the "danse-études" program 

In 1990, L'École de danse de Québec was invited by the local Catholic school board to join its prestigious "Sports-Arts-Études" program. This program offers talented youth the opportunity to combine academic studies in the morning with daily pre-professional dance training, grades 5 through 11. The Danse-Études program is officially recognized by Quebec's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture. Candidates must have a strong academic record and the desire to achieve excellence in both their artistic and academic studies.

Program Objectives 

• Dispense the daily pre-professional training that complies with the requirements of theatrical dance performance, ensuring that students acquire a high level of physical and technical skills.
• Stimulate individual style, artistry and creativity.
• Promote individual qualities and social skills.
• Develop proper professional ethics relating to professional dance. 
• Produce dancers who are confident and able to adapt to the multiple expressions of today's professional dance community.

Artistic Training
Daily training in classical ballet forms the basis of the Danse-Études program. To complete this foundation, students study contemporary, jazz and modern dance. The program also includes body conditioning and a range of courses which focus on musicality, creativity and interpretation.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The usual school year runs 39 or 40 weeks from early August through mid-June. A typical day combines academic studies in the morning with dance classes in the afternoon. While fully complying with Ministry of Education curriculum, the timeframe for the academic component of the program is trimmed by one third. After lunch, transportation is provided by the school board and afternoon classes at L'École de danse de Québec usually run from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students have two or three classes each day, typically training 18 to 20 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Rehearsals and performances require extra hours, including evenings and week-ends.

Course Outline
In addition to the technical training component (classical, jazz, contemporary and modern dance), students grades 5 through 9 receive such complementary classes as Music & Rhythm, Interpretation & Creation and Ethnic Dance. A second curriculum for students in grades 10 and 11 increases the focus on contemporary dance and paves the way to the post-secondary level Contemporary Dance Performance program. Moreover, the school offers complementary seminars, conferences and workshops on various topics including dance history, nutrition, functional anatomy, performance psychology and injury prevention.

L'École de danse de Québec's curriculum is periodically updated by its teaching staff to reflect ever-evolving standards in pre-professional and professional dance training.