Corps de ballet 2026:
Memory in Motion
A special alumni evening celebrating sixty years of École supérieure de ballet du Québec
May 25, 2026
École supérieure de ballet du Québec (ESBQ) is marking its 60th anniversary this spring with a special edition of Corps de ballet, its flagship annual performance, presented on May 29 and 30, 2026, at Salle Pierre-Mercure. This anniversary edition culminates in an evening reserved for alumni on Saturday at 7 pm, bringing together several generations of dancers, teachers and staff members for an intergenerational celebration of the School’s legacy.
Presented by Québecor, Corps de ballet 2026 brings together around 120 students from the dance-study program for a large-scale production spanning styles and eras. From the great classical repertoire to contemporary creations, including works inspired by flamenco and Romani dance traditions, the performance reflects both the breadth of the training offered at ESBQ and the artistic standards the School has upheld for six decades.
Corps de ballet 2026 brings together around 120 students from the dance-study program for a large-scale production spanning styles and eras.
The program is designed as a bridge between heritage and creation. The evening opens with Défilé, choreographed by Beverley Aitchison to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, and continues with Là où les chemins se rencontrent by Monik Vincent and Rocío Vadillo, Danse ta jeunesse by Muriel Valtat, and excerpts from Act II of Giselle, one of the great works of the Romantic repertoire.
After intermission, the focus shifts to more contemporary voices with Ziguezon by Gioconda Barbuto, restaged in honour of the 60th anniversary, as well as Claroscuro by Guillaume Michaud, Origo by Sophie-Estel Fernandez, and Jambes sans repos by Andrew Skeels. With a running time of about two hours, including intermission, the evening offers audiences a broad and carefully crafted portrait of ballet training in Quebec today.
Beyond the performance itself, the Saturday evening has been conceived as a meaningful moment of reunion. ESBQ has announced that it will welcome former students, graduates, and current and former teachers and staff members, creating a moment of recognition that connects the school’s past to its present.
Founded in 1966 by Ludmilla Chiriaeff at the request of Quebec’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the École supérieure de ballet du Québec remains the province’s flagship institution for professional classical dance training. This anniversary edition of Corps de ballet is intended both as a showcase for the next generation of artists and as a tribute to the community that has shaped the school over the past 60 years.
Corps de ballet 2026
Corps de ballet 2026, the 60th‑anniversary edition of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec’s annual performance, will be presented at Salle Pierre‑Mercure, Centre Pierre‑Péladeau, 300 boulevard de Maisonneuve East, in Montreal, on Friday, May 29 at 7 pm, and on Saturday, May 30 at 2 pm and 7 pm. The Saturday 7 pm performance is the special alumni evening.
Ticket prices range from $40 to $60 for the general public, depending on the performance, with reduced rates for students, seniors and children; alumni are offered a 15% discount for the Saturday evening performance.
École supérieure de ballet du Québec
Images: Sasha Onyshchenko
