Festival Quartiers Danses presents free and affordable shows across Montreal Sept. 5 to 14

Festival Quartiers Danses is gearing up for another season of bringing contemporary dance to the people, with its 22nd edition running from Sept. 5 to 14.

With 30 choreographers hailing from 7 countries, a large pool of local talent and a lineup of both free and paid events, there’s something for everyone, whether they’re professional dancers or they’ve got two left feet.

“There’s contemporary dance, contemporary inspired by classical dance, urban dance — there’s really a nice palette of different flavours at the festival,” says Pauline Gervais, choreographer at Pauline Berndsen Dance, as well as the festival’s communications coordinator.

“We truly present a bit of everything. The shows are both in theatres and in urban settings, and they are of very high quality,” she explains. “The prices are not too high, so it really allows everyone to come and attend our performances.”

Keeping the festival’s events accessible is a defining aspect of FQD: “The DNA of the festival, the reason it was created, was really to democratize contemporary dance in all its forms and hybridities,” says Gervais.

“What made the Festival Quartiers Danses unique when it was founded in Montreal was presenting shows in urban contexts, right in the heart of the city, for free.”

And though it has grown in its 22 years to reach a relevance that draws in performers from around the world, the goal has always been to highlight the creative talent that Montreal harbours.

Gervais will be performing a duo in the festival, once during the opening night gala on Sept. 6 and again for the evening highlighting Quebec artists on Sept. 9. 

The piece, titled Insectoïdes, “is inspired by insects and their world, which may seem so microscopic, but when you delve into it, it presents moments of curiosity. It’s really about entering their universe.”

“The opening night is quite special,” Gervais says. “There are several excerpts from complete works that will be presented throughout the festival.”

Attendees will take in not only Gervais’s piece but also works from Tentacle Tribe, les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Jérémy Galdeano, Věra Kvarčáková, Étienne Gagnon Delorme, Jane Mappin and Margie Gillis.

Gervais says that the indoor programming groups together a few different numbers in each show time, so the audience will have a varied experience every evening — for a price that is more affordable than many dance shows, with a discount for those under 30.

“The festival also features a cinema program, allowing us to explore the cinematic world of dance with screenings and performances around these screenings,” Gervais notes. Two screenings are organized in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada and will be held on Sept. 5.

But those who want to take in contemporary dance performances in a more relaxed setting can opt for the festival’s free outdoor shows at six different locations: on Ste-Catherine Street, in the Parc des Faubourgs, on l’Esplanade Tranquille in the Quartier des Spectacles, at the Kondiaronk Belvedere on Mount Royal, on the Avenue du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal and at Place d’Armes.

Added to the paid events in theatres and free events out on the streets of Montreal is a program for kids and families, FQD mini, back for a second time after a successful foray into family-friendly programming last year. This includes free shows in front of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Sept. 7 and 8.

“It’s really a wonderful event at the festival because it allows us to connect with young audiences, followed by fun little workshops for the whole family centred around movement,” says Gervais. She’ll be running one of the FQD mini events, performing a number specially designed for a youthful audience.

“For 22 years, the festival has essentially had the same main areas, but they have grown tremendously. I think we have really succeeded in fulfilling our mission to democratize dance for everyone, but it continues to grow and evolve each year, reaching new people,” she says.

When asked what she hopes the festival inspires in its attendees, Gervais says, “to keep dancing, to go see dance performances, really to get a taste for it. If they’re newcomers to contemporary dance performances, (I hope the festival) gives them the desire to continue going to dance performances and discovering new artists.” ■

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For more on Festival Quartiers Danses, please visit their website. This review was originally published in the Aug. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

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