Sylvain Émard Danse

A prolific and internationally respected artist, Sylvain Émard created his own dance company Sylvain Émard Danse in 1990, quickly establishing a reputation for a very original style. Highly theatrical at first, his work soon evolved into a more formal approach to dance. From his first solo piece Ozone, Ozone (1987) to his most recent work Magnetic Fields (2025), he has been exploring the territory of human nature through the force and strength of the body. His repertoire now includes over thirty original pieces that have had a resounding impact all over the world.

Renowned for his refined style and precise movement, his presentation in 2009 of Le Grand Continental at the Festival TransAmériques must have come to some as a surprise. Inspired by line dancing and contemporary dance, this unique piece has featured over 3,000 local non dancers in over 22 editions across Canada, the United States, Mexico, South Korea, New Zealand, Chile, Germany and Austria, attracting some 125,000 spectators. In September 2017, Le Super Méga Continental boasted 375 dancers in Montréal to celebrate the city’s 375^th anniversary in monumental fashion.

Sylvain Émard’s unique style has led to invitations to work as guest choreographer in theatre, opera and cinema. These collaborations include his joining forces with Robert Lepage in 2005 to work on the opera 1984 by Lorin Maazel, presented at Royal Opera House in London and La Scala in Milan.

Sylvain Émard has received numerous prestigious awards, such as the Jean A. Chalmers Choreographic Award. Most recently, he was honored with a 2024 Recognition Award bestowed by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership in recognition of his contributions to Montréal’s cultural vitality. Sylvain Émard is also co-founder of the Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique.