MASC's Spring 18 Newsletter Spring 2018 Newsletter | Page 8

Festival
de danse
FESTIVAL DE
EN MILIEU
SCOLAIRE
8
MASC co-organized the third annual Festival de
danse en milieu scolaire (FDMS) in partnership
with the École secondaire De La Salle and the
Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario, the
School of Dance and the Ottawa Dance
Directive. This unique, 3-day festival brings
together franco-Ontarien students in grades 9 to
12 from across Ontario to experience dance,
choreography and performance with professional
dancers and in the company of 120 other young
people. The 2017 festival celebrated Canada’s
150th anniversary, bringing students together
around the theme « À nous l’avenir! » (Own the
Future!). Students were asked to imagine the next
150 years through movement. Guided by
professional choreographers, they created
9 outstanding dance numbers expressing
predictions about the future: technology, politics,
the environment and the arts, heralding
important values and heroes, future inhabitants,
the world itself and beyond. Accompanied by live
musicians and video projections specially created
for this event, the students presented a dazzling
show to family, friends and the general public, a
culmination of 3 days of dance immersion.
Students were welcomed on Thursday evening by
energetic performances of the School of Dance,
Ottawa Dance Directive, Tara Luz Danse,
Dorsale Danse, all major professional Franco-
Ontarian companies, as well as local troupes
Luv 2 Groove and the Grupo de capoeira
Dendê do Recife. Over the course of the
weekend, students participated in
contemporary, urban, Brazilian and
flamenco dance classes. They also had
the opportunity to visit the National
Arts Center to attend a show by the
Compagnie Virginie Brunelle, which
was followed by a special, after-
performance discussion with the
choreographer and dancers.
Throughout the FDMS, participants had the
chance to interact with several experienced
dancers and choreographers from the Franco-
Ontarian scene, including the festival's patron,
Marie-Josée Chartier, an important figure in
dance in Ontario who presents her work
nationally and internationally. Marie-Josée was
open, generous, enthusiastic; a real inspiration
for young people!
Following this wonderful 2017 edition, MASC and
our partners are working to put together the 4th
edition of the FDMS, which will be held April 26 -
28, 2018, in Ottawa on the theme "Without
Borders". MASC would like to warmly thank the
co-organizers of the FDMS without whom this
great adventure would simply not be possible.
This event is funded by the Ontario Ministry of
Education and the Government of Canada.
Note that the content of the article is the sole responsibility of the
authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the province or
the Government of Canada.
Written by Catherine Sirois