Dance Roll around a happy summer

The roller skate has been back in force for a year.And in the summer, smooth surfaces will be more than ever taken by storm by wheels on wheels who only want one thing: to have fun!We present the phenomenon and its roots to you.

In front of the Lowlife store, the only one, for the moment, to sell the famous ultra -colored pads Impala, Moxi and Sure Grip which turns all the heads, the line is getting longer as sunny days arrive.

Accustomed to serving the community of Roller Derby, the owners, Tracey Mattinson and Lorianne Dicaire, see hordes of skaterers Tiktok, Covid and Instagram (as they are currently in the most experienced!) For exactly a year.

"We were not at all ready, last spring!tells Lorianne.Normally, it would have been the start of the Roller Derby season.We were fully stored for that.But finally, people came to buy all our moxi skates.It was the beginning of madness.Fortunately, we managed to order others, then impala.»»

In one year, the Lowlife store has sold a thousand pairs of recreational skates for dancers, which they reserve for shopping in store.The shortage is global and the two merchants want to prevent all their stock from leaving in Florida and California.They prefer to participate in the development of the local roller skate community.

At $ 125 the pair of Impala, we are far from the usual invoice of $ 400 to roller derby, but Tracey and Lorianne are nevertheless very happy to have been able to continue to make sales while their sport aspredilection is stopped.They also hold the excellent brand Riedell, for those who will be ready to move to a more advanced level.

Why skate?

Caroline Hamel, who has practiced younger figure skating, has been passionate since she bought her moxi in black Sweden, this spring.

When I put on my skates, it puts me in a playful state of mind.With aesthetics, colors and music, I feel transported in an era filled with carelessness and I smile.

Caroline Hamel

The skate can be a party, therapy, a sharing."It's something very personal, but at the same time, it is very community," says Philippe Vanhalewyn, who has been riding for 20 years.Skated, you are never tired.A new toune embarks and we left.And yes, there may be the covid skaters and the vintage skaters, but in reality, no one will be rejected.We form a community.»»

Skate and social networks

Philippe Vanhalewyn (alias Deluxe Roller Daddy) gives courses in rollerblading dance to small groups (limited to seven masked students, for the moment).The sessions, accompanied by particularly catchy music, systematically attract the curious and curious, who want to know where to buy skates, how to have access to courses, know the address of the Facebook group Roller Dance Montreal, etc..

Celui qui a fait ses premières steppettes à roulettes il y a deux décennies ne niera pas qu’il est parfois agacé de voir des « fashionistas»» poser en patins sur Instagram.

"To note that tiktkers who can barely skate are sponsored thoroughly, it is a bit insulting, especially when you know that there is practically no real sponsored rink skater.There, big brands like Nike smell the trend.The American figure skating association is attracting style skater to recover their movements.This kind of culture "Vulture" irritates me a little.»»

That said, Philippe still wants to take advantage of the current craze to bring as many skaters as possible in his dance."People arrive at the park with their skates and don't really know what to do.This is why I started school, so that people learn and then can make evenings where there will be more and more people who know how to dance and keep the rhythm of music.»»

And why not a safe inner space intended for the practice of the roller with recreational and dance wheels?If more and more people get started, maybe it will be possible to skate all year round and elsewhere in underground parking?The small Montreal community in dreams.In the meantime, she can fall back on the evenings of Roller Disco Montreal, which will resume in Mont-Royal as soon as possible.

> Consultez le site de Roller Disco Montréal (en anglais)

A culture undermined

Unfortunately, from the era of disco, the trend is rather to close the rinks.Even in the United States, the rinks, a bastion of a whole section of African-American culture, go out one after the other.This is shown by the documentary United Skates, broadcast on Crave.

Car avant d’être un bon prétexte pour « flasher»» dans les réseaux sociaux, le roller dance et le roller disco ont toujours eu un aspect communautaire, culturel et même politique.

Historically, skating rinks have also been the scene of claims for African-Americans.In the 1940s and 1950s, these leisure areas, like so many others, were reserved for whites.

« Plusieurs des premiers sit-ins en Amérique dénonçant les inégalités raciales étaient en fait des skate-ins»», peut-on lire dans un article-fleuve intitulé Roller Skating, Civil Rights, and the Wheels Behind Dance Music.

> Consultez l’article (en anglais)

La désobéissance civile a permis l’organisation de soirées « noires»» (encore appelées Adult Nights, pour atténuer l’aspect ségrégationniste) dans les patinoires appartenant presque toutes à des Blancs.The hip-hop scene has also developed in these rinks. D^r D^re a été le premier DJ de Skateland, à Los Angeles.Latifa and Ice Cube also gave their first concerts there.

Over the decades, a large number of styles have developed in major American cities.Chicago has the JB (influenced by the groove of James Brown).The New York Jammers are disciples of the legendary Bill Butler, himself from Detroit and still active at 87 years old.San Francisco owes a proud candle to Richard Humphrey.In Los Angeles, everything is in the foot game and sliding.Venice Beach has its own roller skate dance Plaza outdoor, bordered by palm trees and filled with smooth skaters.Atlanta, Houston and St.Louis are also capitals of the roller skate.

> Regardez « Dance in Chicago : Skating with James Brown’s Style»»

Qu’apportera la nouvelle vague, voire le tsunami actuel de danse sur patins, qui se pratique sur de nouvelles musiques, autant par des quadragénaires et quinquagénaires nostalgiques que par des jeunes « influencés»» ? On suit les progrès… sur Instagram et TikTok !

Portraits on skates

Four followers of skates dance tell us about their passion and show us some movements.

Downbeat Dan (Danielle Senecal)

It was during a trip to New York, twenty years ago, that the on -board agent (re) discovered the skate on wheels."In Central Park, I saw two dancers who were rolling.They were part of a group called Central Park Dance Skaters, founded in the 1980s. Je me suis assise là pendant deux heures pour les regarder et j’ai tout de suite su que c’était pour moi»», raconte Danielle.

"I am 57 years old, so I knew the Montreal years of the Roulatheque, the Paladium, Cezar Palace.Seeing people at Central Park, it reminded me when I was 20 years old.The skate makes it happy.I find it really for everyone, no matter the age.»»

20 years ago, the roller skates were no longer popular.Danielle had to shop on Ebay to find her first used pair that she still paid $ 200.Today, the Riedells carry the majority of dancers on serious skates cost easily between $ 600 and $ 800.

Quickly, roller dance has become its great passion.For a year, she went back and forth between the metropolis and the big apple every weekend.

And for 10 years, all the trips I made were to learn to skate.Whenever I met a new person in the world, it was an opportunity to learn new things.

Danielle Senecal

"The most important thing is to be on the beat, to merge with music," she adds.After that, everything is possible.»»

The dean of the skaters of the La Fontaine park likes to give back, too."I share for love.I like it so much.The minute I see someone with skates, I offer him my help.I never paid to learn and, as I have another job to live, I do not teach for money.»»

Although she does not hesitate to integrate movements gleaned all over her travels, Danielle remains faithful to the New York school."A hundred people who skate the same beat, it generates incredible energy.I also do it just for me, with my music in my ears.I will go out for three hours to work a move.This is my freedom, my exercise, my art and my meditation.»»

Kozmic (Chloé Seyrès)

Les patins de Chloé sont une extension de sa personne ! D’abord championne du monde de slalom freestyle (pas moins de quatre fois), elle est passée des roues alignées aux « quads»» pour faire du roller derby dans l’équipe de France et à Montréal.When her body roughly put to the test had enough tackles, she got into dance, for her greatest pleasure, but also that of her spectators.

Kozmic hypnotizes with its fast, precise, athletic style.People stop in the parks to watch it.Already very solid and skillful on her skates, she says she especially learned in the street.

I never took a course.We exchange tricks and we help each other to grow up.

Chloé Seyrès

Sur sa chaîne YouTube, Chloé présente de plus en plus de « tutoriels»» depuis un an, pour permettre aux patineurs et patineuses de progresser à leur rythme et d’ajouter à leur répertoire de mouvements : shuffle, guillotine, downtown, transitions, etc.Outstanding pedagogue, she dissects movements to make them accessible to the greatest number.She has also just launched her group lesson on Thursday evening, at Parc La Fontaine.

"The skate is freedom, freedom of movement, the freedom to create, the freedom to be me," says the one who earns her life as a translator.I am grateful to have been caught up in this passion, which helped me in all my construction and which always helps me to evolve as a person.»»

Deluxe Rollerdaddy (Philippe Vanhalewyn)

We first met Philippe at Park Jarry.His desire to transmit his passion to the small band of beginners who were practicing on the very smooth surface of the roller hockey rink was manifest.He was not stingy with advice.

Since he launched his lessons on Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon, a month ago, he sometimes has to refuse people, the restrictions limiting practice to eight people.

Philippe, alias Deluxe Rollerdaddy, has been in skates dance for twenty years."One day, I crossed a little band that was driving at the edge of the Lachine Canal.It immediately made me want to try.Then I joined the gang of La Fontaine park, of which Danielle was part, who brought back New York style dance to Montreal.»»

There was nothing at the time on the skate.No Instagram or Tiktok.We were going on videos.I watched Richard Humphrey show moves, for example.

Philippe Vanhalewyn

The graphic designer by trade, who recently swapped his screen for a job in a retirement home, notes that people who cling to the skate often have an eccentric side."The people who pass through the park and see this freedom express themselves, especially in times that run, are necessarily curious.»»

Fairy Floss (Joanie Darveau)

In 2014, Joanie found a pair of roller skates in a closet of her new apartment.As the former tenants have never claimed them, she decided to try them.Since then, she has made countless trips to improve herself.

Her past as an artistic skater (from 6 to 16 years old) and a love of dance gave the 36 -year -old woman ahead.

I also started the burlesque at that time and I made my first number in roller skates.I didn't even know that the roller dance existed!

Joanie Darveau

« C’est Philippe [Vanhalewyn], que j’ai croisé sur l’avenue du Mont-Royal, alors que j’avais mes patins sur l’épaule, qui m’a invitée au parc La Fontaine pour rencontrer d’autres patineurs»», ajoute-t-elle.

Danielle Senecal then took her under her wing."I went to New York, Amsterdam, Barcelona, San Francisco to take courses with Richard Humphrey.My next goal would be to meet Bill Butler in Atlanta, who is really the legend.My character, Fairy Floss, is really focused on the 1950s, so I would like to know how people danced in those years.»»