Anik Bissonnette honoured with the Prix Contribution exceptionnelle at Prix de la danse de Montréal 2024
Montreal, November 19, 2024 - The École supérieure de ballet du Québec is proud to announce that its Artistic Director, Anik Bissonnette, today received the Prix Contribution exceptionnelle des Prix de la danse de Montréal (PDM) 2024. This prestigious distinction, awarded by the PDM Board of Directors, underscores the inspiring career of this icon of Quebec and international dance.
Awarded for her remarkable career as a performer and administrator, Anik Bissonnette is praised for her unwavering dedication to dance. At every major stage of her career - principal dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, artistic director of the Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur, president of the Regroupement québécois de la danse and artistic director of the École supérieure - she has shaped the Quebec cultural scene, inspiring generations of artists and enthusiasts.
Anik Bissonnette's speech was a highlight of the ceremony, in which she delivered her emotional love letter to dance, an ode to the discipline that has accompanied her life and guided her commitment:
« Too often, you're taken for granted, ignored and forgotten. You're underfunded, and sometimes you have to beg to keep going. We don't realize enough that you're a balm for the soul. And yet, thanks to your beauty and intelligence, you touch people all over the world, regardless of language or culture. (...) You bring people together. You make us proud. »
Since 2010, Anik Bissonnette has been infusing the École supérieure with a humanistic approach that values the health and well-being of performers. Under her artistic direction, the ESBQ cultivates talent, commitment and life balance, guiding each student towards a professional career in a creative, positive and inclusive environment.
About Anik Bissonnette, O.C., C.Q., O.M.
Artistic Director of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec since 2010, Anik Bissonnette has been one of Quebec's most accomplished ballerinas, applauded worldwide for over 30 years. At the end of her brilliant career as a dancer, she is committed to promoting her discipline and passing on her passion for dance to the performers of tomorrow. Read her biography
About the Prix de la danse de Montréal (PDM)
Each year, the Prix de la danse de Montréal celebrate the excellence of dance artists and creators performing on Quebec stages, reaffirming Montreal's vitality as a dance capital and its international influence.
About the École supérieure de ballet du Québec
The mission of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec is to train dancers and creators to the highest standards maintained by professional dance institutions and, in the process, to promote the recognition, success and advancement of dance. Founded in 1966 by Ludmilla Chiriaeff at the request of Quebec’s ministry of cultural affairs, the school is Quebec’s flagship institution in professional classical dance training and education.
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