By Victor Swoboda A few months after his 70th birthday in February 2020, Daniel Soulières stepped down from Danse-Cité, the Montreal contemporary-dance production house that he founded in 1982. Some 400 people sent congratulatory messages reflecting admiration for Soulières as a driving force in staging contemporary dance, as a dancer and as a teacher. Undoubtedly
by Victor Swoboda Balloons. Hugs. Heartfelt speeches. At Théâtre Maisonneuve on May 25, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal paid homage to 79-year-old Gradimir Pankov following a performance of his last program as artistic director. It marked the end of an 18-year era at Quebec’s largest dance company. The triple bill was characteristically Pankov. Two works by old friend Jirí Kylián were local premieres. First, the sweet folksy Evening Songs (1987) set