Post by davidhr on Apr 6, 2021 7:29:33 GMT -5
Referring to one of the daily Star Academie shows this past week, Lara left the following message on her FB (and Instagram) sites:
--------------------------------------
′′ Being in bond, at the heart of the living..."
Tonight at the Academy you will see a very special class... A moment when we connected from heart to heart.
This week I offered my Academicians to have a special experience, and open chapters of our lives with modesty and delicacy.
I invited them to share what's hitting and hustling them... Together with Gabriel (my husband) and Kayla (my dog) in emotional support, we experienced some very strong emotions.
While connecting with love, empathy and kindness, we have addressed very difficult things to address.
The emotion was palpable, as we managed to say the wounds that haunt us... We welcomed all the parts of us, that make our humanity.
Thank you to my little hearts for their generosity and trust.
❤️
Star Académie TVA #NationStarAc”
------------------------------------
And accompanied this with the following picture:
www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=309284853889148&set=a.259330805551220
or
Throughout the season, Lara has made a concerted effort to open up the hearts of the contestants – almost as if in order to be a great singer, you must undergo therapy, become vulnerable, expose yourself, so that you can reach the audience. This is often her advice to the singers in their sessions with her. It is something that she has implied she didn’t know how to do when she was young, so she’s giving them a head start now.
As a follow-up to her message, she left the following pictures on her Instagram site,
with the text, “Thanks to my friend Nathalie Delorme, the Magichienne!!! An exceptional woman who created the rose lotus breeding, it is there, that we adopted our little Kayla ♥ ️ yesterday at the starac, it is she who put balm in the hearts of all ...”
However…as is inevitable in any ‘therapy’, it was not all hearts and roses. In conjunction with the course Lara and her family were giving, there was this revelation (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/04/01/maeva-et-queenie-de-star-academie-revelent-avoir-subi-des-agressions-1?fbclid=IwAR2Qhs3E-clemvD0jnTV2mHtn6tro3scDp1_DlV5HFkFNI9bcAPD2PzS5gk)
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Maëva and Queenie of "Star Académie" reveal to have suffered assaults
The academicians experienced intense emotions on Thursday during the course given by Lara Fabian, alongside her husband, Gabriel Di Giorgio, and their dog, Kayla, mascot of the Leski Foundation.
By encouraging them to remember the difficult events of their life, the director of the Waterloo academy plunged Maëva and Queenie back into painful childhood memories synonymous with aggression.
Not Taken Seriously
Maëva recounted, very gently, disturbing gestures committed towards her by speaking of a girl attacked by a cat in a village where all the inhabitants are close to each other.
“This cat, we see it, we look at it; it is majestic, we just want to stroke it, it does tricks on us, it comes to sunbathe, it is beautiful. But no one sees that behind this cat there is a clever and vicious cat. One day, this little girl decides to go out, crosses paths with this cat and the cat claws her. Spontaneously, the little girl will tell everyone, including the owner of this cat. And everyone responds: "You must have played outside and a twig scratched you."
“One didn't believe her. The little girl is already feeling weird and to protect herself, she lied to herself. She thought, “Yeah, actually, it's the twig that scratched me.” One day, there is no one at home and the cat attacks the little girl.”
Today, Maëva wants to help those who are going through the same thing. “I want to help all the little girls who are attacked by cats. And my duty when I leave Star Académie is to talk to all the little girls and tell them it's not the twig ..."
Abuse
Queenie Clément also shared a sad story that happened a long time ago.
“There was a lady my mother trusted, who she could leave me in her hands, while my parents worked. Whatever happened in the house, it was always Queenie's fault. All the time. The kids would break things up and say, “Ah, Queenie did it”. The punishments that I [had] are mistreatment. That I know."
“The worst part is that I didn't have access to my mother to tell her that because she wasn't there, she was traveling. My father was not there, he was traveling too. But I remember a call: my mom called me just to find out how things were going. I picked up the phone, I ran ... I was 4 years old. I ran outside and said to my mother, “When are you going to come get me?” My mother took the plane the next day.”
Despite a difficult period, the young woman says she has made peace with this past. "I found each person who had my custody and said to him in the face: 'I forgive you. Not for you, but for me'."
The appointments of Star Académie: the daily are presented from Monday to Thursday, at 7:30 p.m., at TVA, and are offered as a catch-up on TVA +.
All the profits from the votes collected on Sundays during the Star Académie varieties are donated to the Jeunes en Tête and Tel-Jeunes foundations.
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When one starts exploring these areas, that often involve dissociation, who knows what will be uncovered? It needs to be done in a safe, supportive environment. It’s not clear that a live TV program qualifies.
As for Sunday night’s competition, the three Academecians who this week were ‘in danger’ were:
Annabel: She was given words of encouragement by her sister, and Gino Chouinard. Ariane Moffat said she’s worked but has not lost her intensity. Annabel said Anne Dorval had been very pertinent for her this week, she gave her some ‘theatricality’.
Jacob: He was supported by his girl friend (of five years) and Jacob Collier. Gregory Charles said he had a plan for the week and was eager to perform. Jacob said he wanted to touch everyone with his performance. And that his versatility was a double edged sword – it kept him from defining himself. Also, his work with Lara this week was truly revelatory on some vocal aspects.
Shayan: He was supported by his family (who have been filming his performances for eight years) and Mitsou. Lara said we would discover another facet of Shayan. A lightness, which we will enjoy, and in this lightness there is great depth. That gave him confidence in himiself. Mika told him that for he himself, his greatest learning was when he left his comfort zone. He wanted Shayan to be the “cat of the manor” at Waterloo – and Shayan then went around making cat-like motions. The point was for him to open himself up and enjoy himself (a point made to all the candidates).
As for the performances:
Annabel Oreste: Sang ‘Fever’, popularized by Peggy Lee. Very nicely done, played to her strengths and minimized her weaknesses, with a great ‘theatrical performance’.
Jacob Roberge: Sang “The Winner Takes It All” from Abba. Strong presentation, although his voice did waver at a few of the high points. Gregory gave him 9.8. Lara had asked him whether he had ever been cheated on by a woman, and the way he sang the song, it seemed like he could strongly empathize with the lyrics.
Shayan Heidari: Sang “Marvin Gaye” from Charlie Puth which speaks of a very positive, optimistic love. He wanted people to see the positive in life. Another wonderful performance, he’s a very good dancer, his singing is not quite as strong but it’s good. Lara said “I love your joy, it is full of all the facets that compose you, you made us feel very good.”
On pure vocal power, Jacob would win this, but both Annabel and Shayan put on very good performances. I thought the audience might choose Jacob first, and then the judges would pick Annabel – but I was quite uncertain about both aspects. The public did choose to protect Jacob. He thanked Lara for her work in reviewing their week. The teachers then had 30 seconds to make a tough choice…Lara announced it – and they decided to protect Shayan.
From the on-liine comments, it would appear that the judge’s decision was not popular, noting that Shayan really doesn’t have a good singing voice, and Annabel should have been kept. It’s also true that if people agree with the decision, they’re less likely to write in. In this case, as noted above, I tend to agree with the comments, but the disparity between them was not so large as to not make it credible.
At the closing, Lara said to Annabel: “I will throw you a promise, I tell you that beyond the walls of this incredible Star Academie, we would be there, I would be there. There is a second promise I made to you, and that is that I will cook with you. I repeat this promise to you in front of everyone. I will be there and I will share a dish that I will share. The Emcee Patrice said that “the Star Academie had only one princess, and that was Annabel.” And now there is none…
In other aspects, there was a medley of songs written by Luc Plamondon (responsible for 'Star Mania', 'Notre dame de Paris', among many others). Bruno Pelletier and Ginette Reno participated, along with the Academicians.
And Mika put on another great show with the Academicians, this time under the umbrella of “Freedom”. Truly a highlight of the series. This is his last evening with them, as discussed in the review article from the Journal de Montreal, translated below (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/04/04/star-academie--au-revoir-annabel-1):
--------------------------------------
Star Académie": Goodbye, Annabel!
It is the candidate Annabel Oreste who had to leave the “Star Académie” adventure on this Easter Sunday, at the end of one of the busiest and most successful varieties of the season, marked by the presence of several important figures of the Quebec artistic colony, including the great Ginette Reno.
All was not predictable on the endangerment side this week. Thanks to his very expressive interpretation of “The Winner Takes It All”, by ABBA, the darling Jacob Roberge, 22, of Lévis, was protected by the public.
His classmate Shayan Heidari, 20, of Montreal, had been challenged by the faculty to exhibit the "showman" who sleeps in him. The boy took the order seriously, delivering a super energetic performance on Charlie Puth's “Marvin Gaye”.
Moving from one end of the space to the other, playing with the camera - which he loves, and which adores him in return -, relaxed, Shayan rose to the challenge with flying colors. It was hard to see how, with such high expectations, the decision-maker trio Fabian-Moffatt-Charles could have let Shayan go.
There remained Annabel Oreste, 20, who nevertheless defended very well on "Fever", by Peggy Lee. Lara Fabian promised the young Laval woman to cook for her eventually, and to support her in the rest of her career.
Ginette Reno, Much More than a Song
We can say that Easter 2021 was celebrated with brilliance on the set of "Star Académie" on Sunday.
It is difficult to determine which act, from those involving Ginette Reno or the tasty and festive painting prepared by Mika, under the theme of freedom, was the most memorable.
And that's without counting the country medley with Paul Daraîche and Guylaine Tanguay (with convertible on stage) as well as the visit of Émile Bilodeau, who, barely older than the academicians, drew on his repertoire ("Ca va”,“J'en ai plein mon cass”) and presented a new piece,“La jungle de capital”.
With Ginette Reno and Bruno Pelletier, our young stars have reread some great successes signed by Luc Plamondon. Jacob and Guillaume were particularly solid with Bruno Pelletier on "Le temps des cathédrales", Shayan and Annabel offered a moving duet on "L’amour existe encore" and Lunou and Maëva were sexy and sassy on "Des mots qui sonnent".
Ginette Reno entered in time for “J’ai besoin de parler”, and was joined by all the academicians, in front of a carousel set, for “Ma mère chantait toujours”.
A little later, we crowned “Je ne suis qu’une chanson” (a text by Diane Juster that Ginette Reno sang for the first time at the age of 28) as a “Chanson de la nation”. The album of the same title had sold 400,000 copies, at the time when Ginette Reno was represented by a certain impresario by the name of René Angélil.
Mika, For One Last tTme
Two little turns, and then it goes: that was the contribution of artistic director Mika to the varieties of “Star Académie” this year.
But what a contribution! After igniting his own catalog last week, the Britannico-Lebanese has this time picked up a few pearls in his monumental favorites, and brought his touch of (multiple) colors and excess.
On David Bowie's “Heroes”, the singers' black capes distilled a monastery atmosphere about to get carried away.
Lunou Zucchini looked like Minnie Mouse with her buckle, her jacket and her red boots; Shayan was not to be outdone by his side, dressed in a starry red coat. They strolled on a rainbow-hued catwalk during “Born This Way”, alongside dancers also covered in red and wielding pom-poms. Lady Gaga would certainly have recognized her universe there.
In yellow overalls, Rosalie Ayotte went back to "À cause des garçons"; Maëva Grelet (in green) and Annabelle (in blue), responded to “Djadja”; Queenie stole the show in a gown that looked like a huge cotton candy, alongside William slithering past dancers dressed in glittering ribbons, looking futuristic, on "Smalltown Boy," and Jacob and William were spellbinding on "Can't Help Falling In Love", in front of huge mushrooms.
It ended hands in the air on “Grace Kelly”, with Mika coming full circle of his stay on reality TV, under the inscription “Freedom” which overhangs the action throughout the segment.
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Then yesterday, Lara left the following message on her FB and Instagram sites, “And presto ... let's go for the evaluations with Ariane Moffatt ✌️✌️🥰 Star Académie TVA 💋
And I take this opportunity to wish you all a nice week .... I love you 💋💕”
This came along with an appropriate picture of the two of them,
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=312177120266588
or
We are now at the half-way point of the season, with 8 Academicians left standing. A “taking stock” article appeared in “7 Jours” (https://www.7jours.ca/2021/03/31/lara-fabian-se-confie-sur-son-implication-a-lacademie?fbclid=IwAR0afsJMY_3cJ_MNOZ-_x6QtWoeyRX04GTVhDwdWDglPvjGJR1fcaK9rKGo). Here’s the translation:
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Lara Fabian opens up about her involvement at the Academy
Six weeks after the start of Star Académie, director Lara Fabian agreed to take stock of this experience, which exceeded her expectations and everything she had imagined. Involved on a daily basis with young academics, she seems to thrive completely in this new role.
Lara, is the Star Académie experience you are experiencing right now the one you envisioned?
LF: The experience of transmission, I expected it, but above all I live a human adventure that goes much further than I would have thought. I sometimes have trouble falling asleep, because I reflect on what I just said to the Academicians. I wake up thinking of them. I only talk about that with my husband and my daughter at home. I even watch the daily, I who have never looked at myself in my life ... For me, it goes beyond the way I engage in my profession. It's as if a page had turned in my way of doing my job as a singer, and a new book was opening in my way of seeing my life as a guide for these young people.
Are your husband and daughter a little jealous of the time you don't spend with them?
LF: Gabriel, are you jealous of not seeing me enough? (Her husband's response to the phone
- "I'm used to it, but I cherish every time I can take her back for myself".
You have a great proximity with the Academicians. How do you explain the fact that they confide in you so easily?
LF: When you are 100% in the listening and you are fully present when someone is speaking in front of you, it shows. And by being heard, he will speak to you. Too often, in life, we have little time to fully listen to each other. I have been the ear of quite a few people; it's kind of in my nature. I also think that the Academicians trust me. There are things we can say to each other that I will keep to myself. We are in a very human and very lenient production. When I allow myself to ask to stop the cameras and mute the mics for a few minutes, the production really does. It's pretty magical for young people. Then, when we are in front of the cameras, there is something in me that forgets that we are on TV. It is perhaps all that which creates this listening.
We get the impression that they are on TV, but not necessarily in your life. Do you also have this feeling?
LF: Absolutely. For example, I have been in contact with Meghan Oak since she left the Academy. I try to connect her with a few people around me in order to offer her possibilities. It's a normal process for me, it doesn't stop when the camera turns off. Then it will be at their discretion and according to what they want. But I will be there if they need it.
In this context, is it difficult for you to say things to them that are more difficult to hear?
LF: It is difficult, but it is sometimes necessary. For example, Maëva worked all last week to purify and simplify her interpretation. She did it wonderfully in her endangerment performance, but she used the other benefits as an outlet. It's as if everything I spent with her during the week was only used for three minutes. I must have told her during the last postmortem. I also think that the Academicians are extremely tired. They work for hours, they're under pressure they've never experienced before, and they have to deliver a live result every Sunday. It's normal that they need a valve. Nevertheless, we must always channel our strengths towards the best. It's not easy to say it, but I told them. I repeated to them, during this post-mortem, that Star Académie is not 'Martine at the beach', but it is not the prison either. I always try to find a formula which allows to start a discussion, to be in solution mode with regard to what they have to learn.
What is your path to make your choices of assessment and endangerment?
LF: It is not always the consequence of what has been difficult. There is still a mathematical factor, in the sense that you need five per week. And, above all, the appraisal is not the consequence of an error, but the opportunity to continue the work. Reached halfway, they must all pass there.
Sometimes it seems like you forget it's a TV show. Is this really the case?
LF: That is true. Part of me is surprised, but the other wouldn't agree with what transmission is if I didn't. If I was constantly staring at myself while watching them, it would sound so wrong and offbeat! And I wouldn't live up to what I consider to be my responsibility. It's true that it's a TV show, but for me it's much more than that. I think it was also the will of the production. This is the reason why they chose us, Ariane, Greg and me. We all three have different skills, but which converge and which make it possible to concretely help these young people on a daily basis.
How do you analyze the particular cohesion that exists within this group?
LF: The Academicians form an eclectic group, as much by their talent as by their humanity. I also believe that the fact of living this historical period, in which we did not really have the opportunity to be with each other, allows us to reconnect with what defines us as a society, that is to say - say having relationships.
As director of the Academy, what would you say this role brings to you personally?
LF: This desire for transmission has always been in my head for the second part of my life and my career. Star Académie is therefore a gift that matches my wishes. I am very grateful for this alignment of stars. The second thing is that it gives me a feeling of usefulness and contribution. I believe that many human beings seek to feel useful. And finally, I would say that we are going through an unprecedented historical era; many of my colleagues are going through great difficulties. Participating in this project is like breathing in the middle of this darkness; it is a breathing valve. So I have a triple gratitude.
Younger, who would you like to have had lessons or advice from?
LF: I was lucky to have a part of my entourage who was benevolent. Women around me have been important. There was my mother as well as Lise Richard ... It is true that I would have liked to have had someone whose profession and experience could have been at the service of my start-up, but I did not have it. It's still quite rare for another artist to help you, tell you how to do it.
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One can’t say that Lara doesn’t take her position personally…Actually, she disagreed with the assessment that her ‘little hearts’ were on the TV but not strongly in her life, by saying she’s open to them outside of the program as well, a point she emphasized on the recent show with her comments to Annabelle at the end. The interview indicates that this job is as fulfilling for her in what she thinks of as a ‘second phase’ of her career as it seems from the various shows.
To emphasize that point once more, there is this article in the Journal of Montreal (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/03/31/star-academie--lara-fabian-toujours-profondement-investie-1?fbclid=IwAR0kTWbzzk9EY5G--YFx45PtZUR8GdDMzwdAP6c6z_cvaDeVJuamcAvi3T4):
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Star Académie: Lara Fabian, still deeply invested
In the early days of Star Académie, Lara Fabian knew she would take her role as director of the Waterloo Academy to heart, but she hadn't necessarily anticipated that she would wake up in the morning thinking about her students and that she would go to bed in the evening planning her classes for the next day.
“What can I do, myself, day after day, to help give them more and more wonderful experiences, and to accompany them with the greatest possible benevolence?” Lara asks herself, aloud, when asks her how she perceives her task, at this stage of the adventure.
Without a doubt, the director is proud of her flock, which she describes as "magnificent, playful beings, each and every one, with their background and their history".
“I really connect with what they go through, from heart to heart,” she says. I feel much the same things as them. Beyond the professional and educational aspect, which I look at with a lot of attention, I look above all at my wonderful little humans, who are going through this incredible experience."
“I'm someone who sticks, continues Lara. I am one of those people who love other people, artists or not, regardless of my job. I have always been someone who focused on human beings.”
Open Horizons
Lara Fabian wants to awaken her class to all kinds of horizons. This is why, in her classes, she calls on personalities such as Marie-Louise Arsenault (to talk about the art of the interview) or Josée Lavigueur (for a physical exercise session), who deal with different concepts during their passage.
In her lesson on Wednesday (which will be seen on TV Thursday), Lara taught a “very concrete” spiritual communication strategy, applicable within a conflict or a difficult time, for example. Next week, the excellent cook in her will offer some tips for simmering on the plate.
“I use what I have encountered in my life, what I wish I had known 30 years ago. I would have liked to know how to address a journalist correctly, answering questions while preserving who I was, not confusing conversation and confession. Josée, in my career, it made sense, and it resonated a lot to keep me in shape, and to reach the age that I have with a state of mind that is not necessarily that of my age. I am not talking about youth in the aesthetic sense; I'm really talking about state of mind, and energetic state. Every week I try to contribute to places where, for me, it has had a real impact. ”
Gratitude
Through the maternal listening that she offers to academics, her relevant comments on their performances and her humor always on point, the public seemed to discover this year at Star Académie a new Lara Fabian or, at the very least, to rediscover the one that they already knew. The main interested party says she is happy and filled with gratitude.
“It's always rewarding. It's reassuring to see that, what we have most precious when we give it, as an artist, it feels and it generates a balm in the hearts of others."
Lara Fabian will of course be entitled to her turn of singing with her “little hearts” during one of the next Sunday galas of Star Académie : a major number with the Orchester Métropolitain, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, articulated around her songs, nothing less. An occasion that the artist describes as wonderful luck.
And what does Principal Lara hope her cohort of students will take away from their contact with her?
“I hope what they keep is someone whose drive to help them find the best in themselves has been real. That I could have been an interface between them - in the deepest sense of the word - and this profession.”
The daily Star Académie is presented Monday through Thursday, at 7:30 p.m., on TVA.
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In other news, we’ve been following the situation in France ahead of Lara’s busy concert schedule in June, now only two months away. The news, at this moment at least, is not encouraging (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56622471):
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Covid-19: France enters third national lockdown amid ICU surge
France has entered its third national lockdown as it battles a surge in cases of Covid-19 that threatens to overwhelm the country's hospitals.
All schools and non-essential shops will shut for four weeks, and a curfew will be in place from 19:00 to 06:00.
On Friday, the number of seriously ill Covid patients in intensive care units (ICU) increased by 145 - the biggest jump in five months.
President Emmanuel Macron has promised more hospital beds for Covid patients.
France is currently battling a peak of about 5,000 Covid patients in ICUs. On Friday, the country recorded 46,677 new cases and 304 deaths.
As well as the restrictions that came into force on Saturday, from Tuesday people will also need a valid reason to travel more than 10 km (six miles) from their homes.
President Macron had hoped to keep France's coronavirus cases under control without having to impose another lockdown.
However, the country has struggled with an EU-wide delay in the vaccine rollout, as well as several new strains of the virus.
----------------------------------
None of this is necessarily indicative of what the situation will be in June, but if it were, holding a crowded mass event for which people had to travel would seem to be untenable. Hopefully by that time there will be wider vaccine distribution, and perhaps a natural decline of the virus with the warmer weather. Nothing for Lara or her fans to do at this time but wait and see.
Interesting photo(s) of the week: from Lara herself on her Instagram site,
with the caption, “In rehearsal with Jacob, Annabelle and Shayan…they are marvellous…” And so they were.
And from the larafabian_fanpage_, which has many wonderful photos/collages,
This coming week at the Star Academy (from envedette.ca) features: "The arrival of Patrice Michaud, who puts on his songwriter's hat for Ariane Moffatt's Artistic Creation course; the return of the painter, author and filmmaker Marc Séguin for his second course in Artistic Identity; an inspiring encounter with Alexandre Poce, who became quadriplegic at the age of 16, a formidable example of courage and surpassing oneself; and finally the nice visit of Isabelle Boulay who will also be the variety guest next Sunday. Although one of the articles above noted that Lara will at some point sing a medley of her own songs, it would be nice to see her join in with Isabelle Boulay – as they did for that wonderful performance of “Il y a” some 20 years ago now (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZXpx129n0U). Stay safe everybody,
David
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′′ Being in bond, at the heart of the living..."
Tonight at the Academy you will see a very special class... A moment when we connected from heart to heart.
This week I offered my Academicians to have a special experience, and open chapters of our lives with modesty and delicacy.
I invited them to share what's hitting and hustling them... Together with Gabriel (my husband) and Kayla (my dog) in emotional support, we experienced some very strong emotions.
While connecting with love, empathy and kindness, we have addressed very difficult things to address.
The emotion was palpable, as we managed to say the wounds that haunt us... We welcomed all the parts of us, that make our humanity.
Thank you to my little hearts for their generosity and trust.
❤️
Star Académie TVA #NationStarAc”
------------------------------------
And accompanied this with the following picture:
www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=309284853889148&set=a.259330805551220
or
http://instagram.com/p/CNIplhchiE9
Throughout the season, Lara has made a concerted effort to open up the hearts of the contestants – almost as if in order to be a great singer, you must undergo therapy, become vulnerable, expose yourself, so that you can reach the audience. This is often her advice to the singers in their sessions with her. It is something that she has implied she didn’t know how to do when she was young, so she’s giving them a head start now.
As a follow-up to her message, she left the following pictures on her Instagram site,
http://instagram.com/p/CNLK1ZNhyRV
with the text, “Thanks to my friend Nathalie Delorme, the Magichienne!!! An exceptional woman who created the rose lotus breeding, it is there, that we adopted our little Kayla ♥ ️ yesterday at the starac, it is she who put balm in the hearts of all ...”
However…as is inevitable in any ‘therapy’, it was not all hearts and roses. In conjunction with the course Lara and her family were giving, there was this revelation (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/04/01/maeva-et-queenie-de-star-academie-revelent-avoir-subi-des-agressions-1?fbclid=IwAR2Qhs3E-clemvD0jnTV2mHtn6tro3scDp1_DlV5HFkFNI9bcAPD2PzS5gk)
----------------------------------------------
Maëva and Queenie of "Star Académie" reveal to have suffered assaults
The academicians experienced intense emotions on Thursday during the course given by Lara Fabian, alongside her husband, Gabriel Di Giorgio, and their dog, Kayla, mascot of the Leski Foundation.
By encouraging them to remember the difficult events of their life, the director of the Waterloo academy plunged Maëva and Queenie back into painful childhood memories synonymous with aggression.
Not Taken Seriously
Maëva recounted, very gently, disturbing gestures committed towards her by speaking of a girl attacked by a cat in a village where all the inhabitants are close to each other.
“This cat, we see it, we look at it; it is majestic, we just want to stroke it, it does tricks on us, it comes to sunbathe, it is beautiful. But no one sees that behind this cat there is a clever and vicious cat. One day, this little girl decides to go out, crosses paths with this cat and the cat claws her. Spontaneously, the little girl will tell everyone, including the owner of this cat. And everyone responds: "You must have played outside and a twig scratched you."
“One didn't believe her. The little girl is already feeling weird and to protect herself, she lied to herself. She thought, “Yeah, actually, it's the twig that scratched me.” One day, there is no one at home and the cat attacks the little girl.”
Today, Maëva wants to help those who are going through the same thing. “I want to help all the little girls who are attacked by cats. And my duty when I leave Star Académie is to talk to all the little girls and tell them it's not the twig ..."
Abuse
Queenie Clément also shared a sad story that happened a long time ago.
“There was a lady my mother trusted, who she could leave me in her hands, while my parents worked. Whatever happened in the house, it was always Queenie's fault. All the time. The kids would break things up and say, “Ah, Queenie did it”. The punishments that I [had] are mistreatment. That I know."
“The worst part is that I didn't have access to my mother to tell her that because she wasn't there, she was traveling. My father was not there, he was traveling too. But I remember a call: my mom called me just to find out how things were going. I picked up the phone, I ran ... I was 4 years old. I ran outside and said to my mother, “When are you going to come get me?” My mother took the plane the next day.”
Despite a difficult period, the young woman says she has made peace with this past. "I found each person who had my custody and said to him in the face: 'I forgive you. Not for you, but for me'."
The appointments of Star Académie: the daily are presented from Monday to Thursday, at 7:30 p.m., at TVA, and are offered as a catch-up on TVA +.
All the profits from the votes collected on Sundays during the Star Académie varieties are donated to the Jeunes en Tête and Tel-Jeunes foundations.
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When one starts exploring these areas, that often involve dissociation, who knows what will be uncovered? It needs to be done in a safe, supportive environment. It’s not clear that a live TV program qualifies.
As for Sunday night’s competition, the three Academecians who this week were ‘in danger’ were:
Annabel: She was given words of encouragement by her sister, and Gino Chouinard. Ariane Moffat said she’s worked but has not lost her intensity. Annabel said Anne Dorval had been very pertinent for her this week, she gave her some ‘theatricality’.
Jacob: He was supported by his girl friend (of five years) and Jacob Collier. Gregory Charles said he had a plan for the week and was eager to perform. Jacob said he wanted to touch everyone with his performance. And that his versatility was a double edged sword – it kept him from defining himself. Also, his work with Lara this week was truly revelatory on some vocal aspects.
Shayan: He was supported by his family (who have been filming his performances for eight years) and Mitsou. Lara said we would discover another facet of Shayan. A lightness, which we will enjoy, and in this lightness there is great depth. That gave him confidence in himiself. Mika told him that for he himself, his greatest learning was when he left his comfort zone. He wanted Shayan to be the “cat of the manor” at Waterloo – and Shayan then went around making cat-like motions. The point was for him to open himself up and enjoy himself (a point made to all the candidates).
As for the performances:
Annabel Oreste: Sang ‘Fever’, popularized by Peggy Lee. Very nicely done, played to her strengths and minimized her weaknesses, with a great ‘theatrical performance’.
Jacob Roberge: Sang “The Winner Takes It All” from Abba. Strong presentation, although his voice did waver at a few of the high points. Gregory gave him 9.8. Lara had asked him whether he had ever been cheated on by a woman, and the way he sang the song, it seemed like he could strongly empathize with the lyrics.
Shayan Heidari: Sang “Marvin Gaye” from Charlie Puth which speaks of a very positive, optimistic love. He wanted people to see the positive in life. Another wonderful performance, he’s a very good dancer, his singing is not quite as strong but it’s good. Lara said “I love your joy, it is full of all the facets that compose you, you made us feel very good.”
On pure vocal power, Jacob would win this, but both Annabel and Shayan put on very good performances. I thought the audience might choose Jacob first, and then the judges would pick Annabel – but I was quite uncertain about both aspects. The public did choose to protect Jacob. He thanked Lara for her work in reviewing their week. The teachers then had 30 seconds to make a tough choice…Lara announced it – and they decided to protect Shayan.
From the on-liine comments, it would appear that the judge’s decision was not popular, noting that Shayan really doesn’t have a good singing voice, and Annabel should have been kept. It’s also true that if people agree with the decision, they’re less likely to write in. In this case, as noted above, I tend to agree with the comments, but the disparity between them was not so large as to not make it credible.
At the closing, Lara said to Annabel: “I will throw you a promise, I tell you that beyond the walls of this incredible Star Academie, we would be there, I would be there. There is a second promise I made to you, and that is that I will cook with you. I repeat this promise to you in front of everyone. I will be there and I will share a dish that I will share. The Emcee Patrice said that “the Star Academie had only one princess, and that was Annabel.” And now there is none…
In other aspects, there was a medley of songs written by Luc Plamondon (responsible for 'Star Mania', 'Notre dame de Paris', among many others). Bruno Pelletier and Ginette Reno participated, along with the Academicians.
And Mika put on another great show with the Academicians, this time under the umbrella of “Freedom”. Truly a highlight of the series. This is his last evening with them, as discussed in the review article from the Journal de Montreal, translated below (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/04/04/star-academie--au-revoir-annabel-1):
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Star Académie": Goodbye, Annabel!
It is the candidate Annabel Oreste who had to leave the “Star Académie” adventure on this Easter Sunday, at the end of one of the busiest and most successful varieties of the season, marked by the presence of several important figures of the Quebec artistic colony, including the great Ginette Reno.
All was not predictable on the endangerment side this week. Thanks to his very expressive interpretation of “The Winner Takes It All”, by ABBA, the darling Jacob Roberge, 22, of Lévis, was protected by the public.
His classmate Shayan Heidari, 20, of Montreal, had been challenged by the faculty to exhibit the "showman" who sleeps in him. The boy took the order seriously, delivering a super energetic performance on Charlie Puth's “Marvin Gaye”.
Moving from one end of the space to the other, playing with the camera - which he loves, and which adores him in return -, relaxed, Shayan rose to the challenge with flying colors. It was hard to see how, with such high expectations, the decision-maker trio Fabian-Moffatt-Charles could have let Shayan go.
There remained Annabel Oreste, 20, who nevertheless defended very well on "Fever", by Peggy Lee. Lara Fabian promised the young Laval woman to cook for her eventually, and to support her in the rest of her career.
Ginette Reno, Much More than a Song
We can say that Easter 2021 was celebrated with brilliance on the set of "Star Académie" on Sunday.
It is difficult to determine which act, from those involving Ginette Reno or the tasty and festive painting prepared by Mika, under the theme of freedom, was the most memorable.
And that's without counting the country medley with Paul Daraîche and Guylaine Tanguay (with convertible on stage) as well as the visit of Émile Bilodeau, who, barely older than the academicians, drew on his repertoire ("Ca va”,“J'en ai plein mon cass”) and presented a new piece,“La jungle de capital”.
With Ginette Reno and Bruno Pelletier, our young stars have reread some great successes signed by Luc Plamondon. Jacob and Guillaume were particularly solid with Bruno Pelletier on "Le temps des cathédrales", Shayan and Annabel offered a moving duet on "L’amour existe encore" and Lunou and Maëva were sexy and sassy on "Des mots qui sonnent".
Ginette Reno entered in time for “J’ai besoin de parler”, and was joined by all the academicians, in front of a carousel set, for “Ma mère chantait toujours”.
A little later, we crowned “Je ne suis qu’une chanson” (a text by Diane Juster that Ginette Reno sang for the first time at the age of 28) as a “Chanson de la nation”. The album of the same title had sold 400,000 copies, at the time when Ginette Reno was represented by a certain impresario by the name of René Angélil.
Mika, For One Last tTme
Two little turns, and then it goes: that was the contribution of artistic director Mika to the varieties of “Star Académie” this year.
But what a contribution! After igniting his own catalog last week, the Britannico-Lebanese has this time picked up a few pearls in his monumental favorites, and brought his touch of (multiple) colors and excess.
On David Bowie's “Heroes”, the singers' black capes distilled a monastery atmosphere about to get carried away.
Lunou Zucchini looked like Minnie Mouse with her buckle, her jacket and her red boots; Shayan was not to be outdone by his side, dressed in a starry red coat. They strolled on a rainbow-hued catwalk during “Born This Way”, alongside dancers also covered in red and wielding pom-poms. Lady Gaga would certainly have recognized her universe there.
In yellow overalls, Rosalie Ayotte went back to "À cause des garçons"; Maëva Grelet (in green) and Annabelle (in blue), responded to “Djadja”; Queenie stole the show in a gown that looked like a huge cotton candy, alongside William slithering past dancers dressed in glittering ribbons, looking futuristic, on "Smalltown Boy," and Jacob and William were spellbinding on "Can't Help Falling In Love", in front of huge mushrooms.
It ended hands in the air on “Grace Kelly”, with Mika coming full circle of his stay on reality TV, under the inscription “Freedom” which overhangs the action throughout the segment.
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Then yesterday, Lara left the following message on her FB and Instagram sites, “And presto ... let's go for the evaluations with Ariane Moffatt ✌️✌️🥰 Star Académie TVA 💋
And I take this opportunity to wish you all a nice week .... I love you 💋💕”
This came along with an appropriate picture of the two of them,
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=312177120266588
or
http://instagram.com/p/CNSyH-PhqY3
We are now at the half-way point of the season, with 8 Academicians left standing. A “taking stock” article appeared in “7 Jours” (https://www.7jours.ca/2021/03/31/lara-fabian-se-confie-sur-son-implication-a-lacademie?fbclid=IwAR0afsJMY_3cJ_MNOZ-_x6QtWoeyRX04GTVhDwdWDglPvjGJR1fcaK9rKGo). Here’s the translation:
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Lara Fabian opens up about her involvement at the Academy
Six weeks after the start of Star Académie, director Lara Fabian agreed to take stock of this experience, which exceeded her expectations and everything she had imagined. Involved on a daily basis with young academics, she seems to thrive completely in this new role.
Lara, is the Star Académie experience you are experiencing right now the one you envisioned?
LF: The experience of transmission, I expected it, but above all I live a human adventure that goes much further than I would have thought. I sometimes have trouble falling asleep, because I reflect on what I just said to the Academicians. I wake up thinking of them. I only talk about that with my husband and my daughter at home. I even watch the daily, I who have never looked at myself in my life ... For me, it goes beyond the way I engage in my profession. It's as if a page had turned in my way of doing my job as a singer, and a new book was opening in my way of seeing my life as a guide for these young people.
Are your husband and daughter a little jealous of the time you don't spend with them?
LF: Gabriel, are you jealous of not seeing me enough? (Her husband's response to the phone
- "I'm used to it, but I cherish every time I can take her back for myself". You have a great proximity with the Academicians. How do you explain the fact that they confide in you so easily?
LF: When you are 100% in the listening and you are fully present when someone is speaking in front of you, it shows. And by being heard, he will speak to you. Too often, in life, we have little time to fully listen to each other. I have been the ear of quite a few people; it's kind of in my nature. I also think that the Academicians trust me. There are things we can say to each other that I will keep to myself. We are in a very human and very lenient production. When I allow myself to ask to stop the cameras and mute the mics for a few minutes, the production really does. It's pretty magical for young people. Then, when we are in front of the cameras, there is something in me that forgets that we are on TV. It is perhaps all that which creates this listening.
We get the impression that they are on TV, but not necessarily in your life. Do you also have this feeling?
LF: Absolutely. For example, I have been in contact with Meghan Oak since she left the Academy. I try to connect her with a few people around me in order to offer her possibilities. It's a normal process for me, it doesn't stop when the camera turns off. Then it will be at their discretion and according to what they want. But I will be there if they need it.
In this context, is it difficult for you to say things to them that are more difficult to hear?
LF: It is difficult, but it is sometimes necessary. For example, Maëva worked all last week to purify and simplify her interpretation. She did it wonderfully in her endangerment performance, but she used the other benefits as an outlet. It's as if everything I spent with her during the week was only used for three minutes. I must have told her during the last postmortem. I also think that the Academicians are extremely tired. They work for hours, they're under pressure they've never experienced before, and they have to deliver a live result every Sunday. It's normal that they need a valve. Nevertheless, we must always channel our strengths towards the best. It's not easy to say it, but I told them. I repeated to them, during this post-mortem, that Star Académie is not 'Martine at the beach', but it is not the prison either. I always try to find a formula which allows to start a discussion, to be in solution mode with regard to what they have to learn.
What is your path to make your choices of assessment and endangerment?
LF: It is not always the consequence of what has been difficult. There is still a mathematical factor, in the sense that you need five per week. And, above all, the appraisal is not the consequence of an error, but the opportunity to continue the work. Reached halfway, they must all pass there.
Sometimes it seems like you forget it's a TV show. Is this really the case?
LF: That is true. Part of me is surprised, but the other wouldn't agree with what transmission is if I didn't. If I was constantly staring at myself while watching them, it would sound so wrong and offbeat! And I wouldn't live up to what I consider to be my responsibility. It's true that it's a TV show, but for me it's much more than that. I think it was also the will of the production. This is the reason why they chose us, Ariane, Greg and me. We all three have different skills, but which converge and which make it possible to concretely help these young people on a daily basis.
How do you analyze the particular cohesion that exists within this group?
LF: The Academicians form an eclectic group, as much by their talent as by their humanity. I also believe that the fact of living this historical period, in which we did not really have the opportunity to be with each other, allows us to reconnect with what defines us as a society, that is to say - say having relationships.
As director of the Academy, what would you say this role brings to you personally?
LF: This desire for transmission has always been in my head for the second part of my life and my career. Star Académie is therefore a gift that matches my wishes. I am very grateful for this alignment of stars. The second thing is that it gives me a feeling of usefulness and contribution. I believe that many human beings seek to feel useful. And finally, I would say that we are going through an unprecedented historical era; many of my colleagues are going through great difficulties. Participating in this project is like breathing in the middle of this darkness; it is a breathing valve. So I have a triple gratitude.
Younger, who would you like to have had lessons or advice from?
LF: I was lucky to have a part of my entourage who was benevolent. Women around me have been important. There was my mother as well as Lise Richard ... It is true that I would have liked to have had someone whose profession and experience could have been at the service of my start-up, but I did not have it. It's still quite rare for another artist to help you, tell you how to do it.
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One can’t say that Lara doesn’t take her position personally…Actually, she disagreed with the assessment that her ‘little hearts’ were on the TV but not strongly in her life, by saying she’s open to them outside of the program as well, a point she emphasized on the recent show with her comments to Annabelle at the end. The interview indicates that this job is as fulfilling for her in what she thinks of as a ‘second phase’ of her career as it seems from the various shows.
To emphasize that point once more, there is this article in the Journal of Montreal (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/03/31/star-academie--lara-fabian-toujours-profondement-investie-1?fbclid=IwAR0kTWbzzk9EY5G--YFx45PtZUR8GdDMzwdAP6c6z_cvaDeVJuamcAvi3T4):
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Star Académie: Lara Fabian, still deeply invested
In the early days of Star Académie, Lara Fabian knew she would take her role as director of the Waterloo Academy to heart, but she hadn't necessarily anticipated that she would wake up in the morning thinking about her students and that she would go to bed in the evening planning her classes for the next day.
“What can I do, myself, day after day, to help give them more and more wonderful experiences, and to accompany them with the greatest possible benevolence?” Lara asks herself, aloud, when asks her how she perceives her task, at this stage of the adventure.
Without a doubt, the director is proud of her flock, which she describes as "magnificent, playful beings, each and every one, with their background and their history".
“I really connect with what they go through, from heart to heart,” she says. I feel much the same things as them. Beyond the professional and educational aspect, which I look at with a lot of attention, I look above all at my wonderful little humans, who are going through this incredible experience."
“I'm someone who sticks, continues Lara. I am one of those people who love other people, artists or not, regardless of my job. I have always been someone who focused on human beings.”
Open Horizons
Lara Fabian wants to awaken her class to all kinds of horizons. This is why, in her classes, she calls on personalities such as Marie-Louise Arsenault (to talk about the art of the interview) or Josée Lavigueur (for a physical exercise session), who deal with different concepts during their passage.
In her lesson on Wednesday (which will be seen on TV Thursday), Lara taught a “very concrete” spiritual communication strategy, applicable within a conflict or a difficult time, for example. Next week, the excellent cook in her will offer some tips for simmering on the plate.
“I use what I have encountered in my life, what I wish I had known 30 years ago. I would have liked to know how to address a journalist correctly, answering questions while preserving who I was, not confusing conversation and confession. Josée, in my career, it made sense, and it resonated a lot to keep me in shape, and to reach the age that I have with a state of mind that is not necessarily that of my age. I am not talking about youth in the aesthetic sense; I'm really talking about state of mind, and energetic state. Every week I try to contribute to places where, for me, it has had a real impact. ”
Gratitude
Through the maternal listening that she offers to academics, her relevant comments on their performances and her humor always on point, the public seemed to discover this year at Star Académie a new Lara Fabian or, at the very least, to rediscover the one that they already knew. The main interested party says she is happy and filled with gratitude.
“It's always rewarding. It's reassuring to see that, what we have most precious when we give it, as an artist, it feels and it generates a balm in the hearts of others."
Lara Fabian will of course be entitled to her turn of singing with her “little hearts” during one of the next Sunday galas of Star Académie : a major number with the Orchester Métropolitain, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, articulated around her songs, nothing less. An occasion that the artist describes as wonderful luck.
And what does Principal Lara hope her cohort of students will take away from their contact with her?
“I hope what they keep is someone whose drive to help them find the best in themselves has been real. That I could have been an interface between them - in the deepest sense of the word - and this profession.”
The daily Star Académie is presented Monday through Thursday, at 7:30 p.m., on TVA.
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In other news, we’ve been following the situation in France ahead of Lara’s busy concert schedule in June, now only two months away. The news, at this moment at least, is not encouraging (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56622471):
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Covid-19: France enters third national lockdown amid ICU surge
France has entered its third national lockdown as it battles a surge in cases of Covid-19 that threatens to overwhelm the country's hospitals.
All schools and non-essential shops will shut for four weeks, and a curfew will be in place from 19:00 to 06:00.
On Friday, the number of seriously ill Covid patients in intensive care units (ICU) increased by 145 - the biggest jump in five months.
President Emmanuel Macron has promised more hospital beds for Covid patients.
France is currently battling a peak of about 5,000 Covid patients in ICUs. On Friday, the country recorded 46,677 new cases and 304 deaths.
As well as the restrictions that came into force on Saturday, from Tuesday people will also need a valid reason to travel more than 10 km (six miles) from their homes.
President Macron had hoped to keep France's coronavirus cases under control without having to impose another lockdown.
However, the country has struggled with an EU-wide delay in the vaccine rollout, as well as several new strains of the virus.
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None of this is necessarily indicative of what the situation will be in June, but if it were, holding a crowded mass event for which people had to travel would seem to be untenable. Hopefully by that time there will be wider vaccine distribution, and perhaps a natural decline of the virus with the warmer weather. Nothing for Lara or her fans to do at this time but wait and see.
Interesting photo(s) of the week: from Lara herself on her Instagram site,
http://instagram.com/p/CNKkeGrhvyO
with the caption, “In rehearsal with Jacob, Annabelle and Shayan…they are marvellous…” And so they were.
And from the larafabian_fanpage_, which has many wonderful photos/collages,
http://instagram.com/p/CNLLjYmlTK3
This coming week at the Star Academy (from envedette.ca) features: "The arrival of Patrice Michaud, who puts on his songwriter's hat for Ariane Moffatt's Artistic Creation course; the return of the painter, author and filmmaker Marc Séguin for his second course in Artistic Identity; an inspiring encounter with Alexandre Poce, who became quadriplegic at the age of 16, a formidable example of courage and surpassing oneself; and finally the nice visit of Isabelle Boulay who will also be the variety guest next Sunday. Although one of the articles above noted that Lara will at some point sing a medley of her own songs, it would be nice to see her join in with Isabelle Boulay – as they did for that wonderful performance of “Il y a” some 20 years ago now (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZXpx129n0U). Stay safe everybody,
David
