Conversations with Creators: How Tatiana Desardouin Finds Her Groove

"For me, the groove is the auditory and physical manifestation of Black people and the Black living experience, which is joy and pain," says multidisciplinary artist Tatiana Desardouin. From Switzerland and of Haitian origin, Tatiana is a professional dancer, dance instructor, dance consultant, choreographer, organizer, curator, Lecturer, Reiki, Jewelry maker with a Master degree as adult educator and a Bachelor in Psychology (University of Geneva). Tatiana won several competitions and is regularly invited to give workshops and judge competitions internationally (Japan, Peru, Italy, Sweden, Slovakia, France, Canada, Austria, Switzerland). 

She is the director and choreographer of Passion Fruit Dance Company, a street dance theater and educational company, which she founded in 2016. The company made its debut through Kenny Clutch Festival (Philadelphia, 2016) and Pepatián organization (New York, 2016). Through its performances, workshops, lectures, educational programs called “Passion Fruit Seeds”, and cultural event called “Les 5 Sens”, the company's mission is: To promote the authenticity of street, clubbing dance styles and cultures; To highlight its black heritage and contribution to society; To explore the human experience, address social issues such as racism; and to inspire young artists to share their voices. She performed with her company in places such as at The Apollo Theater, Summerstage, Jacob's Pillow, the New Victory Theater, BAAD!Theater, Pregones theater, Ladies of Hip-Hop festival, Joe's Pub, 92NY, the Guggenheim, Bridge Street Theater,  the Lincoln Center, Mass Moca, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn and abroad (Canada and Switzerland). She had the opportunity to be the 1st street and club dance choreographer invited to put a piece on dancers for the Footprints program at the American Dance Festival in 2023 and also was a choreographer and guest teacher for the PDI program at the American Dance Festival in 2024.

Tatiana was selected as one of Dance Magazine's 2020 “25 to Watch”, featured in the New Yorker magazine for the "Goings on about town" in 2021, Harper's Bazaar in 2021, was awarded by the Vilcek Foundation Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance 2022 and is the 2022 juried Bessie award winner.  

How did you originally enter the world of performing arts?

 I began in Switzerland. I am originally from Haiti, and was born and raised in Switzerland. Growing up in a Haitian household, I started performing through the Haitian nonprofit I was part of when I was young. My first experience of performing in front of an audience was through gatherings, special events, and functions within the Haitian community. My entrance to the theater world started in Switzerland when I was about 18 years old. I was part of a company in the French side of Switzerland; it was my first theater experience, creating a long evening piece with a couple of friends who were all choreographers. I continued creating pieces for the students at the school I was teaching at. I wanted to keep performing and create a company. When I moved to the U.S. in 2016, I created Passionfruit Dance Company, which is now eight years old.

Was there a moment when you realized that dance, creating, and performance was your calling?

I think it started with my crew. Back then, we were barely professionals, but I was given so much space to create. The idea of creating became something I’ve been drawn to for a very long time. It started early and I realized I have a muscle for it. I started to enjoy the process and the result, and the endless possibilities. I saw myself dedicated in a way which made me realize I have a calling for the stage. I was okay missing out on school. There were many things I was doing that I was not supposed to do, but I did anyway, because passion is passion.  

How does your culture and roots inform your work?

I grew up in a Haitian culture even though I was in Switzerland. I was lucky to be surrounded by Haitian people, and my family and friends cultivated a great community and a sense of home. My sense of identity is there, and I grew up with the strong pride of being Haitian. Speaking the language, cooking the food, dancing, the dance styles, all of it. I learned about street dance inside that community from people who were already in it, older DJs and dancers I was looking up to. I grew up in a household where my dad was listening to African American music, a lot of Haitian music, but also soul, funk, jazz, disco, hip hop, and R&B. I grew up connecting with the African American culture also. So it’s multiple cultures merging together in my upbringing. Understanding the history of my country informed my work in street dance and understand the importance of me being involved in it. Street dance has served as the liberation of Black people and is a continuum, helping me deepen my identity which I am rooted in. It’s all about understanding the differences which make us so unique and beautiful culturally. Hip hop is about speaking your truth and representing yourself; you know who you are, let it out, let people know about you.

Did you feel a change in your work or creation when you moved to the United States?

The topics I wanted to talk about got clearer when I moved. My first journey was with my company, Passion Fruit Dance Company, and I also had been teaching since 2005 and enjoyed speaking about cultural context of art. I was trying to speak beyond the history, but help people understand the “why” of my culture, which became very central to my work. Being in the US made more sense for me to speak and share on this because in the community of practice here I can celebrate my Blackness, as opposed to Switzerland, where I couldn’t. There is no community of practice in that way; you face a lot of censorship when it comes to the Black experience. I got to meet more people that are in a direct relationship with this culture and began teaching and explaining my “why.” I felt more comfortable talking about it while in New York.

How did your movement method, ‘Technique within your Groove’, come into fruition?

 ‘Technique within your Groove’ method is something I created because of the same conversation I spoke about earlier; it came from the frustration from teaching dance to people who constantly wanted to put the groove aside. Once I got that clear, I thought, how can I teach and emphasize the importance of the groove, which is the glue for all Black dance forms?  The groove carries the history and information of our existence; its why music sounds the way it does. There are sounds which have traveled through time, evolving from Afro spirituals to blues to jazz and hip hop, to techno and more. I created this technique to combine technique, intricacies, and isolations, it is challenging. I created something where everything is combined in the system: learning about musicality, polyrhythm, coordination, and having a sense of freedom without losing the groove. There are layers of complexity to adding vocabularies you already know in dance without losing your essence of grooving.

What makes you feel like most liberated and powerful as an artist?

There are two things: when I can say what I need to say, and when I get to do it. The minute I’m able to deliver and celebrate with people on stage, is where we tune in together. It is extreme, next level joy. It is about us but also why we are doing this. I’m hoping to reach one person in the room, and make them feel supported, specifically to my people. I want a Black little girl to feel represented wen she sees me onstage, and feel empowered, realizing she can do this. When I was a kid, when from my community get recognized and elevated, it’s a win.

What are you most excited for in the future, and can you talk about your upcoming work ‘Dimensions’?

‘Dimensions’ is a new multi-disciplinary work. It is my third work and involves photography and dance. Lauriane Ogay, an artist and co-collaborator from Switzerland, is the co-writer of ‘Dimensions’. She is an amazing dancer and the photographer for this multidisciplinary work. There’s also animation, motion capture, painting, and live music. It’s a mashup, intertwining many different art forms into an experience. The goal is to explore the idea of dimensions and what dimensions mean physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s been an amazing journey to explore the idea of physical dimensions and questioning space and time, dimensions we can’t see, and spiritual realms. Ogay and I are also very aligned when it comes to spirituality, and we wanted to offer our perspectives without imposing anything. We want to offer the possibility of thinking bigger and sharing our vision of the world. When I think about the word ‘dimension’, it can mean no limits. That’s the idea of it; that there’s no limit.

When will ‘Dimensions’ premiere? Is it coming up soon?

 Yes, it will premiere the 14th and 15th of June this year at American Dance Festival in North Carolina. I’m learning so much; I have to direct well enough so my collaborators can support my vision. It is a journey, but I am excited because it’s new for me.

Photo Credit: Photos by Lauriane Ogay (IG: @lauriane_ogay_photography), Photos by Steven Pisano, courtesy of BRIC! Celebrate Brooklyn festival, Photo Courtesy of Vilcek Foundation