Agora is much more than dance performances. It is also creative workshops of all sorts, participative projects with schools, get-togethers, discussions and audience development activities. For close to 30 years we have been presenting numerous initiatives aimed at promoting contemporary dance and dance artists, bringing dance into the lives of young people, adults and families.
Families & Young Audiences
Since its inception, Agora has established close ties with young audiences by performing in schools and inviting students to attend shows along with their classmates or families.
For more information about our youth activities and school matinees, please contact
Frédérique Doyon : commissaire@agoradanse.com
514 525-7575 poste 242
Puzzle danse
An educational digital dance
For children 8 to 13
Enjoy this free, playful and educational activity on the Web!
Online since January 2022, the interactive Puzzle Dance game has been enriched by new forms of dance. Two hip-hop duos by Alexandra “Spicey” Landé’s company Ebnfloh have been added to the contemporary dance solo puzzle by Destins Croisés.
Puzzle dance combines a digital puzzle with creative choreography. Conceived by our audience development specialist Frédérique Doyon, this in-class activity is designed for students aged 8 to 13.
Note that the Puzzle danse is available only on computers and tablets and in French only.
Discover Puzzle danse
Our sincere thanks to the Canada Council of the Arts for its support.
The students select the dance style and the music, and then cobble together bits of dance movement to create a choreography. They can then view and share the videos they have made.
Extras
- A tutorial video that presents the steps of a short dance excerpt.
- A teaching kit, produced in association with the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, is also available.
- Workshop an in-school workshop inspired by the Puzzle Danse with Destins Croisés or Ebnfloh.
For reservations or questions, please contact Frédérique Doyon at commissaire@agoradanse.com
School Matinee
Winter-Spring 2023
SPECT’ATELIER | Helen Simard | WE ALL FALL DOWN
January 23, 2023
[SOLD OUT]
Not quite a performance, much more of a workshop, the Spect’Atelier takes students through the creative process of the young audience-dedicated creation: Quand je ferme mes yeux. The work, which explores the world of dreams, is not yet finished. Choreographer Helen Simard unveils excerpts, with live music, interspersed with animation and dynamic exchanges with the students.
Destination Danse
Dominique Porte | Système D
February 2, 2023 > 1 p.m.
Age 8 years old and +
A “danced presentation” that is both playful and educational.
The choreographer Dominique Porte and her two performers draw from personal experience to reveal key moments in the history of dance, from prehistory to the present day. The dance then literally takes shape, coming to life before our eyes! How did people dance at the court of Louis XIV? Where does the joy and pleasure of physical movement come from?
An educational tool available on the Web. Learn more about the history of dance and help students prepare for the show. ( The tool is n French)
+Preparatory workshops available
Reservations required for preparatory workshops.
This dance experience is also avalaible in the school gymnasium / autitorium:
weeks of February 21, 2023 and March 13, 2023
(date and time set in collaboration with the schools)
KIN | LA TRESSE
April 18, 2023 > 1 p.m.
April 20, 2023 > 1 p.m.
For High School students
In reaction to scenarios of the end of the world, the collective La Tresse responds with a whimsical and empathetic utopia. Five dancers draw on the sensitive intelligence of nature to conceive a more adapted world.
+Preparatory workshops available (optionnal)
Fall 2022
Le sacre de Lila
Destins Croisés
November 22, 2022 > 1 p.m.
November 24, 2022 > 1 p.m.
For high school students [SOLD OUT]
The choreographer Ismaël Mouaraki explores his Moroccan roots and cultural and artistic background in this new ensemble piece for ten male dancers. The trances and spirituality of traditional mystical and musical celebrations in Morocco are combined with contemporary urban dance forms, revealing all the sensuality and sensitivity of a community of men.
+Preparatory workshops available (optionnal)
Reservations required for preparatory workshops.
Koros – A Virutal Reality Experience
High School Students
Week of Februray 6, 2023
Introducing a whole new way to learn, live and experience dance at the Agora! Through the magic of the virtual reality headset, dive into the universe of two choreographic works: The Complex Simplicity of Love by Margie Gillis and Allegro Barbaro by Hélène Blackburn. The experience is accompanied by a movement workshop led by an artist.
Please contact Frédérique Doyon for any questions commissaire@agoradanse.com
Make a reservationDance Discovery Workshops
Adapted to specific age levels, the Agora workshops include a warm-up session, improvisation or exploration games and the learning or creation of a mini-choreography. Available at any time upon request.
Artists Emmalie Ruest, Sonik Boom, Zoé Delsalle
Make a reservationInitiation to Movement, or Introduction to Contemporary Dance
Artist-facilitator: Emmalie Ruest
Preschoolers and Grades 1 to 3
Discover the infinite possibilities of movement and the pleasure of dancing!
In the style of…
Artist-facilitator: Emmalie Ruest and Zoé Delsalle
Grades 4 to 8 preferably, and with previous workshop experience
Students discover the keys to creativity and dance performance (physical awareness of the space, listening to others). They learn a dance excerpt from the company repertoire in the comfort of their living rooms, or they build a dance from scratch to be presented as a school show. Plunge into dance!
Introduction to Breakdance
Artist-facilitator: Sonik Boom
All ages
Students have fun learning the basic elements of breakdance and the primary tools for creating dance choreography: Top Rock, Go Down, Foot Work, Freeze, Power Move and Bounce.
Prix Agora de la danse
For 20 years, these awards have been appointed annually to the top dance students selected in dance departments or extracurricular dance programs at schools across Quebec (secondary and college levels). By doing this since the early 2000s, Agora de la danse hopes to light a spark, or even better, to nurture a lasting passion for dance among the young generation.
Recipients receive an Agora certificate, a pair of tickets for a series of our season’s shows and are invited to take part in a dance workshop in our studios conducted by a professional artist.
Unique rendezvous with artists
Dance-related activities all year long. Agora de la danse offers many activities to a public curious about new ways of interacting with contemporary dance. Come into the studio and chat with the artists, attend a public rehearsal or take part in a movement workshop.
Midi-coulisses
Keep an eye out for our Midi-coulisses lunchtime events on Facebook Live. Enjoy an exclusive 30-minute get-together with a choreographer featured this season as he or she puts the finishing touches to a new work, the action filmed live at the performance venue!
Take a virtual plunge into the Agora performance space and discover, via Facebook Live, the finishing touches to a new dance piece, a close-up look at the work that features one or more live excerpts as well as an interview with the artist. The public can also ask questions during the course of the conversation.
Midi-coulisses events are an opportunity to discover specific aspects of different approaches to dance creation. What is the choreographer working on one week before the première? How does she or he portray the body, that vital component of movement as art? How does he or she work with the dancers and other collaborators? These and other questions are part and parcel of the event.
12:15 to 12:45 Free event on our Facebook Live
April 12, 2023 > La TRESSE (Espace orange)
May 3, 2023 > Caroline Laurin-Beaucage (Espace orange)
Meet the Artists
Post-show encounters. A series of interdisciplinary discussions full of opinions and unruly voices. Meet the artists on Thursday evenings after the performance.
A Taste of Dance
Discover the tastes and cooking skills of some artists of our season as you enjoy a bite to eat after the show. Sharing a meal is another way of getting a different take (and taste!) on their dance performance!
What sort of food do our artists like? Are they fond of Grandma’s tried and true recipes, a guilty pleasure to be enjoyed after the show? Do they prefer traditional dishes from their culture of origin, or the comfort food of the host country?
Whether handed down from one generation to the next over the centuries or treasured due to social or political convictions, whether they cross geographic or cultural borders, our favourite recipes have tales to tell. These stories influence us as humans and as artists. A Taste for Dance seeks to extend the artistic encounter by sharing the tastes, flavours and delights of other foods in an intimate cultural and culinary event.
After the performance on Saturday, March 11, featuring Margie Gillis.
After the performance on Saturday, April 22. featuring LA TRESSE.
After the performance on Saturday, May 16. featuring Caroline Laurin-Beaucage
Figures
These short video capsules present quick portraits of a few selected artists from our season. Each is asked three questions, and the answers provide a glimpse of their daily lives: intimate moments, their daily routines and a look at them rehearsing or creating new dance works in the studio.
First Figure: Lucie Grégoire.