Outreach Programs

Part and parcel of our passion for dance is the desire to share that passion, to build a solid connection with our audiences, to create a space for discussions and encounters centred on this complex yet generous art form. That is why the Outreach Programs at Agora de la danse, under the direction of Louise Duchesne, offer a wide variety of audience development activities to open up minds and generate discussion, transforming an encounter with this art form into a veritable love story. This remarkable approach includes several activities:

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À LA CARTE EVENINGS / Special rate for groups of +15 people

Would you like to know more about contemporary dance? Or be further immersed in the world of choreographic creation? Or maybe you wish to surprise your students by offering them an introduction to dance? We offer “tailor-made” evenings for small groups of spectators that include a hospitable welcome, an hour with a knowledgeable host before the show, discussing the artistic path of the choreographer, viewing video excerpts, and, of course, admittance to the show. Offered at a special rate, these evenings will allow you the opportunity to fully appreciate an electrifying contemporary dance experience.

MEET THE CHOREOGRAPHER

Each series of shows presented at Agora de la danse include a special and welcoming evening where audience members and choreographers share their impressions, exchange comments and questions. Unique and often magical moments between spectators and artists who will generously reveal the secrets of their craft. You won’t want to miss it!

OPERATION LET’S DANCE / YOUTH ACTIVITIES

Driven by a desire to transmit our passion for contemporary dance, the Agora’s Audience Development and Outreach program, under the direction of Louise Duchesne, has created a wide variety of activities to better respond to the expectations of an ever-growing audience keenly interested in this complex but generous art form. We try to open minds by providing new avenues for reflection, to make the encounter with this art form a love affair. This unique approach takes on several forms, as the following overview indicates.

DANCE IN THE STUDIO!

Treat your students (Grades 7 to 11) to an unforgettable experience by having them take part in our intensive contemporary dance workshops. For 90 minutes they will move, learn about dance and have fun as they work with an inspiring team of professionals in the venerable Agora space. 

AGORA / SQUAT'AGORA

Contemporary dance and slam? This original mélange is sure to arouse curiosity among young people as they discover the pleasure of playing with words, of expressing their emotions through movement. Two professional artists, the dancer Simon Ampleman and the slam poetry specialist Elkahna Talbi (Queen Ka), will accompany students in their schools as they offer a colourful approach to reading, writing and oral communication. Led by this wildly creative duo, the workshops are integrated into the school’s teaching program. During each of many sessions, over 200 primary school students will express themselves as dancers, writers and creative artists.

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PRIX AGORA DE LA DANSE

Once again, this year 28 award winners received the Prix Agora de la danse, which over the past 13 years has recognized the commitment of young enthusiasts of contemporary dance. A great source of motivation for high school students in metropolitan Montreal and outlying regions (Laval, de Lanaudière, the Laurentians and Montérégie) who are crazy about dance, the award allows them to attend for one year, free of charge and accompanied by a guest of their choosing, performances presented at the Agora.

IN-SITU DANCE

Integrating primary school students into a research and creative process, now there’s a challenge! This project brings four dancers into contact with young students in an exploration of two themes essential to our era – water and cooperation, i.e. the necessity of working with the Other. Taking place in the school in collaboration with the teaching staff, these playful, enriching creative workshops allow youngsters to actively participate in mounting a dance performance inspired by their own input and contributions. Their reactions, suggestions and improvisations will serve as the basis for building dance sequences that will be gradually integrated into the piece being created. This new Agora project is aimed at nourishing both the dancers’ research and the students’ creativity.

Please contact us if you are interested in any of these activities. If you have an idea for a specific project adapted to your needs and would like to see it realized, our expertise is at your disposal.

Information / 514-525-7575 #233