Our History

History and Milestones

2014

First edition of the NSL lab in the studios of the Dance Department of UQAM, led by

Alexis Trépanier


2015

Catherine Dagenais-Savard and Stéphanie Juteau join Alexis in order to promote NSL

to the students and recent graduates from the dance programs at Concordia and École de

danse contemporaine de Montreal.


2016

Étienne Lambert and Marie-Chantale Béland join the team to launch the first edition of

the lab in Quebec City, at the École de danse de Québec.


2017

La Maison pour la danse de Québec become a partner and offer studio space for the

Quebec labs. Partnerships are also created with Café In in Quebec City et Café Reine-Garçon

and Bagel & Café in Montreal in order to facilitate the pre-lab conversations. Stefania

Skoryna and Lucy Fandel join the Montreal team.


2018

Recognition of the labs in Montreal and Quebec City grows, leading to a record

number of creative processes and workshops.

November 7th, 2018: NSL officially becomes a non-profit organization


2019

The Quebec City team gains a new organizer, Miguel Fontaine, and the Montreal team

welcomes two interns, Chloe Hart and Solana Del Bel Belluz. NSL also receives its first grant

from the Montreal Arts Council.


2020

The Montreal team continues to grow, gaining two new organizers, Mateo Chauchat

and Sophie Levasseur, and a seasoned administrator for the board of directors, François Bellefeuille (“L’organisme”).

NSL also welcomes an intern for the summer, Alison Robertson, to work on achieving.

2021

For the second year in a row, the labs take place outside, exclusively, giving the participants the chance to discover the public outside spaces Montreal and Quebec City have to offer to spark inspiration and create.

Rameez Karim joins us as this year’s intern to work on a branding plan and the communication team.

2022

The team welcomes a new matchmaker, Cara Roy and a new intern, Éléonore Emond-Fontaine, to join the communication team.