A SCHOOL FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN DANCE
A training programme by the CND (Centre National de la Danse), run in Toulouse by La Place de la Danse – CDCN Toulouse Occitanie and Lieu NEUFNEUF
Project overview
This dance training programme stands as a space for inventiveness, experimentation, research and learning, allowing young dancers to discover and explore new artistic fields together. Meetings with artists, the classes and workshops on offer, and performances seen together move across different worlds of dance, offering students dedicated moments of reflection and guidance to help them better envisage the next steps in their journey. So that every young person can access ÉLAN, making it free of charge for students is one of the project’s founding principles.
ÉLAN is a complementary training programme aimed at 15- to 19-year-olds. It will run over the 2026–2027 school year, with week-long sessions during school holidays, certain weekends, and outings to see performances. The candidates selected will form that year’s cohort and will follow the full programme together.
This is the first time ÉLAN has been offered at a cultural organisation other than the CND.
ÉLAN is free of charge for students, fully covered by La Place de la Danse.
Meals are shared and funded by La Place de la Danse on training days.
Only travel to reach the training venues remains the responsibility of students.
Presentation of the CND
A public institution created at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, the Centre National de la Danse (National Dance Centre) brings together all the resources dedicated to the choreographic sector and its audiences. The CND supports and trains professional dancers, promotes amateur practice and access to dance for all, supports research, preserves and shares choreographic heritage, and supports the creation and touring of choreographic works.
As part of these missions, the CND launched, in 2021, a school of equal opportunity for dance, named Élan, aimed at opening pathways into professional careers in dance.
Joining ÉLAN
The programme is aimed at young people who already have some experience in dance (all dance forms are welcome):
· aged 15 to 19;
· who have a strong interest in dance, along with motivation, perseverance and curiosity;
· who commit to actively taking part in the entire programme, with parental consent (if under 18);
· residing in Haute-Garonne.
Please note: priority is given to candidates based on their families’ socio-economic situation, for households with income below a certain threshold (see the “Social Criteria” document).
The programme is centred on contemporary dance, but is open to all candidates, regardless of the technique or physical practice in which they have trained.
The aims of ÉLAN
ÉLAN enables all participants to:
· strengthen their technical and artistic skills;
· develop their knowledge of dance and broaden their cultural references;
· acquire new tools;
· gain greater independence;
· learn about careers in the dance sector, to help them envisage their own future path;
· understand that careers in dance are open to everyone;
· take the first steps towards a possible artistic career.
Provisional programme
– 3 weeks of training during the 2026–2027 school holidays
– 4 weekends during the school year
– Audience programme (attending a selection of performances, meeting artists, discussion sessions, discovering the history of contemporary dance…)
IMPORTANT: the final teaching programme and schedule will be given to students and their families at the end of July 2026.
Hours:
11am to 5pm
Holiday modules: Monday to Friday
Weekends: Saturday only, or the full weekend
Venues:
Practice sessions and encounters will take place in La Place de la Danse’s Studio de résidence (Saint-Cyprien district), as well as at our partner venues in Toulouse (Lieu NEUFNEUF, cultural centres, Cercle Laïc Jean Chaubet…).
Teaching supervision:
La Place de la Danse’s teaching team will follow students throughout the programme and support them in developing their personal project.
Each student’s attendance and involvement throughout the training sessions are essential to ÉLAN’s success.
Please note: this programme does not lead to a qualification.
At the end, students will receive a certificate of completion outlining the path they followed.
The programme is collective and alternates between:
– Practice sessions led by artists (dancers and choreographers)
– Meetings with artists (associate artist, company in residence, companies hosted for a performance…)
– Sharing experiences with an artist
– Theoretical input from La Place de la Danse’s outreach team
– Attending performances at various venues across Toulouse
ÉLAN is a programme run by the CND (Centre National de la Danse).
ÉLAN Toulouse is delivered with the support of the Caisse des Dépôts, principal sponsor.
