Compagnie de danse Sursaut

What Compagnie de danse Sursaut does

Compagnie de danse Sursaut is a nonprofit contemporary dance company headquartered in Sherbrooke, Quebec, founded in 1985 as an initiative of the Conseil de la culture de l'Estrie. The company specializes in creating, producing, and touring contemporary dance works for young audiences aged 18 months through adolescence, making it one of the first companies in Canada dedicated to this niche since 1998. Its active repertoire includes productions such as Printemps Marmelade, Moïra, Chroniques d'une plume, Échos, Acuna, and Moi au carré, alongside educational offerings that span preschool through secondary school workshops, a summer dance camp, adolescent dance classes, and professional training classes for working dancers.

The organization distributes its work through a multi-channel model: direct venue bookings managed by an in-house booking manager across Quebec theaters and cultural centers, school performances coordinated with educational institutions, national and international touring via partnerships with CAPACOA, BC Touring Council, and Ontario Presents, and a biennial proprietary event — the FUDGE Festival — the first festival in North America dedicated exclusively to contemporary dance for young audiences, launched in June 2022. Sursaut has toured to China (2012) and Mexico, with a planned 2027 engagement at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre in Yellowknife. The company holds residency at the Centre des arts de la scène Jean-Besré, a unique Quebec facility dedicated to dance and theatre creation and production, and is a founding member (2009) of the Côté Scène consortium with Théâtre du Double signe and Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke.

Sursaut's revenue is composed of ticket sales from public and school performances, fees from workshops and classes, festival receipts, merchandise sold through the Zeffy e-commerce platform, and donations channeled through Zeffy philanthropy. A substantial portion of operating funding is provided by public arts grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the Ville de Sherbrooke, and Services Québec / Compétence-Culture for professional training. Pricing is unit-based and modest in scale — school workshops are priced at $135–$180 plus travel, summer camp at $295 per child, dancer-performer workshops at $17–$27 per student, and adolescent classes at $175 — consistent with a small arts nonprofit. The team is led by Artistic Director Morgane Le Tiec (since January 2022, succeeding founder Francine Châteauvert) and Administrative Director Nancy Rheault, supported by a staff of approximately 9.

Name

Compagnie de danse Sursaut

Legal name

Compagnie de danse Sursaut

Website

https://sursaut.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compagnie de danse Sursaut is a nonprofit contemporary dance company in Sherbrooke, Quebec, founded in 1985, that creates, produces, and tours dance performances and educational programs for young audiences aged 18 months through adolescence across Canada and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Dance Performance

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performances
• Youth dance education
• School dance workshops
• Performing arts touring
• Dance festival programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Sherbrooke

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Performance Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from public performances and school performances through ticket sales at venues across Quebec and Canada. Shows are available for touring and presented at various theaters and cultural centers.
2. Educational Workshops and Classes: Fees charged for school workshops (creative dance, choreographic dives), dance classes for adolescents, professional training classes, and summer dance camp programs.
3. Festival Revenue: The biennial FUDGE Festival generates revenue through ticket sales and likely sponsorship. Festival is supported by public funding.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online boutique selling merchandise such as t-shirts and hoodies for productions like Printemps marmelade through Zeffy platform.
5. Public Funding and Grants: Core funding from Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), and Ville de Sherbrooke. Additional support from Services Québec and Compétence-Culture for professional training programs.
6. Donations and Philanthropy: Donations accepted through Zeffy platform. Head of philanthropic fundraising manages donor relations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Compagnie de danse Sursaut is a contemporary dance company that creates, produces, and tours live dance performances designed for young audiences (ages 18 months and up) and families. Its offerings span choreographic productions (repertoire of 30+ works), school and community dance workshops, summer dance camps, dance classes for adolescents, professional training classes for dancers, and the biennial FUDGE Festival. The company distributes these offerings through direct venue bookings, school partnerships, and national/international touring networks, supported by public arts funding.

Product overview

Compagnie de danse Sursaut is a contemporary dance company based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, specializing in performances and educational activities for young audiences and families. The company operates as a single unified offering comprising live dance productions and educational/community programs. Current productions include Printemps Marmelade, Chroniques d'une plume, Moïra, Échos, Acuna, and Moi au carré, representing the active repertoire available for touring. Educational offerings include summer dance camp, school workshops (preschool through secondary), dance classes for adolescents, and professional training classes. The company also produces the biennial FUDGE Festival, the first festival in North America dedicated exclusively to contemporary dance for young audiences. The portfolio represents a complete ecosystem supporting youth dance education from early childhood through adolescence, with productions designed for specific age groups from 18 months to adults.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FUDGE Festival: An international contemporary dance festival for young audiences, the first of its kind in North America, held biennially in Sherbrooke
• FUDGE

Products and services

• Printemps Marmelade (Spring Marmalade) A contemporary dance performance for all ages that reinterprets Botticelli's Primavera, blending raw punk energy and Renaissance poetry to explore themes of identity, social cohesion, and human relationships. Available for touring across Quebec, Canada, and internationally.
• Chroniques d'une plume (Tales of a Feather) A workshop-performance for children aged 3 to 6 in which young spectators are immersed in a playful universe with two characters and a large storybook. Designed for early-childhood audiences.
• Mo\u00efra A mysterious dance production for ages 8 and up inspired by the Greek myth of the Three Fates, featuring three women-sorcerers orchestrating destiny through mystical dance. Touring scheduled to include Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (Yellowknife) in 2027.
• \u00c9chos (Echoes) A contemporary dance production for ages 6 and up that explores the cycles of seasons and life through suspended cabins and intergenerational choreography. Francine Ch\u00e2teauvert's final choreography for the company.
• Acuna A choreographic work for the very young (18 months and older) that combines dance and circus arts in a soothing, intimate space representing birth and discovery. Designed for the youngest audiences.
• Moi au carr\u00e9 (Me Squared) A contemporary dance production that delves into the heart of adolescence, exploring identity quests through three protagonists navigating multiple 'selves'. Targeted at adolescent audiences.
• Essaim A program of short choreographic works by five young choreographers blending contemporary dance, circus arts, theatrical movement, and baroque dance.
• Summer Dance Camp (Camp de jour en danse) A week-long summer program for children aged 6 and up featuring dance workshops, choreography creation, and visual arts activities held at the Centre des arts de la sc\u00e8ne Jean-Besr\u00e9. Priced at $295 per child ($260 per additional child from same family) with subsidies available for low-income families in the Sherbrooke area.
• School Workshops (Ateliers scolaires) Dance workshops offered to schools covering preschool, elementary, and secondary levels, including the Creative Dance Workshop, Choreographic Dive, and Collective Bodies programs. Priced at $180 + tax per elementary workshop and $135 + tax per preschool workshop, plus travel expenses.
• Dance Classes for Adolescents Weekly dance classes offered to youth aged 12 to 17 at the Centre des arts de la sc\u00e8ne Jean-Besr\u00e9 in Sherbrooke. Priced at $175 (taxes included).
• Training Classes for Dance Professionals Master classes for professional dance performers offered in collaboration with the Regroupement qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois de la danse (RQD) and Art\u00e8re in Quebec City. Includes half-day ($17/student) and full-day ($27/student) formats, supported by Services Qu\u00e9bec and Comp\u00e9tence-Culture.
• FUDGE Festival A biennial international contemporary dance festival dedicated exclusively to young audiences, held in Sherbrooke. FUDGE (Festival universel de danse g\u00e9niale pour enfants) presents contemporary dance works for young audiences from local, national, and international artists.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Côté ScènecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization founded in 2009 by Sursaut, Théâtre du Double signe, and Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke to develop performing arts for young audiences and build a specialized venue for dance and theatre works.
• Centre des arts de la scène Jean-Besré (CASJB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidency venue since December 2007, unique space in Quebec dedicated to dance and theatre creation and production. Sursaut is a member of the Regroupement des compagnies résidentes du CASJB.
• Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial dance industry association providing training programs and professional development through the multiregional class initiative.
• La danse sur les routes du QuébecsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTouring and dissemination organization supporting the circulation of dance productions across Quebec.
• Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dance industry body representing and advocating for professional dance companies across Canada.
• BC Touring CouncilsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvincial touring organization facilitating dance company tours in British Columbia.
• CAPACOAsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational association representing performing arts touring and dissemination organizations across Canada.
• Ontario PresentssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvincial touring network facilitating performing arts presentations in Ontario.
• Conseil de la culture de l'EstriesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts council that initiated the founding of Sursaut in 1985 to promote professional dance development in the Eastern Townships.
• Artère (Quebec City)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec City dance organization collaborating with Sursaut to offer training classes for dance professionals.
• Danse LaurentidessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional dance organization in Laurentides collaborating with Sursaut on professional training offerings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DanseSursautDance/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/CompagniededanseSursaut
• Instagraminstagram.com/dansesursaut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compagnie-de-danse-sursaut

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 de danse Sursaut