Ballets Jazz Montréal

Major player on the international dance landscape, Ballets Jazz Montreal has been constantly growing with all the vitality and open-mindedness characterising this company since its creation in 1972.
BJM’s evolution has been especially shaped by a few key artistic directors. Its founder Geneviève Salbaing, animated by a visceral love of dance, has led the BJM with passion and determination for over 20 years. Its founder Geneviève Salbaing, animated by a visceral love of dance, has led the BJM with passion and determination for over 20 years. Louis Robitaille, as soon as he was named Artistic Director in 1998, reoriented the company towards audiences open to new choreographic forms In June 2021, Alexandra Damiani took over the artistic direction of BJM to further develop the company’s mission and its major projects. She can trust a team of dancers of international level, who embody the vitality and artistic openness of the company since its origins. She can trust a team of dancers of international level, who embody the vitality and artistic openness of the company since its origins.
Today, BJM collaborates with unique names in contemporary dance and ballet Each of its creations pays tribute to the art of movement, its infinite richness and the potential of the body to have a positive effect on human soul. Multidisciplinary forms are also included, combining ballet with other arts such as theatre, video, music, etc. With accessibility and quality as guiding values, the company succeeds in linking pleasure with high standards.

To mark its 50th anniversary, Ballets Jazz Montreal has inaugurated in the summer of 2022 a three-part programme entitled ESSENCE, highlighting the work of three women: Ausia Jones, dancer within the company and emergent choreographer, with We Can’t Forget About What’s His Name, Crystal Pite with her revival of Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue and Aszure Barton with her piece Les Chambres des Jacques, created in 2006 for BJM and reworked. The company will tour Europe at the end of 2022 and in spring 2023 with this new programme as well as with the highly acclaimed Dance Me, music by Leonard Cohen.
BJM will also present in Quebec, Canada, VANISHING MÉLODIES – Music by Patrick Watson, created in November 2021. With a choreography by Juliano Nunes and Anne Plamondon, this dreamlike piece directed by Éric Jean brings to life Patrick Watson’s songs and truly expresses poetry in motion.

”Ballet Jazz de Montréal is by far one of the highlights of today’s theatre experience and should not be missed, if only to observe what working together for a unified vision is, with true craftswo/men and exceptional artists.”

Joanne DiVito, LA Dance Chronicle

”The company […] creates its own vision in a captivating mix of classical and contemporary dance techniques, enriched with elements from theatre and circus as well as a fascinating lighting design.”

Ursula Hoffman, Allgemeine Zeitung