From March 8 to 16 2026, Rafik Hubert Sabbagh, founder and artistic director of FQD, led a strategic mission to the Dansa Metropolitana festival. This prospecting trip aimed to consolidate the festival’s international presence and support the promotion of Quebec dance to European presenters.
It was under this mission that choreographer Pauline Gervais (Pauline Berndsen Danse company) presented the world premiere of her solo INSECTA on March 14th. Hosted at La Caldera, a leading creative center in Spain, the work was performed twice in a studio-theater setting, fostering a direct encounter with the audience.
The reception was particularly warm: the festival director, Giulia Poltronieri, personally praised the power of this visceral exploration. For Pauline Berndsen Danse, this success confirms the interest of international stages in committed feminist art and opens up concrete discussions for future tours.
The following day, the exchange continued at the Plaza de los Enamorados (Cornellà) with a free dance workshop. Outdoors, Pauline Gervais shared the organic world of her creation with about ten families, transforming this Barcelona stopover into a genuine moment of intercultural exchange.
This bilateral dialogue will resonate in Montreal: Catalan choreographers have already been invited to the 24th edition of the FQD, from September 10 to 20, 2026. Montreal audiences will thus have the opportunity to discover the richness of this contemporary scene.
Stay tuned to follow the continuatity of this international exchange!
