Dance is not confined to the stage. It is also a way of experiencing movement, sharpening one’s perception and connecting with others. Together with local artists and partners, the CCNN develops arts and cultural education projects that bring pupils, local residents and the general public into contact with works of art and artistic practices.
BODY & GRAPHICS COURSE
Combining dance and the visual arts, this programme invites pupils to explore the links between movement and the mark it leaves. How does a movement leave its mark? How can a drawing become dance? Workshops, performances and encounters come together to form a sensory journey. Everyone is invited to experiment, observe and invent their own way of embodying movement. As part of the City of Nantes’ Artistic and Cultural Education Programme (PEAC), this project is being carried out with several classes from Nantes’ state schools.
DANCE IMMERSION – COUËRON
In Couëron, the CCNN is continuing its commitment to young people through an immersion week at the Théâtre Boris-Vian. This experience combines an introduction to the works, practical dance training and opportunities to meet others. Guided by Lise Fassier, the pupils explore the themes of travel, exile, origins and self-discovery, drawing on ideas inspired by the world of theatre and their own reflections.
MY CLASS TAKES THE R #2 – THE GRAND R, LA ROCHE-SUR-YON
For this second edition of ‘Ma classe prend l’R’, an initiative devised by Le Grand R – Scène nationale de La Roche-sur-Yon, a primary school class from a priority neighbourhood will discover *Et hop*, a creation by Salia Sanou and Rémy Kouakou Kouamé. Hosted at Le Grand R, the pupils will go behind the scenes of the Creation, take part in workshops and chat with the artists.
GROWING UP WITH CULTURE
Through the ‘Grandir avec la culture’ programme, organised by the Loire-Atlantique Department, several secondary school classes are discovering the productions on the CCNN’s programme via a series of activities combining performances, talks and workshops. This season, several projects will be developed around the creation *Et hop*.
VICTOR HUGO, FLORESKA-GUÉPIN AND GUTENGERG SECONDARY SCHOOLS
The CCNN takes school groups on a varied programme centred on dance and choreographic culture. Through public rehearsals, meetings with artists and tours of the CCNN, pupils will discover the work of the artists-in-residence and their creation processes.
SOPHIE GERMAIN SECONDARY SCHOOL AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NANTES CHOREOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
In partnership with *Le Lieu Unique*, the CCNN is offering six Year 9 classes a programme combining performances and hands-on artistic activities. The light-hearted, touring production *Et hop* will be performed at the school, whilst workshops will be led by students from the University of Nantes’ Choreography Workshop, trained by dancers from the CCN de Nantes and supervised by STAPS lecturers. This collaboration offers these future teachers their first hands-on experience of teaching, in line with the focus on young people, training and the passing on of knowledge within Salia Sanou’s artistic project for the National Choreographic Centre of Nantes.
ET HOP – BELLEVUE DISTRICT – NANTES
The CCNN is launching the initial stages of a new twinning scheme with the Bellevue neighbourhood. This long-term project will begin in autumn 2026 with a focus on young people, through the creation of ‘Et hop’, developed in partnership with schools and local organisations. Centred on the Lindy Hop, the project invites children, families and educational teams to discover the African heritage of popular dances through a programme combining performances, practical sessions and discussion.
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES > DANCE, BOXING AND CITIZENSHIP
For a week, young people aged 8 to 15 from the Bellevue neighbourhood are discovering contemporary dance and boxing through a programme combining practical sessions, meetings and Creation activities. Inspired by Salia Sanou’s À nos combats, this project promotes self-expression, cooperation, respect for others and cultural openness.
As part of the ‘Cultural Holidays’ programme, supported by the Ministry of Culture / DRAC Pays de la Loire.
SAINT DOMINQUE SECONDARY SCHOOL
A partner of the Lycée Saint-Dominique for over a decade, the CCNN continues its commitment to Year 11 and Year 12 pupils as part of the specialist dance course, combining choreographic practice, artistic culture and theoretical input.
NELSON MANDELA SECONDARY SCHOOL > FROM WORDS TO ACTION
For the second year running, the CCNN is working with Year 13 students specialising in Dance at Nelson Mandela Sixth Form College. This season, they will be carrying out a unique project – alongside Year 13 S2TMD Music students – focusing on notation and transmission, under the guidance of composer and educator Martin Moulin. What is a musical score? What is notation? How does the written word become dance or music? How can movement become music? Throughout the year, the pupils will explore these questions through a variety of written texts. They will explore the connections between the body, sound, movement and notation, ultimately composing an original score, which they will then perform collectively at the CCNN on 15 April 2027.