Danse Danse Will Perform HAMLET by Robert Lepage and Guillaume Côté in Montreal

Hamlet, the creation of Guillaume Côté and Robert Lepage will return to the stage in May. Transcending words to reveal the character's shadows and deep humanity, the creators took on the challenge of approaching this mythical work solely through dance—delivered by an ensemble of nine virtuoso performers, inventive set design, and John Gzowski's musical score. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark transports us to a world of deceptive appearances, where ghosts and humans mingle. Presented by Danse Danse, the show runs from May 13 to 23, 2026 at Salle Ludger-Duvernay, Monument-National.

Shakespeare's legendary play, renowned for its tormented hero, is given a new life through a purely dance-based interpretation and an audacious fusion of modernity and tradition. Movement replaces words to create an extraordinary emotional and visual experience. 

Robert Lepage, known for his knowledge of Hamlet, which he has both staged and performed, brings to this creation all the richness of his theatrical expertise. His unique vision combines with the choreographic ingenuity of Guillaume Côté. The founder of theater company Ex Machina and the founder of Côté Danse form a winning duo, making this new interpretation accessible to dance lovers and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike.

About Guillaume Côté

As a guest artist, Mr. Côté has danced with The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Theatre, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, English National Ballet, the Mikhailosky Theater of St-Petersburg, New York City Ballet, Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, Berlin's Staatsoper, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Stuttgart Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, the Alberta Ballet, Verona Opera and the South African Ballet Theater. Mr. Côté has also performed in numerous international galas.

In 2013, in addition to his position as a Principal Dancer, Mr. Côté assumed the role of Choreographic Associate with The National Ballet of Canada and today eight of his works are part of the company's repertoire. In 2012, his work Enkeli won the Audience Choice Award for Best Choreography at The Tenth International Competition for The Erik Bruhn Prize. That same year, his work for ProArteDanza, Fractals: a pattern of chaos, was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Choreography. In 2013, his work Being and Nothingness entered The National Ballet of Canada's repertoire and after its initial success, the work is extended and presented in 2015 and again in 2019 during an international tour ending in Russia. Mr. Côté's first full-length ballet, Le Petit Prince, was presented during the National Ballet's 2016 season in front of sold-out houses. In 2017, Mr. Côté was chosen to participate in the landmark National Arts Centre Commission Encount3rs, pairing three of Canada's outstanding choreographic talents with three of the country's most exciting composers performing together with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In June of 2018, Mr. Côté created in collaboration with the famed Director Robert Lepage, Frame by Frame, a new full-length evening presented at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto. In 2019, he created Crypto, an independent full-evening work presented on a national tour of 20 performances.

In 2021, Guillaume Côté founded his own company Côté Danse focused on the multidisciplinary creation of innovative works with the mission of making dance seen and experienced differently. In the summer of 2021, he created +(dix), presented at the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur and then at the Fall for Dance North in Toronto. Also in 2021, he created Touch with Thomas Payette, an immersive multidisciplinary work that was presented 83 times in Toronto to sold-out houses.

In 2011, Mr. Côté was awarded La médaille de l'Assemblée Nationale du Québec for his work in the arts. In September 2014, Mr. Côté was named the Artistic Director of the Festival des Arts de Saint Sauveur, the largest summer dance festival in the country.

In 2021, Mr. Côté was appointed a Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Québec, the highest distinction given by the government of Quebec.

About Robert Lepage

From a very early age, Robert Lepage takes a keen interest in geography, but his growing passion for theatre dictates his choice of career: he enrolls at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec in 1975. After an internship with Alain Knapp in Paris in 1978, he returns to his hometown, where he develops the great artistic versatility for which he is known.

The year 1994 marks an important step in his career: he founds Ex Machina, a multidisciplinary creation company of which he is the artistic director. Also under his leadership, the multidisciplinary production center, La Caserne, is created in June 1997, in Quebec City. This last creative space sees the birth of almost all of Ex Machina's productions until 2019.

Robert Lepage's visionary side and will to create led him to promote and implement the construction of Le Diamant theatre in the heart of Quebec City. Inaugurated in August 2019, this new and unique cultural venue is intended to be an anchor point for the public, emerging artists and creators from all horizons.