Founded in 1990, Sylvain Émard Danse produces evocative works, inspired by our ever-evolving society. The company is a pioneer of contemporary dance in Québec and a major force in the dance community. Through its teaching, workshops and outreach activities, it passes on a love of the discipline to successive generations of artists and audiences.
History
1990 — 1999
From theatricality to pure movement
From the theatricality that characterized his early works, Sylvain Émard moved on to a more resolutely formal dance, laying the foundations for the company's success with a dozen works ranging from solo to sextet, accumulating several awards along the way. Terrains Vagues opened up distribution networks in Canada, and Mensonge Variations marked his first invitation to present a show in Paris.
2000 — 2008
Dialogue with the visual arts
Works created in collaboration with painters and video artists led to exceptional performance opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic. Whether onstage or off, Sylvain Émard moved audiences by tackling themes such as memory, intimacy and the human condition. The trilogy Climatology of bodies opened up new markets in Europe along with prestigious, lasting partnerships there and also in North America.
2009 — 2018
The art of attracting crowds
Le Grand Continental was the first in a series of monumental line dancing shows that travelled the world over a 15-year period. Bringing together thousands of amateur dancers and presenting in public spaces performances that attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators gave to Sylvain Émard’s work a decidedly festive, communal dimension that multiplied their impact in the cities where they performed.
During that period, he continued to create new works. After a 15-year absence, Sylvain Émard returned to performing onstage in Le chant des sirènes.
2019 —
Strengthening connections
The power of groups, relationships and interactions permeates the most recent works. In the midst of the pandemic, the diptych Preludes provided an open-air premise for Rhapsodie, a triumphant ritual performed by 20 dancers.That adventure gave birth to two short films, Prelude #1 – The Circle and Chorale, which made their début at the 39th and 43rd editions of the International Festival of Films on Art. An adaptation of the former projects the life-size performers onto the circular screen of the immersive installation Choir. In 2025 Sylvain Émard was inspired by quantum physics when creating the sextet Magnetic Fields.
Sylvain Émard
A prolific artist who trained with great masters of movement, Sylvain Émard began his career in the 1980s. He danced for renowned choreographers such as Jean-Pierre Perreault, Louise Bédard and Daniel Léveillé. His style of choreography is striking in its physicality, fluidity and refinement. Rigorous and inventive, he pursues diverse paths in his probing of human nature through the power of the body, showing the same ease in creating a solo as he does in monumental or immersive works. He is equally at home in theatre, opera and film, and has worked with theatre and film directors like Robert Lepage, René-Richard Cyr and Manon Briand.
Committed to the dance milieu, he co-founded Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique and the Prix de la danse de Montréal, and has contributed in many ways to the democratization of dance. The works that established his international reputation have also earned him numerous awards and nominations.
Repertoire and collaborations
Repertoire
Chorale
Sylvain Émard Danse production, with the participation of Albédo (Canada)
Magnetic Fields
Choir
Sylvain Émard Danse production, co-created with mirari. With the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (Canada)
Rhapsodie
Sylvain Émard Danse and Danse Danse co-production, supported by the Canadian National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund (Canada), in collaboration with the Centro de Producción de Danza Contemporánea (CEPRODAC, Mexico)
Preludes
Sylvain Émard Danse production. With the special support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (Canada)
Le Petit Continental
Le Super Grand Continental
Sylvain Émard Danse (Canada) and Philadelphia Fringe Festival (United States) co-production
Le chant des sirènes
Sylvain Émard Danse and Agora de la danse (Canada) co-production
Le Super Méga Continental
Sylvain Émard Danse and Festival TransAmériques co-presentation, an official event of Montréal’s 375th anniversary celebrations (Canada)
El Gran Continental ¡Otra Vez!
Ce n’est pas la fin du monde
Sylvain Émard Danse, Ville d'Eysines/Le Plateau, Théâtre de Lorient (France), and the Brian Webb Dance Company (Canada) co-production, with the support of iddac, Agence culturelle de la Gironde
El Gran Continental
Sylvain Émard Danse and Festival de México (Mexico) co-production
Le Continental XL
A Sylvain Émard Danse and Festival TransAmériques co-production, co-presented by Quartier des Spectacles (Canada)
Le Très Grand Continental
Sylvain Émard Danse and Festival TransAmériques co-production, co-presented by Quartier des Spectacles (Canada)
Fragments – Volume I
Sylvain Émard Danse and Canada Dance Festival co-production, with the support of Goethe-Institut (Canada)
Le Grand Continental
Sylvain Émard Danse and Festival TransAmériques co-production, co-presented by Quartier des Spectacles (Canada)
Wave
Sylvain Émard Danse, Station Zuid (The Netherlands), Grand Théâtre de Lorient (France) and Usine C (Canada) co-production
Temps de chien
Sylvain Émard Danse, National Arts Centre, Banff Centre, Canada Dance Festival (Canada) and Grand Théâtre de Lorient (France) co-production
Pluie
Scènes d’intérieur
Sylvain Émard Danse, Agora de la danse (Canada) and Centre Culturel Aragon (France) co-production
Te souvient-il?
Sylvain Émard Danse and Louise Bédard Danse (Canada) co-production
Mensonge Variations
Rumeurs
Sylvain Émard Danse, Canada Dance Festival, Femme 100 têtes (Canada) co-production
Des siècles avec vous
Terrains Vagues
Retour d’exil
De l’Éden au Septentrion
Sylvain Émard Danse and Danse-Cité (Canada) co-production
L’Imposture des sens
Ozone, Ozone
Choreographic commissions
Waltz
Solo for Belinda McGuire, Toronto (Canada)
Death Lines — A Memento Mori Collection
Multidisciplinary event with five artistic performance filmed in New York, London, Montréal, Melbourne and Aarhus, broadcasted live at Aarhus Festival (Danemark), and online. Sylvain Émard created and performed a solo for the occasion.
Le troisième cercle de l’enfer
Choreographic self-portrait by Sylvain Émard for the Danse Toujours biennial in Bordeaux (France)
7 by 2
Piece for seven male dancers created for the dance house Station Zuid, Tilburg (Netherlands)
Comme deux solitudes
Duo for Heidi Strauss and Darryl Tracy, Toronto (Canada)
À jamais
Solo for Marc Boivin, Montréal (Canada)
Le bruit qui court
Solo for Luc Ouellette, Montréal (Canada)
Agathe
Solo for Sophie Corriveau, Montréal (Canada)
Pavane
Solo for Manon Levac, Montréal (Canada)
La mer morte
Group piece for seven dancers for the Groupe de la Place Royale, Ottawa (Canada)
Special collaborations
La Traversée
Participative project for young people with stabilized mental health problems. Presented in association with Espace Transition at CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montréal (Canada) (15 amateur dancers)
Le Grand Continental
Two-minutes version of Le Grand Continental. An initiave presented in association with the SPEC du Haut-Richelieu and Marcellin-Champagnat high school, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Canada) (275 students)
Les Passages
Community outreach project for young people with stabilized mental health problems. Presented in association with Espace Transition at CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montréal (Canada) (12 amateur dancers)
ON danse Le Petit Continental!
A community outreach project for young people with stabilized mental health problems. Presented in association with Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique and Espace Transition, Montréal (Canada) (10 amateur dancers)
Tout le monde danse avec Sylvain Émard
One-minute choreography performed by high school students. In association with Danse Danse and the Commission scolaire de Montréal (school board). Broadcast online on April 29, Montréal (Canada)
That moment – Le pays des cons
Play by Nicoleta Esinencu, directed by Luce Pelletier at Théâtre Denise-Pelletier, Montréal (Canada)
Demain matin, Montréal m’attend
Musical by Michel Tremblay, directed by René-Richard Cyr, Montréal (Canada)
Le Grand Continental for Parkinson en mouvement
Choreography adapted for the association Parkinson en mouvement, World Parkinson Congress, the Palais des congrès de Montréal (Canada)
Liverpool
Film directed by Manon Briand which featured an excerpt of the show Le Continental XL, Montréal (Canada)
Mini Continental
Excerpt of Le Grand Continental, Piknic Électronik, Montréal (Canada). (70 amateur dancers)
Le Continental ARTV
ID advertisement created for the 10th anniversary of the TV channel ARTV (versions of 10, 30 and 60 seconds broadcasted until 2016), Montréal (Canada)
Blanc, noir ou rien
Dance film by Mario Côté and Jeanne Renaud, performed by Louise Bédard and Sylvain Émard, Montréal, Canada
Carnet de voyages
Play, ideation and directed by Daniel Meilleur, Les Deux Mondes, Théâtre Aux Écuries, Montréal (Canada)
1984
Opera by Lorin Maazel, directed by Robert Lepage and choreographed by Sylvain Émard. World premiere at the Royal Opera House (London, 2005). Sylvain Émard directed its revivals at La Scala in Milan (2008) and at the Palacio de las Artes in Valencia (2011)
Elektra
Play by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, directed by Luce Pelletier, Théâtre de l’Opsis, Montréal (Canada)
Schuman
Dance film by Tim Southam, Montréal (Canada)
Orestre
Théâtre de l’Opsis, Montréal (Canada)
Talons et Tentations
Dance film for the Musée de la civilisation du Québec (Canada)
Stabat Mater II
Play by Normand Chaurette, directed by Lorraine Pintal, Montréal (Canada)
D’Amour et de danse
Benefit performance for the fight against AIDS, Montréal (Canada)
Décadence
Play by Steven Berkoff, directed by Serge Denoncourt, Montréal (Canada)
Éden
Short film directed by Mario Calvé, adapted from the piece De l'Éden au Septentrion, Montréal (Canada)
Awards and acknowledgments
Sylvain Émard, recipient of a recognition award from Quartier des Spectacles Partnership for his contributions to the cultural vitality of Montréal (Canada)
Winner of the CINARS International Collaboration Award for the re-creation of Le Grand Continental at Santiago a Mil International Festival and Potsdamer Tanztage (Chili)
Le Grand Continental at Celebrity Series of Boston, People’s Choice Award in the Best Nonprofit Event Concept – Budget Under $250,000 category, BizBash National Event Style Award, New York (United States)
Sylvain Émard, named personality of the Week by La Presse/Radio-Canada for Le Continental XL (Canada)
Winner of the Grand Prix du Conseil des arts de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal for Rumeurs (Canada)
Sylvain Émard, winner of the Jean A. Chalmers Prize for Choreography for his lifetime achievement (Canada)
Sylvain Émard, nominated for the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Agathe (Canada)
Sylvain Émard, named Dance Personality of the Year by the Montréal cultural weekly VOIR for Des siècles avec vous (Canada)
Sylvain Émard, recipient of the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize from the Canada Arts Council
