Message from our Directors

Our 2025 season presented by our two directors, Guillaume Côté and Etienne Lavigne.

Each summer, it’s a true joy to welcome you back in ever greater numbers—whether under our Grand Chapiteau, in an open-air park, or along a winding forest trail. The Festival comes alive in diverse settings where dance reshapes space, evokes emotion, and connects us through shared experience.

My mission remains unchanged: to gather, to surprise, and to move. To make room for reunion as much as for discovery. To meet your expectations while leading you elsewhere—toward the unexpected, where dance challenges, uplifts, questions, and soothes. This living, universal art transcends borders and styles to reach what binds us most deeply as human beings.

To open our 34th edition, we are thrilled to welcome BalletX, a true gem of the American dance scene. With a triple bill featuring works by Loughlan Prior, Takehiro Ueyama, and Justin Peck—renowned choreographer and associate artist of New York City Ballet. Their work is an invitation to rediscover the daring spirit of contemporary ballet.

A not-to-be-missed staple of the Festival, the Soirées des Étoiles will once again bring together a constellation of extraordinary artists from Miami City Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and more. This year, flamenco takes the stage as well—promising fire, passion, and contrasts in a dazzling kaleidoscope of styles.

The Orchestre Métropolitain, a beloved Festival tradition, returns under the inspired baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Their wide-ranging program will take us from Mendelssohn’s romantic Italy to Stravinsky’s powerful Russia, while also shining a light on bold works by French female composers, who deserve to be heard far more often.

A single evening with Taiwan’s Bulareyaung Dance Company is sure to leave a lasting impression. LUNA is a vibrant homage to the Bunun Indigenous culture, expressed through movement rooted in ritual and the natural world.

With MOMIX, wonder is woven into every scene. Viva MOMIX is a rich collage of visual poetry, humor, and physical mastery—timeless and mesmerizing. It’s a magical experience for audiences of all ages.

Tap dancer Travis Knights will draw us into an electrifying rhythmic trance where jazz and body percussion collide. A true virtuoso, he reminds us that dance is also music, memory, and vibrant dialogue.

In Les jolies choses, Catherine Gaudet offers a hypnotic, high-voltage moment of tension and release. Through repetition and physical rigor, she delivers a landmark work in Quebec’s choreographic landscape—pushing both performers and audience to the edge of sensation.

To close the event, Ballets Jazz Montréal will present the world premiere of Joie de vivre, a new creation by Jo Strømgren, a singular artist known for his rich blend of humor and depth. This poetic journey explores memory, contradiction, and the fleeting beauty of life.

Around the Big Top…

Throughout the Festival, a wide range of free activities will animate the trails, parks, and evenings: open-air performances with El Gao, Saxon Fraser, Willem Sadler, Léo “Hit” Coupal, and Wei-Chia Su; film screenings (Wicked, Danse ta vie); urban dance battles; musical Fridays; dancing Saturdays; and family mornings with Compagnie Sursaut. Art will be happily accessible and shared in a spirit of warmth and inclusiveness.

… and beyond Saint-Sauveur

Thanks to valued partnerships, artists like Zeugma Danse, Eva Kolarova, and Danse 21+ will bring the Festival spirit to life throughout the Laurentians—from Sainte-Adèle to Val-Morin—well beyond the Big Top.

I invite you to dive in, to live each moment with curiosity and intensity. The Festival is a celebration, a space for reflection, a suspended moment in time. Thank you for being part of it.

Enjoy the Festival!

Guillaume Côté

For 34 years now, the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur has defied expectations by presenting beyond the confines of urban centers some of the most compelling dance performances.

What started out as a modest summer rendez-vous has steadily and ambitiously evolved into a driving force for artistic development, establishing itself as a key event on Quebec’s cultural landscape. Not even the pandemic has been able to halt this momentum.

This growth is the result of a clear and evolving vision. No longer limited to showcasing existing works, the Festival now actively supports creation, fosters artistic innovation, and embraces public engagement across generations.

The 2025 season reflects this ambition: the world premiere of Joie de vivre by Ballets Jazz Montréal, the highly anticipated arrival of BalletX with a triple bill, bold works from Catherine Gaudet, the deeply moving and exclusive performance of Luna by Taiwan’s Bulareyaung Dance Company are just a few highlights that speak to our renewed artistic mandate.

Our commitment to accessibility is equally strong. Free performances in the forest trails of John H.-Molson Park, outdoor concerts, youth matinées, urban dance battles, and film screenings are all designed to bring the joy of dance to the heart of our community, to be shared across all ages and backgrounds.

The Festival’s reach now extends well beyond Saint-Sauveur. Thanks to robust partnerships, we are proud to present events in Sainte-Adèle, Val-Morin, and through our online platform. Our project, Mouvement de passage FASS, brings dance into healthcare settings and long-term care facilities across the Laurentians—connecting with seniors living with loss of autonomy or approaching end-of-life. This sensitive outreach program is one of the most humanly significant projects we have ever undertaken.

Our participation in REFRAIN (the network of independent regional arts festivals) strengthens collaboration across Quebec, and our ties with the École supérieure de ballet du Québec affirm our commitment to the next generation of artists. As we continue to explore the future Centre des Arts, we look forward to expanding our presence and impact throughout the year.

The creative momentum of this Festival owes so much to our Artistic Director, Guillaume Côté, whose vision inspires everything we do. But none of it would be possible without the unwavering support of our partners, sponsors, donors, and public funders. In an era where operational costs are rising in every direction, your support—whether financial, logistical, or moral—means more than ever. Every contribution counts, and I warmly invite you to consider making a donation if you are able.

I also want to express my deep gratitude to our board of directors, our permanent staff, our dedicated collaborators and volunteers. Their loyalty and hard work are the lifeblood of this Festival.

Finally, I’d like to thank you, our audience, for your curiosity, your open-mindedness and the loyalty with which you attend our event. This Festival exists for you, and because of you.

Wishing you all a vibrant and joyful 2025 Festival!

Etienne Lavigne