Courtesy
Joanna Abbatt has a private practice in Montreal centred on corrective movements for professional dancers, athletes, and artists from all disciplines. Her professional background includes a 15-year dance career, studies in biomechanics, and certifications in Pilates, Gyrotonic, masso-kinesitherapy, and Fascial Manipulation (FM). Joanna holds a Master's degree specializing in biomechanics from McGill University and a B.F.A (Honours) in Dance from York University. She was one of the first practitioners to bring Pilates teachings to Montreal in 1990, before any studios were founded, and was instrumental in the adoption of Pilates by Cirque du Soleil for the shows Alegria, Saltimbanco, and Mystère. Joanna is a licensed massage therapist and member of the Fédération québécoise des massothérapeutes (FQM). She has taught functional anatomy for dance teachers and yoga teacher-trainers in Montreal since the early 2000s at Concordia University, as well as in numerous yoga studios. She continues to teach functional anatomy for dance teachers at l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec, where she is also a movement consultant. Her objective has always been to help resolve mechanical problems in dancers using movement and manual therapy. She gives workshops and serves a vast clientele in Canada and the United States.
JURY NOTES
For many years, Joanna Abbatt has supported dancers with rare attentiveness and expertise. Trained in an in-depth study of the body and enriched by her own experience as a dancer, she combines theoretical knowledge with a deeply embodied understanding of practice. Her exceptionally precise eye allows her to read bodies with accuracy, to identify injuries, imbalances, and tensions and to follow up with appropriate, effective therapy.
With her quiet strength, Joanna has helped countless artists get back on their feet, offering many the second wind essential to continuing their careers. Her work, always informed by the quest for better musculoskeletal balance, directly contributes to the longevity and well-being of dancers. In her guidance of dancers, Joanna transmits much more than technical expertise: she has significantly improved the lives of several generations of artists, enabling them to dance longer, with greater confidence and freedom. It is this unique and essential contribution that the Ethel Bruneau Award seeks to honour.
Courtesy
