Funding Gap Poses Risk to North America’s French Ballet School

The École supérieure de ballet du Québec (ESBQ), North America’s only professional classical ballet school offering training in French, marks its 60th anniversary amidst financial challenges, receiving only minimal increases in government funding over decades. Students like Léo Lussier, who spend up to 12 hours daily training, consider it their second home and fear for its future. The school is requesting an additional $1.1 million annually to maintain its high-performance training environment. Without this support, difficult decisions about essential programs and services may be necessary, impacting the next generation of dancers.