Dance is how Nico Archambault found his confidence as a shy kid — now he's a superstar
Choreography helped the So You Think You Can Dance winner fall back in love with his art
Nicolas 'Nico' Archambault is a dancer and choreographer originally from Montreal, now based in New York. He shares his reflections on his incredible career set to original choreography in The Move: Season II.
After winning the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, everything changed for Nicolas Archambault. Following that pinnacle moment, he danced with Janet Jackson, acted as Rudolf Nureyev in film, choreographed for video games, music videos and television and became simply "Nico" in the hearts of many. But now, a full 10 years after that breakout moment, it's clear that there is a lot more to the "bad boy" Nico than we ever knew.
All of a sudden you have to decide if you're going to live up to something that maybe you never were to begin with or if you're going to be fine with just being what you are in that day, in that moment.- Nico Archambault
In this video, watch Nico thoughtfully dissect a section of his original choreography. It's a dance about breaking down and re-constructing — something he's had to do often each time he reinvents himself in his career.
"I don't remember the exact moment but I knew very early on that choreography was more interesting to me than dancing," he says. "Something about dance not being about me anymore was very important."
Choreography may have been his saviour — one that forced him to expand his toolkit and grow. It taught him how to communicate in a language that is accessible to many and to take one step back from the spotlight, while keeping it shining brightly on his work.
"I've learned now that you don't stop being a dancer because you stopped dancing. You always are and you always will be a dancer."
In this video, Nico dances to an original track composed by Alex Punzalan.
Eight of Canada's top choreographers share their astonishing moves — and the incredible stories behind why they dance in The Move: Season II. Find out more and stream the full series now on CBC Gem.
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