Sylvain Émard Danse

Trained by movement masters such as Étienne Decroux, Sylvain Émard began his dance career performing for renowned choreographers including Jean-Pierre Perreault, Jo Lechay, Jeanne Renaud, Daniel Léveillé and Louise Bédard. His unique style soon asserted itself, revealing a distinctive choreographic language striking for its physicality, fluidity and sensuality.

Sylvain Émard's early work was markedly theatrical, but soon moved towards a more formal dance style, beginning in 1993 with Terrains Vagues. Throughout his career, Sylvain Émard has continued to explore the communicative power of dance through works that have left their mark on the international scene, such as his ambitious trilogy Climatologie des corps, comprising the duet Pluie (2004), the sextet Temps de chien (2005) and the quintet Wave (2007). More recently, the choreographer has taken his vision even further, unveiling Rhapsodie (2022), an event-show for 20 performers inspired by the ritual aspect of dance.

A rigorous and inventive creator, Sylvain Émard navigates different artistic spheres. He was invited by Robert Lepage to set Lorin Maazel's opera 1984 in motion, presented at Covent Garden in London and La Scala in Milan. The recipient of several awards, including the prestigious Jean A. Chalmers Prize in 1996 for his body of work, he is also co-founder of Circuit-Est center chorégraphique.