Penélope Desjardins’s art takes shape as body and poetry. Convinced that hybridizing practices can revive and consolidate the weight of art, she is drawn to artistic projects that cultivate her interest in performing practices and narrow down her search for spirited body language. A graduate of UQAM’s contemporary dance program (recipient of the Prix de mérite William-Douglas) and a master’s student, Penélope is following an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines literary creation, performance and installation.
A common sight on artistic stages, her collaborations have seen her perform at the SOIR festival, the Art Souterrain festival, and at Tangente’s Bouge d’ici festival. She has also been featured in the literary journal Grands Espaces. Implicated in many initiatives, Penélope is also involved in the artistic research and work of Alice B. Gavouyère, Maude A. Wakil, Danièle Desnoyers, Anne Thériault, Amélie Rajotte, Samuel Graveline, Jade Bruneau, and Nanne Springer, to name just a few. In 2021, she joined the dance program teaching staff at the Cégep de Saint-Laurent. Her writing can be found in Artichaut magazine, where she is editor of the dance desk.