💫History

Danse Mode-Action

In 1992, France Dionne, a professional dancer and model, had been a fashion choreographer since the age of 20. She then launched an innovative project called Modzak Dance Troupe, which consisted of 5 dancer-models participating in fashion shows where dance was integrated to highlight the clothing. They participated in events such as the Pepsi Jeunesse Salon, and the concept was a hit.

Following the success of the troupe, interest in this new concept grew, and in 1994, France opened Mode-Action on the Plateau Mont-Royal, where she taught the integration of modern styles such as stomp and acrobatics into fashion movements. Her dancers appeared alongside models to bring the fashion shows to life, especially for sports clothing shows at Eaton and similar events. In 1996, the school performed at the Salon des amis, creating a buzz for dance classes for children. The school then expanded.

With this growth, the school had to relocate. France, having worked her entire career in the television industry, managed to secure studios at Radio-Canada from 1996 to 2000. In 2000, she found studios on St-Laurent Street, and the school moved for the last time to its current location under the name Danse Mode-Action. In 2005, taking advantage of having its own facilities and over 15 years of experience in the television industry, she opened the Casting DMA section, which later became the France Dionne Agency. Several artists were trained there, including Marina Bastarache, Kathline Gréco, Livia Martin, Sunny Boisvert, Carol-Anne Vézina, Megan Brydon, James Dhaïti, and many others.

The school continued to grow with both small and large projects, such as the opening of summer camps in 2010. In 2012, the first competition troupes were created, starting with the Youngsteez, which quickly became the Steez. In the same year, the Dance-Études program was launched in collaboration with Édouard-Montpetit High School. Over the years, other schools joined this collaboration, and the program continued to expand.