It is with great pride that the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal announces the nomination of Linda Rabin, its founder, as a Distinguished Member in the Order of Excellence in Education.
This award recognizes her outstanding contribution to the development of the Quebec education system and reflects the Québec government’s commitment to officially recognize the merits of those who have distinguished themselves through their contribution to improving Quebec education.
A visionary pioneer of Canadian dance and an outstanding teacher, Linda has been significantly contributing to emerging generations of contemporary dancers and artists in Quebec and abroad for 50 years.
A graduate of the Juilliard School (BFA in Dance, 1967), she was first a coach and teacher for the Batsheva Dance Company in Israel and the Rambert Ballet in London, then a teacher and choreographer for companies, schools and university programs in Canada, including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Montréal Danse, Dancemakers, Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers, Simon Fraser University, UQAM, The School of Toronto Dance Theater and Winnipeg's School of Contemporary Dance.
In the early 1980s in Quebec, while a strong movement of research and experimentation in dance was laying the foundation for contemporary dance in Quebec, Linda co-founded, with Candace Loubert, Les Ateliers de Danse Moderne de Montreal Inc. (LADMMI), which is now the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. At the time of its creation, the School was the first Quebec institution to professionally train dancers outside the area of classical dance – a decisive step for pursuing the professional dance practice in Quebec and Canada.
With an approach based on physical training, the creative process and somatic techniques since the founding of the institution in 1981, her vision of high-calibre professional training has contributed to this day to the distinctiveness of Montreal dance, its dancers and artists. This has helped shape the unique and distinctive character of the School.
Today, Linda teaches Creative Research courses at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal while providing international internship courses. Her teaching integrates her dance experience, creative process and somatic education. They draw on various dance influences and practices, which help young dancers discover their inner artistic personality, as well as dance creation from the dancer’s perspective, while seeking an authentic and personal way of moving and enhancing their expression.
The Board of Directors and the entire team of the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal warmly congratulate her for receiving this distinction from the Quebec Ministry of Education and Higher Education, recognizing her invaluable contribution to Quebec contemporary dance.
