Royan: thirty years of dance and shows, it’s worth celebrating for the Swinging Cie

Benoît and Christine Savignat founded the dance school in 1995 in the Royan 2 commercial zone. To celebrate their 30th anniversary, a whole host of events are scheduled from May 24 to July 2

The beginnings were complicated. When they returned to their hometown to create their Swinging Cie dance school in 1995, Benoît and Christine Savignat wondered if they had made the right choice. After eight years spent in Nice to obtain their teaching qualifications, returning home was a bit rough. "We were going from a big city to a seaside resort that, in winter, didn't have much going on. Culturally, there wasn't much going on. Fortunately, things have changed a lot. We've seen the evolution," admits Benoît Savignat, who today wouldn't leave his city for anything in the world.

Things took off pretty quickly, though. "It took a year for it to really get going." In thirty years, around 3,000 students have attended the school. "I tried to count the number of class hours the other day. I'm sure we're over 30,000. It's mind-blowing," laughs the Royan dancer, who has given his all over the years. "The body feels it. With age, you adapt. Before, I would roll on the floor 40 times to show the students something. That's no longer the case. The teaching method is evolving, and I'm giving them more autonomy," emphasizes the 56-year-old who still shares his passion. Just like his wife Christine, who, at 59, is still in the game.

The Savignat family's leitmotif is multidisciplinarity. "We were trained like that. It's not just dance. There's also singing, acting... We try to develop the artistic side of our students, whatever the field," the couple says. Some who have passed through their hands have managed to break through. This desire to open up to different worlds is notably embodied by Leovanie Raud, who today excels as a singer, actress, and dancer. We could also mention Daisy and Émilie, who form the duo with two capital "O"s and pronounced "hu is hu" in English, Élodie Ménadier, who is having a blast as an actress in Toulouse, or Jacques Roque, who recently participated in "Koh Lanta." They all owe something to the Swinging Cie.

There are also those who have turned to teaching, such as Anne Savignat, Clarisse Thénaud, Déborah Haziza, and many others. The list is not exhaustive, but we apologize to Benoît Savignat, who worried that not everyone was mentioned. It would take two pages, as he and his wife have trained such excellent dancers. Good heavens, their daughter Emma is making a career in Paris. A source of pride. Their second daughter, Marie, is a sound technician. The family spirit reigns at 22, rue Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier.

"Unlike others, we don't organize competitions. However, we don't hesitate to put our students on stage in shows. For them, it's motivating," insists the teacher, who doesn't feel tired except for one thing: the administrative work. "It's become energy-consuming. The paperwork is very heavy." To celebrate these 30 years, the couple is planning numerous events from May 24 to July 2. "We want to pay tribute to this city that saw us grow up by investing in emblematic places like the Palais des Congrès and Notre Dame Church. The students will be accompanied by Emmanuelle Piaud on the organ and Yann Le Calvé on the violin." We can't wait.