PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM

Graduates services

The École de danse contemporaine de Montréal offers various services and privileges to support graduates in their efforts to enter the job market. During their first year after graduation, graduates have access to the following services free of charge:

TECHNIQUE CLASSES

Graduates may attend the morning technique classes so as to maintain optimal physical fitness for auditions or meetings with potential employers. After the first year, they may also take part in the technique classes at a preferential rate, for up to a maximum of five years after graduation.

FITNESS CENTRE

Wanting to facilitate its graduates daily training, the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, opens its fitness centre. Entry fees for the fitness centre are free for the School's graduates, from Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 5 pm, only when there is no classes.

CAREER COUNSELING SERVICES

SOFIA-BORELLA SCHOLARSHIP

Since 2010, the Sofia-Borella scholarship, awarded by Francesca Luconi and Alberto and Lorenzo Borella, has been awarded to graduating students and recent graduates to facilitate their school-to-work transition.
Following the death of their daughter in the winter of 2009, Sofia Borella’s parents wanted to commemorate and pay tribute to her passion for and commitment to contemporary dance and the School. Each year, two $2,000 scholarships are awarded to two graduates to enable them to carry out a contemporary dance project and to help launch their professional careers.

Learn more - Select English subtitles

RESIDENCE/STUDIO LABORATORY

The school provides material and human resources as well as studio time to its most recent graduates enabling them to complete projects that will facilitate their entry into the labour market :

- Creating or rehearsing a choreography Preparing an audition Developing tools for a virtual portfolio
- Mentoring or coaching dancers for upcoming performances
- Graduates who wish to carry out a project must submit their application.

FLY, THE CREATIVE LABORATORY

This school-to-work transition internship gives six recent graduates of the School an opportunity to participate in a six-week paid creative residence led by a professional choreographer. Learn more - Select English subtitles

BOOMERANG

Boomerang - danse partagées is an event developed by EDCM which supports creativity, talent and know-how of contemporary dance artists. It aims to act as a professional springboard for emerging contemporary dance artists. This platform gives an opportunity to EDCM graduates to present in studio the result of their creation. The informal and accessible evening highlights extracts of three choreographic pieces in a creation process.

During the performance, the public is invited to interact with choreographers and artists involved. Feedback from the audience, who is part of this experience, provides artists useful information in order to develop a choreographic signature and artists' personal universes. This project is coordinated by a committee composed by EDCM graduates.

PROFESSIONAL REFERRALS

An increasing number of potential employers, producers, dance companies and choreographers looking for up and coming dancers come to us when they have positions to fill (dancers, choreographers, teachers, etc.). Thus, for the five years following graduation, the school informs its graduates of these opportunities (job offers, calls for services, audition announcements, etc.)

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

The École de danse contemporaine de Montréal's graduates are eligible for the technique class reimbursement program offered by the Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) as soon as they complete the professional training. Moreover, they can benefit from the recognition of their status as an artist through an agreement with the Union des artistes (UDA).

PROMOTION

Graduates are invited to let us know about the projects they are working on. Space permitting, the School will promote their professional projects in its newsletter or on its website.

RESOURCES

- Resources for emerging artists (Tangente Danse)

- Taking the Leap: an online guidebook to production and presentation for emerging contemporary dance choreographers in Montreal (Studio 303)

- Regroupement québécois de la danse

Photo 1: Julie Artacho | Dancer: Chanelle Allaire // Photo 2: Luc Lavergne | Dancers: Evelyne Laforest, Alexandre Fleurant