A dance studio in Saint-Dizier, Lou Collin's quest

LEISURE. Professional dancer Lou Collin has been giving classes and leading workshops for several years now. Based in Saint-Dizier, she is now looking to settle in the city of Bragarde and is looking for a venue to offer urban dance classes.

Lou Collin meets us in a café in Saint-Dizier. "I'm obsessed with this city," she introduces with a burst of laughter. The professional dancer has seen the world through her practice, but she always returns to her first loves. Two certainties drive her: she wants to share her love of dance, and to do it in the Bragarde region.

"I feel at home here. While traveling, I learned different things. I was a member of a dance troupe, I took part in arts and cultural education classes. I discovered that I loved to share my knowledge. And everything brings me back to Saint-Dizier..." This is the purpose of our meeting. After a workshop at Les Fuseaux, which concluded with the show "In the Footsteps of Lucy," presented in Chancenay, Lou Collin wants to shift gears. The idea is to offer urban dance classes year-round, in a studio in Saint-Dizier.

This somewhat crazy gamble stems from a concrete development. "The demand for regular classes continues to increase, for all levels," says the young woman, who intends to capitalize on the momentum. "The workshops showed me that there was a place for urban dance. In Saint-Dizier, there is mainly classical and modern dance," she describes.

What Lou wants to offer is fusion dance. A mix of contemporary, African, and hip-hop. Trained for 17 years at the classical school, the Chancenéenne is now cultivating her own style. "These are dances that work on feeling. I don't correct students on their movements. I pay attention to their safety, and as long as it's safe, I let them correct themselves. Are they progressing? Of course."

The idea of a Bragard studio had been brewing in her head for some time, but the dancer began the process in recent weeks. "I want Saint-Dizier to be the center of my activity, and a haven for the students. But I would really like to go beyond the walls. Take the dancers to Les Fuseaux, to the Théâtre, so they can discover these stages."

Lou has already visited some premises, but doesn't want to rush into anything. "We're going to grow little by little. In 2026, it would be really nice to have something. Even if it's not very big, a room where I can welcome children safely, I want it. And if it works out as I hope... look for something even better in 2027!"

While waiting for her plan to take shape, Lou Collin is already busy on all fronts. A student last year in Reims, she earned a sports coaching diploma through a work-study program at a Bragarde gym, where she also taught Afro dance classes. Once she completed her studies, she signed a job contract in this field in Châlons-en-Champagne. "I'll start on September 1st. I'll work 25 hours a week, concentrated at the beginning of the week. I'll be back on Thursday."

Busy weekends await Lou, who resumes her Friday classes at the MJC d'Ancerville on September 19th, and plans to continue the Afro dance sessions. "I adapt to the audience I have in front of me. Here, people are more available as the weekend approaches." And once they walk through the door... "They go with the flow. It's not a performance. They have to get comfortable and remember that dance is just the expression of the body."

The dancer, who is currently searching for a studio, hasn't forgotten about workshops. "Having 50 participants at my workshop at Les Fuseaux is huge! I'll be back next year, it's a done deal," she says. But before the summer of 2026, Lou Collin hopes to have launched her classes in Saint-Dizier. "I have the mindset, I have the dancers... all that's missing is the venue."

Ervan Couderc

For any information regarding her dance classes or finding a venue, contact Lou Collin at 06.12.51.02.12.