MONTREAL, Aug. 15, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - One month from now Le Super Méga Continental and its 375 unanimously enthusiastic dancers will be in downtown Montreal, transforming the Place des Festivals at Quartier des spectacle from September 15 to 17, 2017 into a gigantic dance floor featuring a contemporary line dance, as part of the official program of Montreal's 375th anniversary and KM3. Sheer delight!
After auditioning hundreds of dancers in various neighbourhoods throughout the city, choreographer Sylvain Émard selected 375 amateur dancers who since May have been rehearsing with a handful of professional dancers. They will be offering Montrealers a new, king-sized version of his Continental.
Aged 11 to 72, they come from all over the city and its surroundings: Côte St. Luc, Outremont, Greenfield Park, St. Laurent, Hochelaga, Verdun, Montréal-Nord, Ahuntsic, Villeray, Rosemont, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Dorval, Westmount, Centre-Sud… This incredible cast consists of dance lovers from all sorts of origins and backgrounds, such as the young street dance enthusiasts from NDG known as the Loyola Dance Crew, not to mention 75 high school students who will be adding their own particular spice to the show.
Attracted by this sublime collective experience, several renowned artists decided to plunge right in. Anne-Marie Cadieux, Nathalie Coupal, Johanne Fontaine, Julie McClemens, Isabelle Ménard, Catherine Proulx-Lemay and Marie Turgeon have joined the ranks of Le Super Méga Continental, and our loyal supporter Danielle Proulx convinced five sisters to also take part in the adventure!
Assisted by the soundtrack designer of the show Martin Tétreault, the Montreal DJ Poirier has created the music for the last section of the piece. He will also be spinning discs for the colourful post-show celebrations that follow each evening performance. Join in the fun!
Sylvain Émard Danse
Sylvain Émard is a leading figure in contemporary dance in Canada. He has created some thirty choreographies in addition to commissioned works and collaborations in theatre, opera and cinema. He recently choreographed Demain matin, Montréal m'attend, presented at Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. It will soon be touring Quebec.
The Extraordinary Grand Continental® Adventure
Le Super Méga Continental is the offspring of Le Grand Continental®, first presented at the Festival TransAmériques (FTA) on Emery St. in 2009. Given the fervent audience response, the piece was reprised the following two years at the FTA, going from 65 dancers in 2009 to 210 in 2011 at Place des Festivals. It has since travelled the world with electrifying performances in Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Ottawa, Boston, Vancouver, Ansan (South Korea) and Wellington (New Zealand). A total of close to 2000 dancers have participated in one or more of the 13 editions, attracting some 85,000 spectators.
On the occasion of Montreal's 375th anniversary celebrations, Sylvain Émard Danse and the FTA are pleased to bring the project back home, to the very heart of the entertainment district.
Press quotes
"Best of 2015, Top 5 dance: Sylvain Émard's epic community dance project was unlike anything else we saw in 2015."
Deborah Meyers, The Vancouver Sun, about Le Grand Continental® in Vancouver, 2015-12-30
"Impressive."
Andrew Boynton, The New Yorker, about the Grand Continental® in New York, 2012-12-17
"[The dancers] are delightful to watch. [...] And the shy, flirtatious smiles many of them presented to the audience were absolutely winning."
Claudia La Rocco, The New York Times, about Le Grand Continental®, 2012-06-24
"It was a grand sight. Both music and choreography were as infectious with community spirit as a holiday parade."
Victor Swoboda, The Gazette, about Le Continental XL, 2011-10-21
Credits
Produced by Sylvain Émard Danse Choreographed by Sylvain Émard Soundtrack designer Martin Tétreault + Poirier Lighting designer Bruno Rafie Rehearsal coach and dancer Nathalie Blanchet Rehearsal assistants and dancers Maryse Carrier + Claudia Chan Tak + Stéphane Deligny + Mark Eden-Towle + Geneviève Gauvreau + Audrée Juteau + Nicolas Patry + Amélie Rajotte + David Rancourt + Julie Siméon + Catherine Viau + Daniel Villeneuve DJ Poirier Production manager Pierre Koch Technical director Karine Gauthier Media partner La Presse + Co-produced by Festival TransAmériques
An event part of the official programming of the 375th anniversary of Montreal
Co-presented by Sylvain Émard Danse + Festival TransAmériques
Also part of KM3, a public art walk and special events, an initiative of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
SEPTEMBER 15 at 8 p.m. - SEPTEMBER 16 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. - SEPTEMBER 17 at 4 p.m
PLACE DES FESTIVALS
Evening post-show party with Poirier FREE - 30 minutes
The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary
The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization whose mission is to organize the celebrations and socioeconomic contributions that will highlight Montréal's 375th anniversary in 2017. With a focus on promoting Montréal expertise, it acts as a catalyst for local forces to carry out its mandate: mobilize the community, implement a funding strategy, rigorously manage funding, develop quality programming and ensure the visibility of the celebrations.
The Society benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal, the Gouvernement du Canda, the Gouvernement du Québec and private funding from 12 Great Montrealers. For more information: 375mtl.com
For the complete list of press releases and other images and videos, go to our virtual press room here.
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To learn more about the contribution of the Gouvernement du Québec to Montréal's 375th, click here.
SOURCE Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal
Press relations, Myriam Comtois, [email protected], 514-462-1383; Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary, Isabelle Pelletier, Chief Media Relations, [email protected], 514 238-4178
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