Laval-born Alexandre Carlos began dancing at the age of 6 at a neighbourhood school in St-Eustache. He has also taught contemporary dance and hip hop – also in St-Eustache – since the age of 16. In 2007, Alexandre began his college studies at LADMMI (École de danse contemporaine de Montréal), which is affiliated with the Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, where he has worked with several leading choreographers in the contemporary dance community.

Alexandre has pursued his professional development through various stages, including a stage at the Domaine Forget with Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, which rewarded him with a merit grant. In 2009 and 2010, he received a grant from the Quebec-based Fondation de soutien aux arts de Laval, as well as an additional mention (2010). Alexandre took part in a Springboard Dance stage soon after completing his training at LADMMI.

He now begins his second year as a dancer with Cas Public. Alexandre Carlos continues to work with other choreographers, including Georges-Nicholas Tremblay, Tedd Robinson and Pierre Lecours.

A native of Franklin in Québec, Sébastien Cossette began taking social dancing lessons at the age of 15. In 2007 he enrolled at the École de danse de Québec, where he studied under choreographers Pierre Lecours, Estelle Clareton, Brice Noeser, Daniel Bélanger and Lydia Wagerer.

During and after his dance training, he served as an apprentice in Le fil de l’histoire and Je me souviens by choreographer Harold Rhéaume. Sébastien Cossette has also taught and trained at the École de cirque de Québec since 2007. In 2011 he created the work Pied devant l’autre for the 2012 graduates of the École de danse de Québec. After obtaining his college diploma, he joined Cas Public as an apprentice for the work Variations S.

Roxane Duchesne-Roy holds a college diploma in classical dance performance from Cégep du Vieux-Montréal in conjunction with the École Supérieure de Ballet Contemporain. She dances for the École’s company, the Jeune Ballet du Québec, and is also cast in the Nutcracker by the Grand Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. In the fall of 2003, Roxane made her professional debut with Cas Public under the direction of Hélène Blackburn. Since then, she has performed internationally with Cas Public and has also worked with other choreographers, notably Estelle Clareton in the production of Furies/Gamma. In the last two years, Roxane has taken an interest in choreographic creation and teaching dance. As the driving force behind the dance component at the Institut du Nouveau Monde, she is determined to take contemporary dance out of its traditional framework and make it more democratic, by working jointly with other Quebec stage artists to find a new multidisciplinary dialogue.

Stéphanie Dumont is a graduate of the École supérieure de Ballet du Québec, which gave her the opportunity to dance for the Jeune Ballet du Québec. She has therefore been able to work with renowned choreographers such as Gioconda Barbuto, Mario Radacovky, Edgar Zendejas, and, eventually, Hélène Blackburn, who invited her to join Cas Public in 2011 as an apprentice.

As well as continue to study a variety of styles, including classical ballet, the Irish jig, jazz and contemporary dance, and hip hop, Stéphanie has performed at a number of corporate events and festivals throughout Quebec, including the Festival International de Jazz, the Montreal High Lights Festival, Montreal Fashion Week, Divers/cité, the Célébrations de la Fierté Montréal and Ogilvy en rose.

A native of Lyon, France, Jean-Philippe Giraud was introduced to the circus, solfège and the drums at the age of 8. At 17, he began a two-year training period in classical dance, theatre and mime. On completing his training, he was accepted into Arc en Cirque, a professional circus school in Chambéry renowned for its aerialist program. There, he perfected his technical and artistic skills in balance, aerial silk, theatre and dance.

During this period, he took part in professional internships with renowned companies such as Royal de Luxe, Cirque Eloïze and the Ballet de Biarritz. At age 20, he joined the Jeune Ballet du Québec, which gave him an opportunity to work with choreographers from all over the world, including Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Gaël Domenger and Shawn Hounsell, and to tour Canada, Mexico, France and Spain.

Toronto-born Merryn Kritzinger received her dance training at the National Ballet of Canada, the Etobicoke School of the Arts, the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement, and the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre.

Before moving to Montreal, she was a member of the New York-based Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. She has also danced for Takehiro Ueyama (TAKE Dance), Troy Powell (Ailey II), Alexandre Proia (Opéra de Paris), and a number of other choreographers as a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. She has performed throughout Canada, United States and also in Mexico, Poland, Scotland, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. Merryn is so pleased to dance with Cas Public since 2008.

Repentigny native Daphnée Laurendeau began her dance studies in 2001 at the École supérieure de ballet contemporain de Montréal. She was 12 years old at the time. In 2006, she joined the Jeune Ballet du Québec, where she worked under internationally renowned choreographers such as Hélène Blackburn, François Chirpaz, Kristen Cere, Mario Radacovsky and Frédéric Tavernini, acquiring valuable experience on international stages.

After turning professional, Daphnée worked with the Grands Ballets Canadiens’ corps de ballet in The Nutcracker as well as participated in a tour of France with BJM Danse. She also received a grant for upcoming artists from the Government of Quebec, which allowed her to apprentice with BJM Danse. Daphnée joined Cas Public in August of 2010.

After studying visual art, Pierre Lecours shifted his focus to dance, graduating from LADMMI in 1999.

He has since performed mainly with La Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault (L’Exil-L’Oubli and Joe), Cas Public (Incarnation, Nous n’irons plus aux bois and Courage mon amour), Whatwhatiwhat (Between/within), Le carré des Lombes (Play it again) and O Vertigo (Étude #3 pour cordes et poulies). He marked his return to Cas Public in August 2007. As a choreographer, Pierre has created some 13 works over the past 10 years, and his works have been presented in Montreal, Québec City, Lennoxville and Baie St-Paul.

Rocky Leduc Gagné was trained at the Quinte Ballet School in Belleville, Ontario, where he studied the Cecchetti method.

He has performed in choreographic works such as Aimez-Vous Bach and Tam Ti Delam by Brian Macdonald, Configurations of the Body by D.A. Hoskins, and Losing Ground by Sabrina Matthews, which was presented at the Banff Centre. He has also danced in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire and Swan Lake, in addition to performing the pas de deux in Don Quixote. At the Banff Centre’s Festival Ballet, Rocky performed works by George Balanchine, Brian Macdonald, Gioconda Barbuto, Simone Orlando and Sabrina Matthews. He worked for Ballet Kelowna from 2003 to 2008. In conjunction with his performance work, Rocky has obtained his certification to work as a paramedic. He was recently named ambassador of Baie-Comeau in recognition of his excellent work in the arts. Rocky Leduc Gagné joined Cas Public in 2009.

Susan Paulson grew up in New Jersey and received her training at the New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble as well as at the Peridance Center in NYC. She attended SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance and received her BFA from the Rotterdam Dance Academy in The Netherlands. Susan has performed with projects throughout Switzerland, Lebanon, and The Netherlands. She performed as a guest dancer with the New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble performing works by Robert Battle, Robert Garland, David Brown, and Kyle Bukhari. In November 2005 Susan got the opportunity to work with Hélène Blackburn and Cas Public in a new project entitled Journal intime.