Chantal Caron - Fleuve | Espace danse

At the source

Born with both feet in the water of the Saint Lawrence River, she has been dancing and building an imaginary world on the shores since the age of 4. In the absence of dance training near her village, she began her studies in Montreal at the age of 19.

“The dry landscapes, the nordicity, our territory, the beauty of where we live … I’m proud of it and I longed to talk about it more.”

– Chantal Caron

Opening the doors

Desiring to foster accessibility to dance in the region and democratize contemporary dance, Chantal founded l’École de danse Chantal Caron in her hometown of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec, in 1986. Her daughter, Éléonar Caron St-Pierre, now runs the dance school.

The river as signature

20 years later, she created Fleuve | Espace danse company and developed an outdoor choreographic and cinematographic specialty, inspired by the magnificence of the Saint Lawrence River as well as the preciousness of its ecosystems.

“Chantal Caron is renowned for the strength of her devotion to democratize contemporary dance and take it off the beaten track. Mastering in situ performance as finely as videodance, she presents strikingly beautiful works that travel from the shores of the Saint Lawrence to the four corners of the globe.”

– Jury of Artist of the Year — Chaudière-Appalaches prize, granted by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec

High honours

In 2018, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada “for her artistic creations showcasing natural heritage and her contribution to the development of the next generation of dancers.” In 2025, she received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her important contributions to the community and country.

Arts and nature laureate

Her commitment to the environment and her region’s community also led to her being named a St. Lawrence Ambassador by the David Suzuki Foundation, and a recipient of the prize for Artist of the Year — Chaudière-Appalaches by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec in 2023.

At the four corners of the globe

Her short dance films have been selected by several prestigious international film festivals and received various honours. Her in situ performances have been notably performed in Norway, France, the United States, and in western and eastern Canada.