The EDCM celebrates its 40th anniversary ^expired Free

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (EDCM). In order to share this celebration with a wider audience, several activities celebrating the talent of the next generation of contemporary dancers will be presented to the general public:

Les arbres meurent debout by Clara Furey
The 2020 graduates of the ECDM present Les arbres meurent debout, an original creation by Montreal artist Clara Furey, herself a graduate of the ECDM, as part of the program Quand l'art prend l'air of the Conseil des Arts de Montréal. The event will be postponed to the following day depending on weather conditions. Location and schedule to be announced on the ECDM website!

The Backstage of Les Corps Avalés
The public is invited to attend a behind-the-scenes look at the third-year students' recreation of Virginie Brunelle's play Les corps avalés. This event is held as part of the Journées de la culture, in the presence of Sophie Breton, creative performer and EDCM graduate, and Lucie Boissinot, artistic and academic director of EDCM. September 24, 2021 at 7 pm, online.


EDCM, the Story of a Dream
Specializing in contemporary dance training, EDCM is the first Quebec institution to professionally train dancers outside the classical territory. It is intended to be a fertile ground for research and artistic development as well as the emergence of new trends.

It was in 1981 that the idea of ​​initiating training in modern and then contemporary dance imposed itself on Linda Rabin and the late Candace Loubert.

"Candace and I wanted to integrate the expressiveness, the interiority of being with the technical strength on stage. This has been the aim of the School, to bring these two aspects into the training. We arrived at the right time because there was a need in Canada for training centers”. - Linda Rabin, co-founder and former co-director of LADMMI

Thus, they founded Les Ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal inc. within the emblematic Belgo building. They opt for an innovative approach based on physical training, the creative process and somatic techniques. The institution’s soul is greatly imbued with the techniques developed by the greatest names in dance (Martha Graham, José Limon, F. Mathias Alexander, Elaine Summers, etc.) and with the welcoming of internationally renowned masters.

Revealing Several Generations of Dance Performers
With the aim of bringing each individual to their full artistic and technical development, EDCM has trained more than 400 professional dancers who have distinguished themselves on the national and international scenes. Now settled in the Wilder-Espace Danse building, the school continues the work of its founders along the same philosophical lines, always in search of modernity and renewal.

"Throughout its history, EDCM has been defined by risk-taking and creativity. The adaptability and open-mindedness that characterize EDCM have always allowed it to shape and respond to the changing conditions of dance practice. This leading-edge approach remains essential to reinforce its specificity in the ecology of contemporary dance" - Yves Rocray, Executive Director

"In order to train an embodied, successful and unique dancer, EDCM pays equal attention to form and content for each individual in training. Encountering forty artists from a dance professional background allows everyone to explore and discover their own field of virtuosity. This approach provokes a transformation that enables the birth of a singular and plural dancer.” - Lucie Boissinot, artistic and academic director

About the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal
Specializing in contemporary dance training, the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (EDCM) has positioned itself as a centre of excellence in the Canadian performing arts community. Recognized for its leading-edge, rigorous training, the EDCM is fertile ground for research and artistic development as well as for the emergence of new trends. Since its founding in 1981, it has trained over 400 professional dancers, who have gone on to earn national and international recognition. The EDCM is an educational institution that is affiliated with the Cégep du Vieux Montréal and accredited by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Quebec.

About the Founders
Linda Rabin, co-founder and former co-director of LADMMI, now the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, has been teaching movement for over 40 years. Graduated from Juilliard School, she first worked as a repeater and teacher for the Batsheva Company of Israel and the Rambert Ballet in London, then a teacher and choreographer for companies, schools and university programs in Canada. A pioneer in Canadian dance, she has contributed to the emergence of several generations of dancers in this country. In 2018, she was awarded the Order of Excellence in Education as a Distinguished Member by the Quebec Ministry of Education and Higher Education; the following year, she became a member of the Order of Canada. In 2020, she was awarded the Prix de la danse de Montréal in the category of outstanding contribution.

Originally from Northern Ontario, Candace Loubert received ballet training that took her to European stages where she toured with numerous companies. Back in Canada, she danced for Les Grands Ballets canadiens de Montréal for five years, after which she co-founded LADMMI, now the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, for which she will assume artistic direction until 1996. In 2011, Candace Loubert passed away after a long illness.

The School in a few figures
Number of graduates since its creation: 414
Average number of applications for annual auditions: 165
Number of successful applicants per year: 25
International students: 40%.
Average number of teachers and musicians recruited annually: 55
Number of productions since 1981: 248
International choreographers: 3 per year
Candace-Loubert Mediatheque: more than 5,000 documents on contemporary dance, including several works from the Quebec choreographic repertoire from the 1950s to the present day.
Number of clothes in the costumier: 3000
Recreational courses: 1200 attendances per year