HISTORY

2022, a magnificent edition

2022 was a magnificent edition for FASS with nine exciting performances under the Big Top in addition to the return of the Dance Trails in John-H. Molson Park, the FASS Forward International Dance Film Festival in a new and improved amphitheatre, a wild FASS Dance Battle with Crazy Smooth at the Skatepark, free outdoor performances on the Desjardins-McGarrigle outdoor stage, and FASSART, an exhibition of movement-inspired visual artworks, at the beautiful Galerie Rod. 

The Night With The International Stars brought together top classical dancers in a breathtaking program. Guillaume Côté danced alongside superstars Cesar Corrales and Francesca Hayward (Royal Ballet), Sara Mearns and Chun Wai Chan (New York City Ballet), Maude Sabourin (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens), Cassandra Trenary (American Ballet Theatre), Sebastian Vinet and many others.

The next day, Counterpoint took the audience on a unique collaborative experience between two virtuosos: pianist Conrad Tao and tap dancer Caleb Teicher, who performed to a lively mix of classical music and jazz. 

From Israel, the Vertigo Dance Company brought to Saint-Sauveur a work that took the dance world by storm: the dazzling One. One & One, by choreographer Noa Wertheim. Performed on an earthen floor, the work explored the tension between the yearning for independence and the desire for closeness. 

With supporting artistic creation being in the FASS’ DNA, Anne Plamondon and Virginie Brunelle were each invited to create a work that the public of Saint-Sauveur was able to preview in a single evening.

Being resurrected after three years of pandemic setbacks and many transformations, a new incarnation of Guillaume Côté’s Crypto was presented to the public that saw its preview in 2019. Acclaimed on tour in Quebec and Ontario, this dark tale that combines classical and contemporary dance, theater and multimedia, is written by Pulitzer Prize winner Royce Vavrek. It was performed by four exceptional dancers: Guillaume Côté, Greta Hodgkinson, Casia Vengoechea (also a contortionist) and Natasha Poon Woo. 

The Orchestre Métropolitain and its conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, whose prodigious talent and engaging personality are hailed internationally, thrilled us with an array of works from the classical repertoire, including Beethoven’s powerful 5th Symphony. 

Ballets Jazz Montréal presented a poetic program showcasing their extreme versatility, by three female choreographers: Aszure Barton, Ausia Jones and Crystal Pite. This was the first time that FASS presented a work by Crystal Pite, who is considered one of the world’s greatest dance creators and who had recently won the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.

With the Malpaso Dance Company, the festival came to an end on a festive and warm Cuban note. Combining the sophistication of excellent contemporary dancers with an intoxicating dance style and lively rhythms, the company brought the audience to its feet.

2021 – A 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN RENAISSANCE MODE

Celebrated in 2021, in renaissance mode, our 30th anniversary was a hybrid edition comprising intimate shows under a redesigned and reduced capacity marquee (Face à FASS), digital events (virtual FASS), performances and free outdoor activities (Les Sentiers de la danse and FASS dance battle).

As a spectacular launch, the opening night offered a selection of classical and contemporary works, performed by the exceptional talents of Margie Gillis, Sylvain Lafortune and Annik Hamel, Maude Sabourin and Raphaël Bouchard, Rubberband Dance as well as National Ballet of Canada dancers: Brendan Saye, Svetlana Lunkina, Jeaninne Haller, Isaac Wright, Calley Skalnik and Larkin Miller.

The series of shows that followed illustrated the eclecticism, quality and diversity of the programming that has elevated the reputation of FASS: the young choreographer Jera Wolfe, presented Begin Again in addition to two premieres: Petrichor and Ruminate.

The Compagnie Marie Chouinard displayed all its colors in an anthology of solos and duets drawn from its vast repertoire.

Citadel + Compagnie (formerly Coleman Lemieux et Compagnie) returned to our marquee with a touching duo of principal dancer Evelyn Hart and Zhenya Cernacov, who performed Four Old Legs by James Kudelka.

For the first time since the pandemic, Guillaume Côté returned to the stage and offered the Quebec public the premiere of his company Côté Danse‘s first creation, + (ten), inspired by the mythical odyssey of Ulysses who took 10 years to find his homeland and his family.

Virtuoso violinist Angèle Dubeau returned to FASS with the 12 brilliant musicians of La Pietà.

Reconnecting with our audience, which has always welcomed them with enthusiasm, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens closed the festival in style with a mixed program.

On the virtual side, the festival supported the production of four films pairing dancers with artists working in other fields in order to create unusual collaborations. Directed by Ben Shirinian, the films in the In Tandem series brought together countertenor Daniel Taylor and Colombian multidisciplinary artist Andrea Peña; Innu poet and singer Natasha Kanapé Fontaine and Métis choreographer Jera Wolfe; the Jireh Gospel Choir and the dancer Frédérick Gravel. Guillaume Côté was paired with l’Orchestre Métropolitain under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin and designer Yso South.

FASS Forward, the first edition of the competitive international festival of short films promoting dance, was inaugurated as well as the first FASS Dance battle, which attracted an enthusiastic audience.

In the forest of Molson Park, Les Sentiers de la danse offered two routes marked by short dance and music performances, where the public met the urban dancer Crazy Smooth, the contemporary dancer Claire Campbell from Kolarova Danse and horn player Louis-Philippe Marsolais, choreographer Sara Harton accompanied by pianist Anne-Marie Bernard, François Richard from the company Andrea Peña & Artists as well as artists performing urban folklore animated by Zeugma danse and jigs from the Mackinaw ensemble .

The emotion was palpable on both sides of the stage, the performers being as happy and grateful as the audience to finally meet again.

2020: CREATIVITY TRIUMPHS OVER ADVERSITY

Preceded by interviews with the artists from Guillaume Côté and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the videos offer the public a window into their journey, proving that imagination is never in quarantine. Unveiled weekly between July 5 and September 6, 2020, the films were broadcast free of charge on the Festival’s website, YouTube and Facebook, in this order:

• SUR LA LAME, choreographed by Marie Chouinard to music by Louis Dufort, performed by dancer Valeria Galluccio and percussionist Alexandre Lavoie.
• LIVING SPACE (Espaces vitaux), choreographed and danced by Anne Plamondon, to music by Cléo Palacio-Quintin, performed on trombone by Patrice Richer.
• INNER DIALOGUE, choreographed and danced by Eva Kolarova, to music by Maggie Ayotte, performed on the French Horn by Louis-Philippe Marsolais.
• SOLITUDE / YIELDING, choreographed and danced by Margie Gillis, to music by Marie-Pierre Brasset, performed by violist Elvira Misbakhova.
• LE VOL DE L’ÉPERVIER, choreographed and danced by Vanesa G.R. Montoya, to music by François-Hugues Leclair, performed on the English horn by Mélanie Harel.
• DÉFIER L’ABSENCE, choreographed by Virginie Brunelle to music by Roozbeh Tabandeh, performed by dancer Sophie Breton and violinist Marcelle Mallette.
• PROMENADE, choreographed and danced by Crazy Smooth, to music by Marc Hyland, performed by clarinetist Simon Aldrich.
• APPEL / ÉVEIL AU SOMMET, choreographed and danced by Andrew Skeels, to music by Isabelle Panneton, performed by trumpet player Stéphane Beaulac.
• TRY-FIXER, choreographed by Daina Ashbee, to music by Alejandra Odgers, performed by dancer Benjamin Kamino and flutist Caroline Séguin.
• ECHOES (Échos), choreographed and danced by Guillaume Côté, to music by Éric Champagne, performed on the piano by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

The films have been viewed more than 200,000 times, cementing FASS’s reputation as one of the country’s largest dance presenters. Being awarded the Prix Opus du diffuseur spécialisé de l’année (Specialized Presenter of the Year) by the Conseil québécois de la musique, crowned the Festival’s efforts to triumph over adversity through innovation, support artists, and showcase the originality and vitality of Quebec creation here and around the world. The international recognition of A Shared Solitude continues: Espaces Vitaux was a semi-finalist at the Paris Play Film Festival 2020; Défier l’absence was selected for the 2021 edition of the Jacksonville Dance Film Festival and Appel / Éveil au sommet was selected by the Los Angeles Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival.

2019 : THE FESTIVAL IS STILL GROWING!

The 28th Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur program was full of emotion and diversity, with numerous premieres, artistic encounters, and reunions with great artists.

The festival opened with the amazing energy of acclaimed New York company Dorrance Dance, which, under the leadership of Michelle Dorrance, redefines the art of tap dancing. Female choreographers were also in the spotlight with the Plamondon – Barbuto – Kiel evening; Anne Plamondon gave us the Counter Cantor duo, created with Emma Portner. The creation of Gioconda Barbuto, Vis-à-vis, was a world premiere and Hanna Kiel presented an excerpt from her piece Resonance.

The world premiere of Guillaume Côté‘s latest multimedia creation, Crypto, led by exceptional dancers including Guillaume Côté, Matt Foley, Greta Hodgkinson and Drew Jacoby, was sold out for both its performances. Back in Saint-Sauveur to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Complexions Contemporary Ballet inspired the audience with a contrasting musical program entitled From Bach to Bowie, in homage to Johann Sebastian Bach and David Bowie.

This edition also highlighted indigenous creation, with the presentation of Trace choreographed by Jera Wolfe and performed by the Ontario company Red Sky Performance. In addition to this production, First Nations-related cultural mediation workshops were held on the Festival’s outdoor stage and on local forest trails.

Classical music was again featured with our big top hosting the Orchestre Métroplitain conducted by Nicolas Ellis, and Les Violons du Roy. The outdoor stage was the gathering place for interactive workshops and dance shows of various styles, presented by Radio-Tango, Studio 88 Swing, Fin de Fiesta Flamenco, É.T.É. music Trad and Kawandak accompanied by Barbara Diabo.

2018: RECORD YEAR!

The 2018 season began with an historic first: two performances of a classic ballet! The audience fell in love with Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet, performed by the BalletMet joined by young dancers from the Laurentians. Saint-Sauveur was the only Quebec stop on the Toronto Dance Theatre 50th Anniversary tour, presenting Christopher House‘s anthology of House Mix, demonstrating why this company has been a stand-out for decades. Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin gave us the honour of directing the Orchestre Métropolitain in a gorgeous program devoted to Tchaikovsky. The voice of Ravid Kahalani and the energy of Yemen Blues moved the audience with music from the Middle East, with a mix of ancestral grooves, blues, afro-funk and jazz. To bridge the gap between music and dance, we asked three emerging Montreal choreographers, Vanesa G.R. Montoya, Eva Kolarova and Kyra Jean Green, to create works on the group’s songs.

The vibrant Hubbard Street Dance Chicago presented an eclectic and daring program,  delivered by eight fabulous dancers, in creations by Nacho Duato, Alejandro Cerrudo and Robyn Mineko Williams. Some of the biggest names in today’s classical scene shone brightly in A Night with the Stars: Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia from the New York City Ballet, Laura Fernandez and Xander Parish from the Mariinsky Ballet, Victoria Jaiani and Fabrice Calmels from Joffrey Ballet, Greta Hodgkinson and Harrison James from the National Ballet of Canada as well as Ana Ishii, Mai Kono, Matthew Cluff and André Santos, from Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Surrounded by dancers of the National Ballet of Canada, the dazzling and charismatic Guillaume Côté offered us a first – his Hamlet Redux creation, in addition to creating in situ and interpreting the solo Une Douce Souffrance; The audience also saw him dancing with Greta Hodgkinson in the fiery Summer Pas de Deux, an excerpt from James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons. The Man in Black, a tribute to Johnny Cash and also created by James Kudelka rounded out the program. Our outdoor stage hosted Radiotango, Studio 88 Swing and La R’voyure, which encouraged public participation so everyone could join the dancing.

2017: A BOLD SEASON

The daring program developed by the Artistic Director Guillaume Côté, gave the audience of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur a rich cultural and diverse experience with a wide range of artists working in different genres and styles. Opening the Festival was Moon vs Sun musical group, composed of Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk, accompanied by emerging young choreographers (Vanesa G.R. Montoya, Eva Kolarova and Ethan Colangelo). Following this great opening performance, the Toronto company, ProArtedanza offered a stunning double bill. A high-flying spectacular performance of “Ce que le jour doit à la nuit” performed by the 12 Algerian dancers of Hervé Koubi company dazzled the audience. The Orchestre Métropolitain returned for the third year in a row, giving the public a chance to discover the promising young Maestro, Nicolas Ellis. The eclectic program presented by L.A. Dance Project’s director, Benjamin Millepied, appealed to contemporary dance enthusiasts, and Les Grands Ballets made a moving and highly appreciated return to the FASS stage after a 15 year absence. An evening of premieres highlighted the talents of two young Montreal companies: Skeels Danse and Tentacle Tribe. To close the Festival, the much anticipated “A Night with the Stars” offered the public dazzling pieces from extraordinary, sensitive and generous dancers, whose sparkling performances will be long remembered: Friedemann Vogel, Guillaume Côté, Heather Ogden, Daniel Ulbrich, Danielle Diniz, Calley Skalnik, Laurynas Vejalis, Matt Foley and Drew Jacoby.

2016 : 25TH ANNIVERSARY

For the 25th anniversary of the festival, Guillaume Côté presented a spectacular and diverse program with exceptional artists from around the world as well as emerging talents from home. Under the Big Top, the pre-opening show featured Saint-Sauveur native Martha Wainwright, suported by young Montréal choreographers who created works inspired by her songs: Vanesa Garcia, Véronique Giasson, Sara Harton and Andrew Skeels. Passion and tenderness permeated the performances of the flamboyant Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca, the latest creation (A rather lovely thing) of the fiery Bryan Arias and the first appearance on a Quebec stage of the renowned LEV Company of Israel (OCD Love). Under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Orchestre Métropolitain regaled music lovers with works by Smetana and Dvorák. Guillaume Côté presented two ‘’coup de coeur’’ from his choreographic repertoire, Bolero and Dance Me to the End of Love, performed by the wonderful dancers of the National Ballet of Canada, and, along with his partner Heather Ogden, a pas de deux commissioned by Principal Dancer of the American Ballet Theater, Marcelo Gomes. The Festival welcomed Louise Lecavalier, an icon of contemporary dance from Quebec, whose debut choreography, So Blue, was a huge success. The 25th anniversary edition ended with a dazzling array of Stars offering Québec audiences the chance to see the legendary dancer Misty Copeland, accompanied by Blaine Hoven (American Ballet Theater), Yuhui Choe and Nehemiah Kish (The Royal Ballet), Jurgita Dronina, Naoya Ebe, Selene Guerrero Trujillo and Guillaume Côté (National Ballet of Canada) and independent artist Anne Plamondon.

2015: GUILLAUME CÔTÉ AT THE HELM OF THE FESTIVALL

Being at the helm of a Festival for the first time, Guillaume Côté shared his tastes and discoveries with the audience of FASS.  In a pre-opening performance, FASS hosted hometown hero Rufus Wainwright and his family for a memorable evening. L’Orchestre Métropolitain, directed by the young and dynamic Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin completed the star studded musical component of the programming with his performance. Gauthier Dance Company Dance Theater // Stuttgart returned to the Festival for the 3rd time and was better than ever. Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Tentacle Tribe, Coleman Lemieux & Company, Stars of American Ballet also performed to great acclaim.  The final dance performances were the International Stars of Ballet evenings which brought together some of the best of the world for two incredible evenings. Performers this year were  Daniel Ulbricht (New York City Ballet), Skylar Brandt (American Ballet Theater), Bryan Arias (Kidd Pivot), Rachel Fallon (Luzerner Theater), Cesar Corrales and Kateryna Khaniukova (English National Ballet), Ana-Maria Lucaciu and Andrea Schermoly (independent artists), Davit Karapetyan (San Francisco Ballet) and Jurgita Dronina (National Ballet of Canada).

2014: FASS TAKES A BIG LEAP FORWARD

2014 brought an exciting program developed jointly by Anik Bissonnette and Guillaume Côté, the incoming artistic Director, which was enthusiastically received by the large number of public and media who attended the magnificent shows presented under our renovated Big Top. Guillaume Côté performed for the first time since his nomination as Artistic Director and dazzled the crowd. He was accompanied by guest artists from the National Ballet of Canada and an emerging Ontario dance company Pro Arte Danza. The famous Martha Graham Dance Company and the original Marie Chouinard Company performed and showed St-Sauveur why they are world renowned. The international ballet night was again a huge hit and brought to the festival: Guillaume Côté and Great Hodgkinson (National Ballet of Canada), Jason Reilly and Anna Osadcenko (Stuttgart Ballet), Joaquin De Luz (New York City Ballet) and Misa Kuranaga (Boston Ballet), Yukichi Hattori (Alberta Ballet), Francesco Gabriele Frola and Shailad’Onofrio. The FASS music program welcomed Ailyn Perez and Stephen Costello, the energetic Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir and Appassionata chamber music orchestra.

2013: FASS PROGRAM HAS ONCE AGAIN DAZZLED THE AUDIENCE

This year, dance was honored in this program that included seven nights of dance and one evening of music: We saw Ballet BC, Aterballetto, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and the exquisite International show which brought together on the same stage, some of the greatest talent in the world of dance with a mix of artists from France (Benjamin Pech and Alice Renavand), Denmark (Andreas Kaas and Ida Paretorius), United States (Herman Cornejo and Luciana Paris), Ontario (Greta Hodgkinson and Etienne Lavigne) and Quebec (Louise Lecavalier and Keir Knight), this show charmed audiences with its diversity. On the musical side, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was sold out! Aside from the main program, the Festival offered again this year, a series of free concerts at the Desjardins Outdoor Stage and its traditional Tohu-Bohu Youth Day

2012: IMPRESSIVE ARTISTIC GUESTS LIST

The 2012 edition had another impressive artistic guest list and more full houses with enthusiastic audiences. The Hong Kong Ballet, visiting Quebec for the first time, had the honor of opening the festival, followed by the Quebec dance company Cas Public and the renowned Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company. Momix was as successful as their last appearance in 2007, while Trey McIntyre Project’s first Canadian visit offered a remarkable closing show. The FASS music program was also popular with magnificent concerts from Lewis Furey, Gino Quilico and the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute. The Tohu-Bohu and free shows available on the outdoor stage were also a great success. The weather and the quality of the shows contributed to us welcoming large crowds every night in the Georges-Filion Park.

2011: 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF FASS

Year 2011 marked the 20th Anniversary of the Festival. To celebrate this special edition, the organizers prepared a high level artistic program. The Aspen Santa FeBallet opened FASS Dance, following by 3e Etage, with the soloists of the Paris Opera Ballet, Gauthier Dance, Stockholm 59° North and Bouge de là. For FASS Music, the audience had the privilege of hearing the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as well as the students from the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute. The free shows on the Desjardins Outdoor Stage entertained a remarkable amount of visitors in St-Sauveur, and of course the nice weather helped to please the crowd.

2010: HIGH LEVEL PROGRAM

The Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur presented a high-quality program. For the last time under the direction of the renowned choreographer Nacho Duato, the Compania Nacional de Danza 2 performed for two evenings on the FASS stage. The Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet completed with brio the dance event with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet who presented an excerpt from the piece Wonderland. For the youth festival, the Quebec company Sursaut was selected by the artistic director Anik Bissonnette. At FASS Music the audience acclaimed Angèle Dubeau and la Pietà, the Nouvel Opera and the concert of the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute presented at the St-Sauveur’s church. The Desjardins Outdoor Stage presented many free shows, well appreciated by the public.

2009: FAVORITES AND FIRST FOR THE 13TH EDITION

The 2009 edition of FASS was held under the themes of color and diversity. Thanks to a quality program, and the presence of high caliber international artists, public and critics alike acclaimed the event. A large number of people attended the Big Top performances, while significant crowds were attracted to the Desjardins outdoor stage. Great moments of dance and emotion were experienced thanks to Ballet Biarritz, BMJ Danse Montréal and Ballet Maribor. As for music, Diane Dufresne and Oliver Jones offered brilliant and moving performances. Ten days of discoveries, festivities and celebrations!

2008: A PROLIFIC YEAR FOR FASS

FASS inaugurated its Youth Section by the presentation of the first Tohu-Bohu Festival. On the program were free performances for young people, dance workshops, and the stand-out performance of young singer Sara Diamond, accompanied by more than 40 young performers from the École Supérieure de Ballet Contemporain and the Jeune Ballet du Québec. The Dance Series continued to impress with the North American premiere appearances of Israel’s Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company with Ekodoom, and the presentation of Six Pack by Gauthier Dance, a Germany-based company directed by Quebecker Éric Gauthier. Also present were Cas public with Suites Cruelles, Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie with In Paradisum, and Mimulus from Brazil with the very colourful Dolorès. Musical performances were decidedly eclectic and appealing, with Oliver Jones, Les voix du Paradis directed by Daniel Taylor, and the Festival’s first musical, Le Petit Roi, in recital form. Yet another productive and prolific year for the Festival, full of innovations and surprises!

2007: NEW SUMMITS WERE REACHED

FASS 2007 could be summarized by two words “Sold out!” breaking all previous attendance and ticket sales records. The program, bringing together the best of Quebec, Canadian, and international artists, included Momix, Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Rubberbandance Group, Montréal Danse, and the spectacular Carmen! by the Alberta Ballet. In music, excellence was again the “mot d’ordre”, with Alain Lefèvre in recital at St-Sauveur’s church, Oliver Jones and Nikki Yanofsky, and Daniel Taylor and Karina Gauvin in the Big Top. The Festival also rolled out its program of free performances on the Outdoor Stage and inaugurated its unifying “Musical Terraces” concept. Finally, FASS won a Grand Prix du Tourisme des Laurentides for the second year in a row.

2006: WORLD PREMIERE FOR KYLIÁN LE GRAND

For the first time in its history, FASS co-produced and presented an original dance creation, Kylian le grand, a tribute work conceived by Anik Bissonnette and directed by Mario Radacovsky. For its world premiere, Kylian opened the Festival; the show was a revelation, described as exceptional by highly regarded dance critic Linda Howe-Beck. During its subsequent tour of Quebec and other parts of Canada, Kylian le grand met with resounding success. There was also the Kudelka-Taylor Project by Coleman Lemieux &Compagnie with Daniel Taylor as feature performer, and the National Ballet of Canada with talented Quebec dancer Guillaume Côté. Musically, we welcomed back Robert Marien and the extraordinarily energetic voices of the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir. FASS closed its 2006 edition by winning a Grand Prix du Tourisme des Laurentides award in the festivals and events category.

2005: CHINA’S YEAR

The festivities started off with the landmark North American premieres of two works by the Guangzhou Ballet Troupe, a leader among Chinese dance companies. Both performances were attended by the Chinese ambassador to Canada, and the presence of representatives of several international agencies led to the company signing a number of international touring agreements. Also on the international scene, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performed in the Big Top, while Quebec and other Canadian talents Louise Lecavalier, Sylvain Lafortune – in a work by choreographer Estelle Clareton – and the avant-garde Rubberbandance Group, all shone in their very diverse ways. In the musical component of the festival, we saw the welcome return of Ensemble Amati and I Musici de Montréal.

2004: ANIK BISSONNETTE CONTRIBUTES HER TALENT TO FASS

In 2004, we celebrated the arrival of Anik Bissonnette, O.C., C.M. in the artistic committee, initiating her leadership role at the Festival. This year, the current best of American dance companies were at FASS: the International Ballet with five gold-medal-winning dancers and the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, whose memorable presentation blended contemporary dance with choreographical works by Moses Pendleton. Among the acclaimed Quebec artists performing were Margie Gillis and Gioconda Barbuto, and the Jeune Ballet du Québec was part of the Festival’s program for children. Music-lovers were treated to Gino Quilico in recital, and a special evening with the Chicago Children’s Choir. At the close of the 2004 season, Anik Bissonnette was officially named artistic director of FASS.

2003: TWO NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERES

The 2003 edition stood out for two major North American premiere appearances: the National Ballet Theatre of Prague under the artistic direction of Petr Zuska, and the Companía Nacional de Danza 2, directed by Nacho Duato. A show entitled Les Grands Solistes et Chorégraphes du Québec brought together our dance stars and top choreographers for an evening of artistic wonders. FASS’s musical component was equally stellar, with performances by Robert Marien, Cantabile from Great Britain, and Pierrot Fournier singing the best of Jacques Brel.

2002: ECLECTIC AND ELECTRIC

The 2002 edition had Big Top audiences thrilling to the sights and sounds of the Harlem GospelChoir, Les Sortilèges, and the Parsons Dance Company, who had provided one of the peaks of the millennium ceremony at Times Square in New York. Other high-quality moments were the performances of the soloists of the National Ballet of Canada, and the great tango ensemble of Romulo Larrea and Veronica Larc.

2001: A CANADIAN PREMIERE AND TWO LOCAL FAVOURITES

FASS hosted the sensational first Canadian appearance by Complexions, a New York group of 22 modern dance stars hailing from prestigious American companies. Among the music events, the Big Top show of sisters Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Saint-Sauveur’s most famous native daughters, was another great favourite of Festival audience. The internationally acclaimed Rambert Dance Company of Britain, Andrea Boardman of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and I Musici de Montréal also gave unforgettable performances.

2000: LAURENTIAN CULTURAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

FASS welcomed the new millennium with a celebratory program that included the National Ballet of Hungary with a full slate of soloists and principal dancers, Ballet Jorgen, the premiere of a solo for Louis Robitaille, baritone Gino Quilico, Rencontres sur Broadway with Robert Marien, Dance Galaxy, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. A new initiative in 2000 was the establishment of the children’s programming, with Russian marionettist Vladimir Ageev as one of the highlights of this first edition. For the first time, the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur received recognition at the Grands Prix du Tourisme des Laurentides awards, with a special mention as Cultural Event of the Year.

1999: RECORD ATTENDANCE FOR “LA DIVINE”

Now recognized as a major cultural event, FASS broke attendance records with rising new dance star Diana Vishneva (“la Divine”) and the Kirov Ballet, José Greco Flamenco Dance Co., soprano Wilhelmina Fernandez, the National Ballet of Moravia-Silesia (Czech Republic), Ballets Jazz of Montréal, soprano-comedian Nathalie Choquette, and Les Violons du Roi.

1998: FASS, A VALUE TO TAKE NOTICE OF

Proclaimed by the press as “a value to take notice of,” FASS expanded by building the new air-conditioned 700-seat Big Top. The dance program included dancers from the renowned St. Petersburg Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, and Bande à Part. We presented the works of the first (1997) winners of the International Musical Composition and Choreography Competition, who were given a standing ovation! On the music program, Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, Romulo Larrea (Argentina); Djelem (Eastern Europe), and Éval Manigat (Canada/Haiti) took up FASS’s invitation.

1997: NEW NAME, SAME TRADITION

Festival Hiawatha was officially renamed the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur and pursued its mission and its tradition of excellence. Celebrated in great style, the inauguration aimed high, with 10 days hosting 50 events, 175 artists, 15,000 visitors, and several sold-out performances. The Dance Series in the 450-seat Big Top presented the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Danse Théâtre de Montréal, and the Celebration of Dance show featuring soloists from major American ballet companies. The Music Series included The Canadian Brass, Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, Ensemble Amati, Lhasa de Sela, Quartango, Raoul klezmer ensemble, and small classical ensembles playing at different sites in the village. Another inaugural event was the launching of the International Musical Composition and Choreography Competition.

1996: YEAR OF TRANSITION

This year of transition was a pause that allowed the rapidly growing Festival Hiawatha to settle permanently in the magnificent village of Saint-Sauveur. In its new home, the Festival was very fortunate in finding an extraordinary team of volunteers, significant municipal support, and excellent technical expertise, all of which have taken the Festival to new heights.

1991-1995: BIRTH OF A TRADITION

The idea of an arts festival in the Laurentians was born in the summer of 1992 when Lou Gordon launched the Festival des Arts Hiawatha. The inaugural festival lasted three weeks and featured marquee performers Evelyn Hart of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Shapiro & Smith from New York, Bande à part with Anik Bissonnette and Louis Robitaille, Montanaro Dance, Fiesta Flamenco, and Margie Gillis. It was the beginning of a tradition of excellence.