Philanthropy and excellence : The Foundation of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec awards named scholarships and supports student training
Montreal, September 23, 2024 - On Friday, September 20, the École supérieure de ballet du Québec and its Foundation brought together donors, students and families for a ceremony marked by solidarity for dance. Named scholarships were awarded to students for the first time, marking an important milestone in the support offered by the Foundation. A cheque for $225,000, symbolizing the accumulated donations for the year 2023-2024, was presented to the École supérieure to finance all student scholarships, as well as a range of physical and psychological health services, and part of the services offered by the Bibliothèque de la danse Vincent-Warren.
Hosted by Anik Bissonnette, Artistic Director of the École supérieure, and Etienne Lavigne, Co-president of the Foundation's Board of Directors, the ceremony highlighted the importance of philanthropic commitment in enabling young talent to pursue their artistic dreams.
During the ceremony, 25 students received one of seven named scholarships, in recognition of the generosity of individuals and companies dedicated to promoting the arts. These scholarships, representing a total of $47,775, are in addition to the incentive scholarships ($45,876 raised throughout the year) supporting 46 other young people for the 2024-2025 school year. A total of $93,651 was awarded in the form of scholarships this year, giving students from low-income families or living in remote areas access to world-class dance training.
Several donors personally presented the scholarship certificates to the students in a special moment of encounter that illustrates the importance of community support for the next generation of artists.
List of named scholarships
• Bourses Raymond Goulet - Donor: Mr. Michel Rossignol, member of the Cercle héritage Chiriaeff of the École supérieure.
• Bourse Desjardins - Donating organization: Caisse du Plateau Mont-Royal.
• Bourse Desjardins Valeurs mobilières - Donating organization: Groupe Girard-Lacroix.
• Bourse du CN - Donating organization: Canadian National. Delivered by Ms. Natacha Engel, also co-president of the Foundation and founder of the Foundation's Jeune Scène d'affaire.
• Bourses Sophie Houle - Donor: Mrs. Anie Perrault, mother of a student at the École supérieure.
• Bourses Jean-Paul Bellon - Donor: Mr. Jean-Paul Bellon, honorary member of the École supérieure and first President of the Fondation.
• Bourse Yannick Matthon - This bursary, established in 2022 thanks to a call for memorial donations from the Matthon family, is intended to support the careers of young boys in dance.
In addition to funding the above-mentioned scholarships, the $225,000 donated by the Foundation supports a range of physical and psychological health services essential to the students. Young athletes benefit from mental preparation coaching, nutritional advice, cooking classes and eating disorder prevention programs. Access to health professionals such as sports doctors, psychologists and physiotherapists is also provided. Finally, a portion of this sum is dedicated to the Bibliothèque de la danse Vincent-Warren found, a valuable asset for the educational and cultural development of the community.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of post-graduate diplomas in classical dance teaching, marking an important milestone for a new generation of teachers, ready to pass on their passion and knowledge.
Photo : Our graduates Éléonore Lussier-Thuot, Francesca Bisi, Olivia Saint-Jacques accompanied by Christine Williams, Associate Director - Education Program and Regional Partnerships
ABOUT THE ÉCOLE SUPÉRIEURE
The mission of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec is to train dancers and creators to the highest standards maintained by professional dance institutions and, in the process, to promote the recognition, success and advancement of dance. Founded in 1966 by Ludmilla Chiriaeff at the request of Quebec’s ministry of cultural affairs, the school is Quebec’s flagship institution in professional classical dance training and education.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The mission of the Foundation is to provide the school with financial support in its pursuit of excellence. Through its support to L’École supérieure and its related entities, the foundation also seeks to foster the recognition, outreach and development of dance both here at home and abroad.
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Coralie Muroni, Director of Communications and Public Relations
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