I was four and a half, and I loved music. I would dance and jump. I would spin around so much that the floor boards would spread apart. Of course my father was unhappy about that, but it gave my parents a good idea for a Christmas gift: my first classical dance class. All it took was one trial class and I was hooked! What I love about dance is the sense of discovery and exploring aspects of myself that I’m still not familiar with, and the moment on the stage when you put everything out there—the fact that there are no limits, which surprises me every time and is there waiting for me.
Out of love and excitement, to learn about myself, grow, forget, travel and share.
When the emotion is overwhelming.
To make it easier to get back into it.
Born in Belgium, Valentine took up classical dance at the age of four and a half under the guidance of Lilian Lartelier, her teacher and the director of the Marly ballet school in Uccle. At the age of 15, she began her professional training at the École Royale de ballet d’Anvers, where she worked with Maria Metchkarova and Anatol Karpuhin. In 2007, she obtained her first corps de ballet position with the Vanemuine theatre in Estonia. In 2009, she was promoted to the rank of demi-soloist and performed in Giselle and Sleeping Beauty by Pär Isberg. Valentine is now starting her eighth season with the Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. After starting as an apprentice in 2010, it wasn’t long before she joined the corps de ballet, in 2011. She performed in Leonce and Lena (Christian Spuck), Minus One and Danz (Ohad Naharin), Noces and The Rite of Spring (Stijn Celis), Cantata and Four Seasons (Mauro Bigonzetti), Searching for Home (Stephan Thoss), The Nutcracker (Fernand Nault) and Toot (Didi Veldman). Named a demi-soloist in 2012, she danced the principal role in Dream Away (Stefan Thoss). After becoming a soloist in 2013, she performed in the roles of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (Mats Ek), Camille Claudel in Rodin/Claudel (Peter Quanz), the Maiden in Death and the Maiden (Stephan Thoss) and the Rose in The Little Prince (Didi Veldman). Her other credits include Passomezzo (Ohad Naharin) and Transfigured Night (Stijn Celis).
Promoted to first soloist in 2015, she interpreted the principal role in Kaguyahime (Jiri Kylian) and Juliette in Romeo and Juliet (Jean-Christophe Maillot). She has also performed in Falling Angels and Evening Songs (Jiri Kylian) and Dim Light of Dawn (Ken Ossola).
