Compagnie Marie Chouinard

What Compagnie Marie Chouinard does

Compagnie Marie Chouinard is a Montreal-based non-profit contemporary dance company founded by choreographer Marie Chouinard, with formal company activity dating from 1980 and Marie Chouinard's solo work beginning in 1978. The company creates and tours an original repertoire of 40+ stage works, including full-length works such as The Rite of Spring (1993), bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_VARIATIONS (premiered La Biennale di Venezia 2005), and Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights (2016), alongside solo performances, multimedia installations, and participatory events. Its core technology is Marie Chouinard's distinctive choreographic language built over four decades, emphasizing breath work, spinal consciousness, and internal body connections, frequently integrated with original music by long-time collaborator Louis Dufort and video/projection elements.

Revenue is generated through a multi-stream model: international performance fees and co-production agreements with cultural institutions; merchandise sales (books $30-$70, t-shirts $23, DVDs $20, art cards $3); tiered donations (Heart $50 through Mind $10,000 corporate) with associated benefits; annual professional workshops (entering 11th edition in 2026) and public workshops; and rental of its two studios at L'Espace Marie Chouinard in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood. The company has toured extensively across 35+ countries on 6 continents with co-production partnerships spanning the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), ImPulsTanz (Vienna), Place des Arts (Montreal), La Biennale di Venezia, and Festival TransAmériques. Additional revenue-adjacent activities include free artistic residencies and a free outdoor touring program ("La Compagnie Marie Chouinard en Caravane") launched in 2024 across Quebec. The company has maintained carbon-neutral operations since 2020 through a partnership with Carbone boréal, and operates with a small core headcount of 11-50 employees supporting an 11-dancer touring troupe.

Name

Compagnie Marie Chouinard

Legal name

Compagnie Marie Chouinard

Website

https://mariechouinard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Compagnie Marie Chouinard is a Montreal-based non-profit contemporary dance company that creates, tours, and licenses an original 40+ work choreographic repertoire to international festivals, theatres, and cultural institutions across 35+ countries, supported by merchandise, donations, workshops, and studio rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Dance / Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performances
• Choreographic stage works
• International dance touring
• Professional dance workshops
• Performing arts production

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Performance and Tour Revenue: Revenue from ticketed performances at theatres and festivals internationally, including co-productions with cultural institutions.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts, books, DVDs, and greeting cards through the company's online boutique.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Personal donations (heart $50, breath $100, skeleton $250, muscle $500, flesh $1000) and corporate sponsorships (spine $5000, mind $10000) with tiered benefits.
4. Workshop Fees: Professional and public dance workshops offered annually (11th edition in 2026), with registration fees for multi-day intensives.
5. Studio Rental: Rental of two studios at L'Espace Marie Chouinard: Studio Baryshnikov (3,625 sq ft, capacity 300) and Studio Marcel-Côté (1,600 sq ft, capacity 60).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Compagnie Marie Chouinard is a contemporary dance company that creates, produces, and tours original choreographic stage works, multimedia installations, and participatory performances built on founder Marie Chouinard's distinctive movement vocabulary. The company complements its performance repertoire with published books and films, professional and public dance workshops, branded merchandise, free artistic residencies, and studio rentals at L'Espace Marie Chouinard in Montreal.

Product overview

Compagnie Marie Chouinard is a contemporary dance company founded in 1980 by choreographer Marie Chouinard. The company offers a diverse portfolio centered on choreographic works, including full-length ballets (The Rite of Spring, bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_vARIATIONS, Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights), solo performances (Etude no 1, Des Feux dans la Nuit, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), and multimedia installations (IN MUSEUM, Time for Time). The company also provides educational services through professional dance workshops and studio rental at L'Espace Marie Chouinard. Merchandise includes books documenting the company's works, DVDs of performances, art cards, and t-shirts. The portfolio is complemented by a donations program supporting the company's carbon-neutral operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Compagnie Marie Chouinard en Caravane: Outdoor touring production featuring 10 dancers performing dance works in public spaces across Quebec. Premiered at Festival FURIES, Marsoui in July 2024.

Products and services

• The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps) Choreography exploring life and primal energy based on Igor Stravinsky's score, featuring solos and ensemble work examining the intimate mystery of each dancer. Programmed for international touring.
• bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_vARIATIONS Two-act ballet where ten dancers execute variations using accessories like crutches, rope, prostheses, and harnesses, interpreting Bach's Goldberg Variations with solos, duos, trios, and group work.
• Henri Michaux: Mouvements Dance interpretation of Henri Michaux's book Mouvements (1951), with drawings projected in the background and performers dancing on a white floor. Original music by Louis Dufort.
• 24 Preludes by Chopin Choreographic work using Chopin's 24 Preludes (Op. 28), featuring solos, duos, trios and group movements exploring emotions from chastity to passion and rebellion.
• The Golden Mean (LIVE) Performance exploring states of grace, multiple intelligences, and sensory perception, featuring masked dancers in a futuristic aesthetic.
• Orpheus and Eurydice Ballet exploring the myth of creation featuring multiple Orpheuses and Eurydices, combining grotesque and erotic elements in a powerful, excessive work.
• Étude no 1 Solo work created with dancer Lucie Mongrain, featuring geometric and unbridled dance in five parts with real-time processed sound by Louis Dufort.
• Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun Solo created for the Taipei International Dance Festival, interpreting Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune with dancers embodying a real faun.
• Gymnopédies Dance work set to Erik Satie's Gymnopédies, presenting a haunting beauty with sensuous and languorous movement exploring collective psyche.
• Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights Three-act choreography inspired by Bosch's famous triptych: The Garden of Delights, Hell, and Paradise.
• Radical Vitality Compilation work featuring solos and duets from the company's repertoire, including newly created pieces and unearthed choreographic forms from the choreographer's notebooks.
• La Compagnie Marie Chouinard en Caravane Outdoor street performance featuring 10 dancers and a musician offering dance experiences in public spaces, including five acts of pure dance, performed free in Quebec parks and outdoor venues.
• Time for Time (une plage de temps) Participatory performance on Zoom where dancers perform spontaneous solos in response to audience members' intimate aspirations and wishes.
• IN MUSEUM Solo installation and performance where visitors share wishes with performers who respond with spontaneous dance to conjure forces for wish fulfillment.
• L'Espace Marie Chouinard Studio Rental Two studio spaces for rental in Plateau-Mont-Royal: Studio Baryshnikov (3,625 sq ft, capacity 300) and Studio Marcel-Côté (1,600 sq ft, capacity 60), available when not in use for company activities.
• Artistic Residency Program Free artistic residencies offered in the Marcel-Côté studio at L'Espace Marie Chouinard for artists in dance, drama, voice, photography, and multimedia, with potential public presentation opportunities.
• Professional Dance Workshop Annual international professional dance workshop offering training with company dancers in Chouinard's choreographic systems and interpretive techniques. The 11th edition in 2026.
• Public Dance Workshop Public dance workshops open to all regardless of experience level, exploring the choreographic systems of Marie Chouinard.
• Donations Program (Personal and Corporate) Donation program with personal tiers (Heart $50, Breath $100, Skeleton $250, Muscle $500, Flesh $1,000) and corporate tiers (Spine $5,000, Mind $10,000), offering benefits including tax receipts, event invitations, studio rental privileges, and visibility plans.
• T-Shirts (Boutique Merchandise) 100% cotton t-shirts featuring show designs such as THE GOLDEN MEAN (LIVE) and bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_VARIATIONS. Available in men's and ladies' styles, Small, Medium, and Large sizes, priced at $23.00 each.
• Art Cards (Greeting Cards) Art cards featuring images from productions including 24 Preludes by Chopin, bODY_rEMIX, Gymnopédies, Henri Michaux, and various stage works. Priced at $3.00 each.
• Le Sacre du Printemps DVD Recording of January 4, 2013 performance at National Arts Centre, Ottawa, 50 minutes in HD format. Priced at $20.00 each.
• ZERO DOUZE (Book) Poetry and drawings book by Marie Chouinard, 375 pages, published by Éditions du Passage. Priced at $35.
• COMPAGNIE MARIE CHOUINARD COMPANY (Bilingual Monograph) Bilingual monograph about Canada's leading contemporary dance company, autographed by Marie Chouinard, 176 pages. Priced at $70.
• chantier des extases (Book) Book of poems written by Marie Chouinard, 76 pages, published by Éditions du Passage. Priced at $30.
• piece morning glories (Book) Book of drawings containing choreographic notation from the piece morning glories, placed on floor during performances, 87 pages with 41 numbered drawings. Priced at $35.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon neutral operations since 2020, evaluating and compensating carbon footprint of all tours, creations, and studios

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Arts Centre (Ottawa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor co-production partner for multiple signature works including THE RITE OF SPRING (1993), THE GOLDEN MEAN (LIVE) (2010), bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_VARIATIONS, and ORPHeus and EURYDICE. Hosted world premiere of The Rite of Spring in 1993.
• Festival TransAmériques (Montreal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for ORPHeus and EURYDICE. Festival that has featured and supported the company's works.
• Place des Arts (Montreal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for THE GOLDEN MEAN (LIVE) and ORPHeus and EURYDICE. Major Montreal venue presenting the company's works.
• ImPulsTanz (Vienna)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for ÉTUDE no 1 (2001), HENRI MICHAUX: MOUVEMENTS (2011), and numerous works. Hosted world premieres and provides ongoing creative support.
• La Biennale di VeneziacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_VARIATIONS world premiere at Venice Biennale's International Festival of Contemporary Dance, June 2005.
• Carbone boréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec initiative supporting the company's carbon neutral commitment since 2020. Reboots boreal forest lands north of Lac-Saint-Jean to compensate the company's carbon footprint from tours, creations, and studios.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Royal Winnipeg Ballet: Canada's longest-established ballet company with national and international touring and a broad educational/community division; comparable in scale and Canadian nonprofit operating context though stylistically more classical than Chouinard's contemporary focus.
• Ballet BC: Canadian contemporary-leaning ballet company with international touring and a repertory of new commissions — comparable in repertoire approach and scale, but based in Western Canada rather than competing head-to-head in Quebec.

Direct peers

• Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal: Montreal-based ballet and contemporary dance company operating from the same city and ecosystem as Compagnie Marie Chouinard, sharing venues (Place des Arts), audience, public funders, and a comparable touring model across contemporary choreographic works.
• Sydney Dance Company: Australian contemporary dance company with a single-artistic-director-driven house style, a substantial international touring presence, and multiple revenue streams (touring, education, donations) paralleling Compagnie Marie Chouinard's model.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Iconic contemporary dance company built around a single founder's choreographic vision with extensive international touring, repertory of signature works, educational programming, and a nonprofit operating model analogous to Compagnie Marie Chouinard.
• Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT): Internationally touring contemporary dance company with a similarly distinct choreographic house style, comparable repertoire depth, and a global co-production footprint with venues such as ImPulsTanz and major European festivals.
• Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: German dance-theater company founded and built around a single iconic choreographer's movement vocabulary, presenting a deep repertoire of narrative/experimental dance-theater works to international festivals — analogous to Marie Chouinard's Orpheus and Eurydice and Hieronymus Bosch productions.
• O Vertigo Danse: Montreal-based contemporary dance company with international touring, multidisciplinary collaborations, and a similar scale and nonprofit operating model — competing for the same Quebec public funders, dancers, and local audience as Compagnie Marie Chouinard.
• Batsheva Dance Company: Israeli contemporary dance company with a strongly recognizable house choreographic language, large international touring circuit, in-house educational programs (Batsheva Dancers Create), and signature full-evening works — directly comparable to Compagnie Marie Chouinard's repertoire model.

Broad incumbents

• National Arts Centre (NAC) — Dance Programming: Major Canadian presenting institution and recurring co-production partner of Compagnie Marie Chouinard; not a peer producing company itself, but sets the procurement, programming, and co-production standards that establish what 'comparable' looks like in the Canadian contemporary dance market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ciemariechouinard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Compagnie Marie Chouinard