As Quebec’s only institution training world-class professional ballet dancers, the School showcases the talents of the 150 students enrolled in its professional dance-study program on April 25 and 26, 2012 at the Salle Pierre-Mercure of UQÀM’s Centre Pierre-Péladeau.

In preparation for the first part of the show, Anik Bissonnette selected excerpts from the mythical Swan Lake and had her students rehearse the same pas de deux which she performed with grace and sensitivity for the Grands Ballets Canadiens and as guest artist in France. “Swan Lake is one of the most demanding ballets in the classical repertoire, and L’École supérieure is finally ready to present a masterpiece with such a high degree of technical difficulty,” states Ms. Bissonnette. “I am extremely proud of the work accomplished by our youngsters this year.”

In the second part of the program, Jean-Sébastien Couture, a graduate of L’École supérieure and currently a soloist with the Grand Ballets Canadiens, will take on the role of a very special maestro in Suite Mozart, alongside 5th and 6th grade elementary school students, high school students, and first-year Cegep students.

James Gregg, who has been dancing with the Ballets Jazz de Montréal since 2005, is the creative force behind Tigrement vôtre. A work of highly masculine exuberance performed by 15 very energetic young dancers, it is a product of the program developed exclusively for boys by the School.

The show also includes Leaving Ground and Lucid Dream by Ron de Jesús, who spent 17 seasons as a dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and collaborated, most notably, with Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel. His choreographies have earned him praise at the New York Musical Theatre Festival and have been produced as far away as South Korea.

Corps de ballet is a unique opportunity to see the finest up-and-coming ballet dancers in action, on April 25 and 26, 2012, at the Salle Pierre-Mercure of UQÀM’s Centre Pierre-Péladeau.

The laureates awarded the "Diamond" distinction are (listed by school grade):

Secondary ll
Philip Sergeychuk

Secondary lll
Catherine Toupin

Secondary V
Pénélope Abram
Jordan Faye

1st year of College
Francisco Javier Trejo Vasquez
Guillaume Michaud

In all, 26 students ranging from Grade 4 to third year of College participated in this event. The jury, formed notably by Nicole Lamontage and Stéphanie Decourteille, awarded five levels of distinction: Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Saphire, and Crystal.

Grade 4
Lazaro Corrales (Ruby)
Chloé Bourdeau (Ruby)
Mariya Popova (Emerald)
Yu Fei Liu (Emerald)
Clara Corbo (Ruby)

Grades 5 and 6
Isabelle Kienzle (Ruby)
Juliette Boucher (Emerald + Bursary)
Tatiana Lerebours (Emerald)
Gregory Myles Molnar (Emerald)
Maya Robitaille-Lopez (Emerald)
Rachel Bélanger-Cyrenne (Ruby)

Secondary l
Cohen Dugas-Aitchison (Emerald)

Secondary ll
Éveline Bruck (Emerald)
Katherine Sergeychuk (Crystal)
Megan Ouelllet Lamontagne (Emerald)
Philip Sergeychuk (Diamond + Bursary)

Secondary lll
Catherine Toupin (Diamond)

Secondary V
Xavier Reigneau (Ruby)
Frédérique Schwarz (Ruby)
Jordan Faye (Diamond + Bursary)
Olivia Saint-Jacques (Ruby)
Sandrine Bourret (Ruby)
Pénélope Abram (Diamond)

1st year of College Kennedy Henry (Emerald)
Paco Trejo Vasquez (Diamond + Bursary)
Guillaume Michaud (Diamond)

He also left his mark as Director of L’École supérieure from 1974 to 1976.

“I had the opportunity of working with this artist who was so open and generous,” states Anik Bissonnette, who is now Artistic Director of L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec. “Whenever I would take on a role in one of his ballets, he gave me the impression that he was recreating it especially for me.”

The Fernand-Nault Studio will be decorated with archival photos highlighting Mr. Nault’s career as dancer, ballet master, and choreographer. “We wish to preserve the past in order to better build the future. We are convinced that this inspiring figure will encourage our students to pursue their dream of becoming professional dancers,” asserts Alix Laurent, Executive Director of L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec.

“He always treated students like professional dancers and I think that’s why they loved him so much,” explains André Laprise, trustee of the Fonds chorégraphique Fernand Nault, a partner in this commemoration.

About Fernand Nault

Born in Montreal in 1920, Fernand Nault studied dance with Maurice Lacasse Morenoff as well as other dance masters in New York, London, and Paris. From 1944 to 1965, he was first a dancer, then a ballet master with New York’s American Ballet Theatre, and later became the director of that company’s school from 1960 to 1964. Then, in 1965, he joined the Grands Ballets Canadiens as co-artistic director and resident choreographer. His productions of Carmina Burana and Tommy earned him worldwide recognition.

Fernand Nault also choreographed works for the Joffrey Ballet, the Alberta Ballet, the Korea National Ballet, the Washington Ballet, and the Ballet Federation of the Philippines. In 1976, he received the choreography award at the International Ballet Festival in Varna, Bulgaria. He was also guest choreographer, then artistic director of the Colorado Ballet from 1978 to 1980. In addition, he collaborated with the Opéra de Montréal.

The Government of Canada awarded him the Centennial Medal (1967), the Order of Canada (1977) and the Governor General’s Performing Arts award (2000). In 1984, he received the Denise-Pelletier Award from the Government of Quebec. He was made a Knight of the Order of Quebec in 1990 and named Choreographer Emeritus of the Grands Ballets Canadiens.

In all, forty-one students from our programs will be taking part in Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ presentation of The Nutcracker this month at La Place des Arts de Montréal. For many of them, this experience represents their very first professional onstage performance.

Every year since 1995, Ms. Christine Williams has taken the young cast members under her wings to prepare and coach them for their respective roles.

L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec is proud to participate in Les Grand Ballets’ family-oriented event.

For the complete list of students as well as performance dates and times, please refer to the Coming Soon section of our website.

Auditions at L'École supérieure de ballet du Québec

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. : Grade 5
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. : Grade 6
1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. : Open House
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. : Secondary 1,2, 3
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. : Secondary 4, 5, and Cegep

Audition tour dates

Detailed schedules for the cities listed below will be available soon.

November 5, 2011 Sherbrooke – L’Arabesque

November 12, 2011 Québec – Grand Théâtre de Québec

November 13, 2011 Trois-Rivières – L’Astragale

November 20, 2011 Ottawa – National Arts Centre

November 20, 2011 Vancouver – Scotiabank Dance Centre

November 27, 2011 Toronto – Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts

January 29, 2012 Gatineau – Maison de la culture de Gatineau

February 18, 2012 Saguenay – Pavillon de la danse

March 25, 2012 Montréal – L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec

Register now by completing the Audition Registration Form.