Compagnie de danse contemporaine
du Québec (CDCQ)
Training and performance opportunities for aspiring young dancers
Compagnie de danse contemporaine
du Québec (CDCQ)
Training and performance opportunities for aspiring young dancers
The Compagnie de danse contemporaine du Québec (CDCQ) is a division of the Préville Fine Arts Centre. Based on the South Shore of Montreal, the CDCQ provides young dancers with pre–professional performance and networking opportunities.
The CDCQ diverges from competition teams and dance studios, as the dancers train as a company for a season of shows, masterclasses, enrichment activities and other events, all with the added benefit of engaging with dancers, choreographers and directors who work in the dance world.
Audition/Workshop – For the 2026-2027 Season
This is a unique opportunity to experience the CDCQ firsthand by participating in a workshop alongside current company dancers. The workshop will allow you to explore our training environment, meet members of the company, and determine whether the CDCQ is a good fit for your artistic goals and stage of development as a dancer. For dancers ages 13 to 20 with minimum 2 years dance experience.
Can’t make this date? Contact us to make other arrangements!
Upcoming Events
August 22 | 10:30am -11:25am
Saint-Lambert Days (Scène du parc du village)
Join us for a special duo performance of Alchimie de L’Ombre, by choreographer: Adrian W.S. Batt at Saint-Lambert Days.
This is the perfect opportunity to experience the talent of our dancers and the artistry of our choreography. After the performance, meet current dancers, ask questions about the program, and learn what it’s like to train and perform with CDCQ. Whether you’re a prospective dancer or simply love dance, we look forward to seeing you!
August 25 | 5:30pm-8pm
Audition/Workshop
Interested in being part of the CDCQ for the 2026-2027 session? Then be sure to join us for our audition workshop! Learn more about auditions and eligibility.
More Than Training—The CDCQ Experience
Membership in the Compagnie de danse contemporaine du Québec (CDCQ) is about much more than weekly classes. It is an immersive pre-professional experience designed to challenge, inspire, and prepare dedicated young dancers while giving them unique opportunities that go far beyond those of a traditional dance studio.
As a CDCQ dancer, you will benefit from:
- 8–10 hours of high-level training each week with experienced professional instructors.
- Weekly master classes in a variety of dance styles led by renowned guest artists and industry professionals.
- A professional photoshoot to showcase your artistry.
- Exclusive discounted tickets to professional dance performances.
- VIP access to select rehearsals and dress rehearsals with professional dance companies, offering an insider’s look at the creative process.
- Professional public performances of world premiere works created for CDCQ by in-house and guest choreographers.
At CDCQ, dancers don’t just train—they gain performance experience, build professional connections, and develop the skills and confidence to take their dancing to the next level.
Note: Please note that offerings may vary slightly throughout the season based on availability, scheduling, partnerships, and participant numbers.
masterclass series
SEPTEMBER MASTERCLASS
“Back to Basics – Ballet” Master Class with Raphaël Bouchard
Refine your technique and reconnect with the foundations of ballet in this special “Back to Basics – Ballet” masterclass led by Raphaël Bouchard, who recently retired from an illustrious career as Principal Dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Designed for dancers of mixed levels, this 90-minute class will focus on alignment, placement, musicality, and the essential principles that build strong, confident dancers. All dancers welcome!
Whether you’re looking to sharpen your technique or revisit the fundamentals, this class offers a unique opportunity to learn from one of Canada’s most accomplished ballet artists in a supportive and inspiring environment.
Open to non-CDCQ dancers
Date: Friday, September 18
Time: 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Cost: $30
Ages: 13+, mixed levels
Studio: 415 Mercille, Saint-Lambert
To register: click here
CDCQ News
EDCM ACCEPTANCE FOR CDCQ DANCER
It is with immense pride that we announce the admission of Lara Lemke, a member of the CDCQ company, to the professional program at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (EDCM).
Lara, your hard work and artistic sensitivity are paying off—we cannot wait to see the performer you will become.
Lara started her dance journey at the age of 3 with Lorraine Walker, then spent many years training at the Préville Dance Academy. Over the past 3 years, she has been an integral member of Préville’s youth dance company, CDCQ.
Lara now follows in the footsteps of fellow CDCQ alumni, Simon and Kiana, who went on to EDCM and ESBQ, respectively.
Congratulations, Lara — we can’t wait to see what’s next for you!
2025-2026 CDCQ DANCERS
Ella
Jacqueline
Lara
Marie Anna
Serena
Sofia
Victoria
Director and dance teachers
Jeremy Raia began his training in Queens, NY. He graduated from The Juilliard School with a BFA in 1996 and also studied at Boston
Ballet School and the Koniklijk Conservatory in the Netherlands. In 1996, he began his professional career with Ballet Arizona, dancing works by George Balanchine, Michael Uthoff and Daniel Ezralow.
After 2 seasons, he was invited to join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal where he was a Premiere Dancer until retiring in 2018. A dancer of both classical and contemporary works by a multitude of choreographers, including George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Christian Spuck, Jean-Christope Maillot and Ohad Naharin. He has originated roles in World Premieres by Stijn Celis, Didy Veldman, Mauro Bigonzetti and Stephan Thoss.
In 2017, Jeremy danced as a Guest Artist with Aszure Barton and Artists. Jeremy taught Company class and was an assistant to Ballet Masters at Les Grands Ballets. As a guest teacher, Jeremy has been invited to 4 continents in such places as Centre National de la Danse (France), Arts Umbrella and Ballet BC (Canada), Saarländisches Staatstheater (Germany), Charlotte Ballet (USA) amongst other Companies and schools.
He has been Artist in Residence at Hamilton College (NY) and Ballet Metropolitano (Colombia) and restaged choreography of Didy Veldman and Christian Spuck on Companies in Europe and USA. From 2018 until 2020, Jeremy was the Ballet Master at Ballet Jazz Montreal and served as Interim Artistic Director for the 2020/21 season. Currently, Jeremy is on faculty at École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec, Les Studios Grands Ballets and Danse a la Carte and is Co-Director of Propulsion, Co-Founder/Director of Festival Charlevoix Danse and Sajedance.
Amara Barner is a multidisciplinary artist from Minnesota, who currently resides in Montreal. As a teenager she traveled as an assistant to the choreographers of The Pulse On Tour, Intrigue Dance Intensive, as well as Emma Portner.
Among these opportunities for professional development, Amara was granted opportunities to perform and teach at workshops in Australia, Mexico, England, and Italy. After moving to NYC at 16, Amara trained locally and worked commercially, such as dancing backup for Sia on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. At 18 years old, Barner was the youngest dancer ever hired for Montreal dance company, RUBBERBAND. She performed and toured internationally with the company from 2016-2021.
Amara went on to perform the works of artists such as Anne Plamondon, Dana Gingras/Animals of Distinction, and Elon Höglund/Tentacle Tribe. Barner’s versatility allows her to work in both the concert dance realm as well as the commercial circuit. She performed in the Quebec version of The Masked Singer in seasons one and two, as well as in music videos such as La Force’s All That I Am, Aisha Bahdru’s Lazy River, Dominique Fils-Aimé’s Mind at Ease, and Make Believe by sickxsense. Amara was featured in Dance Magazine’s July 2020 issue as an artist “On The Rise “.
Amara studies Fibres and Material Practices at Concordia University, and through the school, presented her first multidisciplinary solo “mongrel” in 2021 and later adapted it for gallery exhibition in 2022. She officially premiered the solo in March of 2024 at Tangente’s LABdiff 2. Amara was the recipient of the Emerging Artist prize from Festival Quartiers Danses in 2023 for her multidisciplinary work The Songbird Dreams of Singing. Barner is currently a faculty member at the USA dance conventions, Intrigue Dance Intensive and Luminous. She is also a contemporary dance instructor at Danse à la carte in Montreal, where she shares her personally developed movement practice, Soft Chaos.
Born in Nîmes, France, Jérémy Galdeano graduated from the École Nationale de Danse de Marseille. He began his career as an apprentice with the Ballet National de Marseille before joining Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in 2001, where he evolved over 19 years to become principal soloist.
Alongside his career as a dancer, Jérémy has also created several works for the company’s choreographic workshops, presented in Montreal, Germany and Mexico.
In 2020, after a busy career with Les Grands Ballets, Jérémy chose to devote himself fully to choreography and teaching. In collaboration with Vera Kvarkacova, he forms a dynamic choreographic duo. Their creation “DOMA” has met with great success, integrating Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ mixed program
“Parlamid’Amore” in May 2019, and being selected for prestigious events such as Carte Blanche DAC 2019 in Montreal and the Noverre-Young choreographers’ evening at Stuttgart Ballet. They were finalists in the 2020 Hannover International Choreographic Competition and invited to the HANGARTFEST in Italy. Their work was also selected for the Future Dance Festival 92Y in New York, where they presented “DOMA” at the Joyce Theater as part of the Martha Graham Company’s season.
In June 2021, their creation “FOMO” was presented at the Mannheim National Theater in Germany and at the Festival Quartiers Danses in Montreal, where it was awarded the prize for best show. In 2022, “DOMA” was performed in Houston and Austin (USA) with the Ishida Dance Company.
In June 2023, their latest creation “BLÍZ” was presented at the Mannheim National Theater in Germany. In January 2024, Jérémy created “You look strange_You look happy” for the Ishida Dance Company in Austin, Texas. In March 2024, they presented their brand-new creation “Nebe” with Les Grands Ballets in the mixed program “Soirée Cantata”.
Sylvia Berman started her pre-professional training at the Quinte Ballet School of Canada. After graduating from QBSC in 2016, Sylvia was accepted into the B.F.A. program at the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase and graduated summa cum laude in May 2020. During her training at Purchase, Sylvia studied ballet, contemporary and modern techniques, as well as improvisation and choreographic composition.
As a member of the Purchase Dance Company, Sylvia performed works by George Balanchine, Bettijane Sills, Eve Chan, and Norbert De La Cruiz III. For her senior project, she performed a solo entitled “For Sylvia” by Montreal choreographer, Hélène Blackburn. Since Graduating in 2020, Sylvia has had the pleasure of working with Brittney Canda, Cai Glover, Tableau D’Hôte Theatre and Jera Wolfe. Currently, Sylvia is a company dancer with Ballet Ouest de Montréal and tours the Tchaikovsky Candle Light Ballet with Fever Company.
Daeva is a contemporary dance artist and yoga teacher based in Montréal. She began her professional dance training in programs such as Alberta Ballet School, Arts Umbrella, Johan Inger Youth Project, Big Bang, among others. She has since worked with renowned choreographers across North America and Europe. Her career has been shaped by a deep curiosity for movement, expression, and the ways in which the body can tell stories.
This curiosity naturally led her to yoga, a practice that began as a strength and self-care practise, and has now evolved into a profound part of her daily life. After years of dedicated practice, Daeva now offers Yoga specifically catered towards dancers to improve stability and flexibility, and to help dancers find the connection of their breath through movement.
Thank you to our sponsor!
A big thank you to ours sponsor DRW for becoming the first official sponsors of CDCQ Dance Company! Their support is essential in helping us bring our project to life. We’re actively seeking additional sponsors and donors to join us on this journey. If you’d like to support the CDCQ dance company, please contact us for details.
![DRW_logo[2]](https://compagniedansequebec.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/DRW_logo2-r0fsapn087ulsdpw0yye75kfq40t1iiegwrah0rpxc.png "DRW_logo[2]"){kind=logo}