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big bang training

BIG BANG is a 4-month dance program in contemporary dance held in Montreal

The program provides PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT for artists by strengthening their technical skills in dance and exposing them to diverse artistic, cultural, and interdisciplinary approaches. It also offers a CREATIVE RESIDENCY, which offers personalized support and guidance to artists as they conduct research and create their own work. Artists are given the opportunity to perform their work in a public showcase at the end of each session. BIG BANG is dance program open to artists from Canada and from abroad.

Who should apply ?

This training program is designed for artists who are 18 years or older and have a strong background in dance, performance art, circus, or acting. The curriculum is transdisciplinary, catering to a wide range of physical and artistic practices. Whether you're a self-taught artist or have completed a previous training program, this program is open to anyone who has a solid technical approach to dance, a mature physicality, and a clear understanding and ease of movement.

What are the educational objectives?

The BIG BANG team focuses on supporting artists in acquiring a solid technical toolkit in dance, opening up and learning a valuable artistic, cultural and interdisciplinary approaches around the body in motion. Throughout the duration of the program, artists will confront their personal technical and physical challenges. Seeing these challenges through will allow the artist to progressively and naturally let go, and enable them to be fully connected with their body, the sensations and the emotions that arise throughout the process. This element of authenticity will allow artists to listen to their instincts and recognize the creative freedom and trust in their process. Through questioning, exchanges, and personalized accompaniment, the artist will develop artistic maturity and their own signature body language.

Discover the artistic and creative experience of the artists who participated in BIG BANG 9. Captured through the lens of Marc-Antoine Turcotte, this video showcases the incredible journey of the program. Thanks to Marc-Antoine, the artists, and the teachers of this program.

What is the content of the dance program?

The BIG BANG dance program includes technical dance classes (contemporary dance, contemporary ballet barre and urban dance), partnering workshops, floor work, improvisation, choreographic exploration, contact-improvisation, choreographic creation, research and writing labs, workshops in anatomy and functional body movement analysis, discussion panels and workshops addressing various subjects in the dance world.

Choregraphic laboratories & "work-in-progress" solos

An important part of the BIG BANG is devoted to research and choreographic  laboratories. The goal of these laboratories is to support each artist in order to help them to develop research work on their artistic and choreographic authenticity. At the end of each program, the artists will perform (in front of an audience), a “work-in-progress” version of their solo. A video captation will allow the artists to have quality video support so that they can share it with companies, funding organizations, etc. 

About Stéphanie Decourteille

Founder,  artistic and educational director

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Professionally trained in both ballet and contemporary dance, Stephanie Decourteille has achieved the artistic role of instructor, choreographer, dancer and artistic counsellor. Throughout her years of training and acquaintances with leading heads in the scene (Rudy Bryans, Corinne Lanselle, Bruno Agati, Manon Barbeau etc.), she defines and tirelessly reinvents her signature choreographic style. "Vertiges", her first danced solo and short dance film reasoned the recognition from her peers and fueled her international visibility. In November 2015, Stephanie left Montreal for Guadeloupe (FR) to create a new dance center . She also supports professional and amateur artists by offering master classes and weekly classes in Montreal. Since January 2018, by creating BIG BANG an intensive training in contemporary dance, Stéphanie welcomes artists who wish to improve their and technical and artistic skills.

What are the dates of the next programs?

Autumn Program

(program #12)

From August 28 to December 17, 2023

Deadline: April 3rd, 2023

 

Winter Program

(program #11)

From January 23 to May 12, 2023

Auditions closed

Audition

Next audition

To attend autunm dance program

 Send your resume, along with a letter of intent, to info@espace-ouvert.com. Please also include a video of a dance improvisation (no longer than 2 minutes) and a video of a choreographic creation (no longer than 5 minutes) to complete your application.

Deadline:

April 3, 2023

What are the prices?

FEE FOR PROGRAM #12:

2 560$ (tx. incl.) 

PAYMENT TERMS :

- Option 1 : 640$ before 01/07/2023 et 1920$ before 28/08/2023

- Option 2 : 640$ avant le 01/07/2023, 640$ before le 28/08, 640$ before 28/09 and 640$ before  28/10 

FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

Artists, members of the RQD, can benefit from the dance training support program.

- Canadian artists can apply for a development grant from Conseil des Arts et de Lettres du Québec (CALQ) and/or the Conseil des Art du Canada (CAC).

Team of teachers and guests speakers - program #9 

Director and contemporary dance : Stéphanie Decourteille

Coordinator: Sarah Lafortune 

Acrodanse: Nicole Jacobs and Brin Schoellkopf

Partner work: Stéphanie Decourteille and Simon Gélinas-Beauregard

Directed improvisation workshops: Stéphanie Decourteille

Multidisciplinary workshops: Mariela Borello

Choreographic workshops: Stéphanie Decourteille and Louise Michelle Jackson

Choreographic workshop: Stacey Désilier

Creation workshop: Audrey Bergeron, Bétina Szabo and Melusine Bonillo

​Ballet : Stéphanie Decourteille

​Clown: Soléne Laurin-Laliberté

Contemporary dance: Lauranne Faubert-Guay

Contemporary dance: Louise Michelle Jackson

Warm-up, prevention and strengthening: Liliane Moussa 
Essentric: Maude Desjardins

Handbalancing: Eliane Bonin

Floorwork: Victoria Mackenzie and Stéphanie Decourteille

Flow & floorwork: Charles Brécard

Hip Hop FreeStyle: Jaleesa Coligny

House: Dominique Sophie

Gaga: Sarah Gibson

Theatre: Agathe Foucault

Jumpstyle: Camille Dubé 

Lindy Hop: Alice Bourgassier and Florent Liamas

Krump: Jigsaw
Research and creation lab: Stéphanie Decourteille

LFTDCLASS : Lauri-Ann Lauzon

Acrobatics: Gisle Henriet and Jérémie Robert 

Video: Rozenn Lecompte

Voguing: Brian Mendez

Wushu: Phi Nguyen

Yoga: Sarah Buono-Fredette  

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Testimonies 

"Big Bang created a space that was open and encouraged everybody’s personal artistic development. I always felt that this idea was at the forefront of the program’s agenda. There were no limits imposed, nothing one couldn’t explore.
The support in all areas of such a program (technique, artistry, mental and emotional) was outstanding. I felt that humanity was equally as important as the dance aspects throughout the program. That same sense of support was present among my peers in the group. This environment made the workload feel light and always driven by a positive energy. I think that Big Bang is a great way to step outside your comfort zone without feeling lost. The program allows you to indulge in a variety of different dance styles and discover yourself as a dancer, artist, and human being. Personally, this program has created unforgettable memories and remains one of the most important events in my life to date."

Joshua Yates

BIG BANG graduate  - Program 10

(Photo : David Wong

Immerse yourself in the creative and inspiring world of the program 7 of BIG BANG through this video directed by Etienne De Durocher. Hear the stories of the artists of this program and learn how BIG BANG has impacted their lives.

Graduates program #10

29/08 to 17/12/2022

Alice Valinducq

Ambre Michel-Picque

Bowie Siu

Diane Cezard

Flora Spiga

Joshua Yates

Lorenzo Serafino

Manon Burtin 

Megan Gaudreault

Millie Brinck-Dubuc

Nicolas Sylvestre

Sarah Marie Benninghoff

Tina Donzelle

Graduates program #9

17/01 to 13/05/2022

Aicha Benchaâboune 

Angelica Zuenko 

Camélia Letendre 

Ciro Melgaço

Eva-Maria Eder

Juliette Ieva

Lisa Natalia Cabrera Lozano

Manon Serignat-Daléas

Megan LeBlanc

Myrtille Michallet 

Nicole Jacobs

Nikki Theroux

Sarah Lafortune

Solana Del Bel Belluz

Graduates program #8

23/08 to 17/12/2021

Catherine Jeannotte 

Châtelaine Côté-Rioux

Claire Cherriere

Estelle Wecking

Eva André

Fanny B. Poulin

Jacinthe Desjardins

Johanna Simon

Lola Thirard

Marie-Éve Quenneville

Nicole Jacobs

Soléne Laurin-Laliberté

Sarah Lafortune

Rachelle Alexandra Fleury

Graduates program #7

25/01 to 21/05/2021

Amandine Boulineau Pillet

Anna-Maude Lamontagne

Audrey Sargent

Antonin Desmarais

Cachou Trudel-Langevin

Camille Mougenot

Camille Scully

Gabriela Jovian-Mazon

Laura Borello Bellemare

Laurie Gaudichon

Marianne Mercier-Dulac

Samuel Terzis

Sarah Lafortune

Shania Leblanc

Graduates program #6

24/08 to 18/12/2020

Anna-Maude Lamontagne

Antonin Desmarais

Audrey Sargent

Cachou Trudel-Langevin

Camille Mougenot

Camille Scully

Florine Gall

Jeanne Théroux-Laplante

Laura Borello Bellemare

Laura Perron

Marianne Mercier-Dulac

Samuel Terzis

Sarah Lafortune 

Thibault Ayrinhac

Graduates program #4

26/08 to 19/12/2019

Agathe Stopin

Emeline Descharles

Florine Gall

Guillaume Roberts-Cambron

Emeline Descharles

Jordan Brown

Julia Soares Weiss

Laila Mestari

Laurence Patenaude

Maia Thomlinson

Maryline Martias

Sadiya Lopinto

Sarah Barone

Sarah Lafortune

Graduates program #3

14/01 to 09/05/2019

Aram Dermenjian 

Etienne-St Pierre

Lauranne Faubert-Guay

Maia Thomlinson

Sophia El Iraki 

Thaïna Rosinvil

Rameez Karim

Graduates program #2

28/08 to 16/12/2018

Camélia Letendre

Etienne-St Pierre

Lauranne Faubert-Guay

Gabriela Jovian-Mazon 

Pénélope Quevillon

Sophia El Iraki

Graduates program #1

16/01 to 04/05/2018

Be Heintzman-Hope

Chanel Cheiban

Chelsea Chen

Shanyca Eli-Leconte

Thaïna Rosinvil 

Pénélope Quevillon

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