L’Artère is a service organization that was created back in 2003 by dance artists through the initiative of Rosalie Trudel and Judith Lessard-Bérubé. That year, they called up a group of 9 graduates of L’École de danse de Québec to implement L’Artère, coopérative de danseurs professionnels de Québec. The group organized contemporary dance workshops with a focus on openness and development for the community. Back then, the organization addressed an urgent need for continued training among Quebec City’s dance interpreters.

Over the years, the community has taken expansion and the existing structures have strongly established. New companies are setting up in Quebec City and the dance audience is increasingly attending. L’Artère is a critical part of this effervescent movement. It provides its community with an extensive program of dance training which is constantly growing with the years. L’Artère is a key contributor to the growth of the community. Namely, the Master Plan for Professional Dance in Quebec 2011–2021 and the Plan de développement de la danse professionnelle à Québec highlight the importance of its work. In accordance with both studies and with the help of the Centre Local de Développement, La Rotonde, and the company Le fils d’Adrien danse, the cooperative is in the process of redefining itself in order to better address the needs of the community. In January 2012, L’Artère, développement et perfectionnement en danse contemporaine was established as an NPO.

Since then, L’Artère’s team has stepped up efforts so this 10-year-old initiative can extend in order to better serve Quebec City’s contemporary dance community.

Charter members of L’Artère, développement et perfectionnement en danse contemporaine: Maryse Damecour, Anne-Pier Dion, Geneviève Duong, Annie Gagnon, Isabelle Gagnon,Véronique Jalbert, Brice Noeser, Fabien Piché, Eve Rousseau-Cyr and Ariane Voineau

Charter members of L’Artère, coopérative de danseurs professionnels de Québec: Maryse Bonenfant, Céline Khandjian, Karine Ledoyen, Judith Lessard Bérubé, Sonia Montminy, Karine Parisé, Mélanie Therrien, Rosalie Trudel and Arielle Warnke St-Pierre