In 2012, the annual Fringe Festival was kicked off with a large scale performance unlike anything Philadelphia had seen before. One hundred and fifty residents of all ages and dance backgrounds assembled at the foot of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, donned in the outfits of their choice, twirling into a rhythmic human kaleidoscope. Le Grand Continental® was a joyous and intoxicating dance spectacle, one that united people from across Philadelphia’s diverse communities and was praised by The Inquirer as “fantastic, a festive opening ceremony” for the Festival.

Celebrated for the elegance and finesse of his choreography, Montreal’s Sylvain Émard is the mastermind behind this acclaimed work. Since its first hometown production in 2009 it has travelled across the globe, gathering together hundreds of dance enthusiasts to perform its sensational choreography, combining festive line dancing with the fluidity and expressiveness of contemporary dance.

This year, the Fringe Festival will be ushered in once again with Émard’s unifying work, but with one key difference. As the title Le Super Grand Continental suggests, this time around Émard and his team are doing it bigger and are looking to gather 200 dancers to realize this remarkable performance. We hope that you’ll be one of them.

What is it like to dance in Le Super Grand Continental? Read about from the perspective from a dancer from Le Super Méga Continental presented in Montreal in 2017.

Auditions
No prior experience is necessary to be a part of Le Super Grand Continental, just enthusiasm and a love of dance. A good sense of rhythm and coordination is recommended. Auditions last the full two hours. Dress comfortably and bring some water.

Tue, July 10, 2018
6:30-8:30pm

All auditions held at:

Penn Ice Rink
3130 Walnut St.

We’re also casting young dancers ages 8-13 in Le Super Grand Continental. We will have four kid-specific rehearsals before the young dancers join the main cast. These will be one-hour each, exact scheduling TBD, and taking in to account availability of those who are interested. The young dancers will then join the main cast for the first hour of rehearsals August 28 & 30, September 4 & 6. They will also attend dress rehearsal the evening of September 7th, and the shows September 8th and 9th.

Rehearsals
Rehearsals begin Monday, June 25th-28. For the first 2 weeks, participants are assigned two rehearsal times (Mon & Wed or Tue & Thu). The second week of rehearsals will only take place on July 2nd and 3rd, due to the holiday. Rehearsals will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays the following week July 10 until the premiere on September 8. It is important that you commit to the entire rehearsal process. Your attendance at each rehearsal is compulsory. A $100 travel stipend will be provided to each participant.

First week of rehearsal : Monday, June 25 – Thursday, June 28 (Group A attends Monday and Wednesday, Group B attends Tuesday and Thursday)
Second week of rehearsal : Monday, July 2 & Tuesday, July 3 (Group A attends Monday, Group B attends Tuesday)
Summer Rehearsals : Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 10 – September 6, from 6:30-8:30pm
Dress rehearsal : Friday, September 7 from 6 – 9pm
Performances : Saturday, September 8 and Sunday, September 9 (3 in all)

Questions? Email LSGCauditions@fringearts.com

Featured Photo: JJ Tiziou