Dance in Nantes: festivals, shows and venues

Nantes dances all year round, often without our knowing it. Here is an overview of the festivals, the venues and the styles that keep dance alive in the metropolis.

A city that dances more than you might think

We readily associate Nantes with its museums, its machines and its concerts. Yet dance holds a place here that is discreet but very real, carried by loyal festivals, committed venues and companies of every aesthetic. Whether you are simply curious or already passionate, there is nearly always something to watch, often just around the corner from you. This overview gives you a few pointers to find your way, from street hip-hop to the most demanding contemporary work.

The festivals that give the year its rhythm

Every winter, Hip Opsession sets the metropolis buzzing around hip-hop culture. Concerts, battles, dance shows and exhibitions are spread across several venues in the area, in an atmosphere that is both popular and sharp. It is a fine way in to discovering urban dance on stage, carried by high-level dancers.

Still on the dance side, the Trajectoires festival celebrates contemporary and present-day creation. Dozens of performances unfold across several venues in the metropolis, blending established companies and emerging voices. It is a chance to see more abstract, more poetic forms, and to appreciate just how much today's dance is endlessly inventing new languages.

In summer, the Voyage à Nantes turns the city into an open-air artistic trail. A green line marked on the ground links the works and the venues, and dance sometimes joins in on the corner of a square or a garden. And every winter, the Folle Journée brings a vast audience together at the Cité des Congrès around classical music, a field naturally close to the world of ballet.

Where to see dance in Nantes

Several venues regularly programme shows. The Théâtre Graslin, with Angers Nantes Opéra, hosts opera and, sometimes, ballet or dance. Le Grand T and Le Lieu Unique often open their stage to contemporary creation. TU-Nantes, on the campus, champions emerging forms, while Stereolux and the Cité des Congrès round out a varied offering. By keeping an eye on their programmes, you will nearly always find an evening that suits you.

As many styles as there are tastes

The richness of Nantes lies in its diversity. Hip-hop and street jazz bring the energy of the street, contemporary dance explores the weight of the body and improvisation, ballet cultivates rigour and line. None of these languages truly stands against the others: each tells, in its own way, the pleasure of moving. Watching shows is also the best way to discover the discipline that appeals to you most.

And if the urge to dance took hold of you

Watching dance often makes you want to try. At the Atelier du Mouvement, in the Doulon district, in east Nantes, you can explore street jazz, contemporary and many other disciplines, and each season ends with a real show on stage. If you are unsure, our find my class tool points you in the right direction in two clicks. And the first trial class is free, all year round: the simplest way to move from the audience to the stage.