Free Dance Shows Are Taking Over Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles This Week

The Festival Quartiers Danses is brightening up the city this year with a series of free performances, both indoor and outdoor, that Montrealers can enjoy throughout the next week. Now in its 20th year, the festival has dedicated this edition to women: 10 of the 17 national and international choreographers whose work is being highlighted are women.

The festival's mission is to "democratize contemporary dance" by making it more accessible, bringing the art form to both traditional and more outside-the-box venues and spaces.

This year, the festival also highlights three international films — including one premiere — which will be projected at the Cinéma du Musée. As for the performances, 20 will be held indoors at the Théâtre Maisonneuve near Place des Arts, the Salle Bourgie of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Studio-Théâtre des Grands Ballets Canadiens / Wilder Building. The shows will feature 6 international and 11 local dance companies, showcasing their interpretations of contemporary dance.

Co-spokesperson Anik Bissonnette described the festival as "A catalyst for new, experienced, and established artists alike," explaining that it "plays an essential role in the discovery of local, Canadian, and international artists." You can take part in that discovery throughout this week until the end of the festival on September 18.