel like doing something, you have to do it. Always. Always dare. She pointed out that too few people dare to reach out to those who inspire them, even though a sincere message can often open doors: "If you write it from the heart, it usually opens every door. [...] And if you get a no, it's not a big deal. You just have to try again.
Insisting on the importance of failure, she asserted that a very large proportion of the projects she initiated never saw the light of day, adding that "this is the path of creation, [...] and the only thing you have to try to do is spend lots and lots and lots of time doing what you love". So, "when you love something, you no longer see the time, you're no longer on the clock, you're in another time, where you're not bored at all".
Initially shy, the students asked more and more questions as the meeting progressed. Asked by one student when she knew she wanted to become a dancer and choreographer, Régine Chopinot replied that, from childhood, she felt she wasn't on the same path as the others. With a rebellious temperament, she was often in denial, refusing what was offered to her. " If you're a bit of a rebel, I think it's important to continue to be one," she said, adding that she's been trying to say yes for ten years now.
When asked about weariness and the need for change in her profession, she assures us that getting bored seems impossible when you're always on the move, curious, exploring. She travels, moves, meets people she doesn't know, like the Maoris and Samoans, for example. "When you're an artist, you can't be disgusted by what you do," she asserts. And she's always exploring new horizons. She spoke in particular of her involvement with isolated minors at a literacy center in Toulon, where she led workshops on learning French through dance. This project led to another, in conjunction with the Paris Opera, and that's how you make your way, how projects develop," she concluded.
When asked about her reaction to criticism, she recounted having presented plays where half the audience would leave. For her show WHA, some audience members would leave, slamming the door loudly, while the other half of the room was won over. " When you do strong things, you can't please everyone, that's the game. The most important thing for her is never to try to hurt anyone, to get on well with her team members and to make sure that everyone is fairly compensated.
Régine Chopinot then shared three instructions she always gives her dancers: move faster than you can think, expend yourself without counting the cost, don't think, only go. True to this principle of momentum and intuition, she also cited a triplet formulated by Andy Goldsworthy, which guides her creative process: collect, sort, organize. Finally, she evoked another formula handed down by her yoga teacher, Michel Alibert, which she believes sums up the path of learning: do, know, let do.
Full of energy right to the end of the meeting, she invited the visibly enthusiastic students to repeat a few body and rhythm exercises together. A lively and joyful way to close this moment of sharing.
