BOOST is a free intensive training program open to self-taught dancers of all styles, aged 18 to 25, who wish to enter the professional world of creative dance.
All dance styles are welcome: urban and contemporary dance, club dance, cabaret, flamenco, world dance, etc. Recruitment is open to dancers with excellent technical and artistic skills, whether they have a high school diploma or not.
Accessible by audition, BOOST is part of an approach promoting social diversity and equal opportunities: selection based on social criteria, dance level, motivation and artistic curiosity.
Passion, commitment, teamwork: a program that highlights the uniqueness of young dancers
BOOST supports a new generation of self-taught choreographers who have not benefited from academic training (conservatory, university, art school, etc.) and promotes their integration into the professional world of creative dance.
BOOST places a central place on singularity and gives these young people the opportunity to develop artistically while remaining true to their aesthetic choices.
BOOST is a 10-month full-time programme (Monday to Friday) based on a collective teaching approach, offering :
- Consolidate their technical dance skills and develop their artistic qualities by exploring different aesthetics.
- Master methodological tools for improvisation and composition.
- Develop a personal creative project.
- Develop an eye for dance, a knowledge of dance history and a strong connection with contemporary creation
- Achieve a level of professionalism (definition of a professional project, professional status of creative professions, writing artistic portfolio, production budgets and schedules, promotion and distribution of works, building a network, etc.).
Classes are taught by nationally and internationally renowned artists and cultural professionals.
As part of the Agora, BOOST allows dancers to develop in a stimulating artistic environment. They benefit from a program of meetings with choreographers from the Agora’s programming and attend the season’s and festival’s performances.
Supporting a new generation of choreographic artists
BOOST supports the diversification of choreographic artists’ profiles in the current creative environment; this is why each dancer is individually monitored by the teaching team to ensure their achievement of their own professionalization goals.
Many thanks to the BNP Paribas Foundation for its structural support.
This training program is supported by the MIRANDA program, which receives government funding managed by the French National Research Agency under France 2030, reference ANR-23-EXES-0008, as well as an investment grant from the Occitanie Region.
Want to apply?
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When and how to join BOOST?
BOOST is accessible via an audition process for which applications are currently being accepted and will close at midnight on Sunday 5 April 2026. Please click on the following link and complete the online form, attaching the requested documents. A confirmation message will appear.
If you encounter any difficulties, please write to boost@agora-cid.com
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What documents are required for the application?
Required documents:
- A letter of motivation (Word or PDF format, 1 page) written according to the following instructions: describe, in your own words, everything that motivates your desire to become a professional artist: dreams, desires, expectations, encounters, questions. Formalise your commitment to attend regularly and complete the entire training program.
- A Curriculum vitæ describing your dance and academic background.
- A video of a solo performance: maximum duration 2 minutes, viewable online (please provide passwords if necessary).
Additional attachments (optional): artist portfolios and up to 2 letters of recommendations.
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Who is on the selection jury?
It is composed of Dominique Hervieu and Jann Gallois (co-directors of the Agora), Lisa Combettes, head of the Agora’s educational project, and the choreographer Amala Dianor.
Individual interviews conclude the audition process. They will be held in the presence of Alix de Morant, University Professor.
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What are the registration and tuition fees?
Tuition fees range from €200 to €600 (payable in September 2026), depending on the learner’s profile. They may be fully covered by Agora, after applying the social criteria for each learner.
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How long is the program?
The program begins at the end of September 2026 and ends at the beginning of July 2027. From mid-September 2026, a registration phase requires the presence of the students.
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What subjects are taught at BOOST?
- Physical practice and technical exploration of various aesthetics
- Choreographic composition and improvisation classes
- Development of a personal creative project
- Development of a group creation
- History of dance
- Analysis of works and the spectator’s journey / choreographic culture
- Knowledge of the challenges of EAC
- Knowledge of the regional and national cultural ecosystem/networks
- Basic knowledge of performing arts administration/production/communication/intermittent work
Individualised support is offered to each artist to optimise their professional development. Studios are available for choreographic exploration, as well as a fully equipped office for writing work.
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Who can apply?
Choreographic artists aged 18 to 25 who have not received academic training (conservatories, universities, art schools, etc.) and who demonstrate excellent technical and artistic skills. All styles (urban, contemporary, traditional, social, world dance, cabaret, etc.) are welcome.
Applications are now open
To apply for the BOOST training program at Agora, please click on the button below to complete the online application form before 5 April 2026 (midnight).
After an initial selection based on applications, twenty-five candidates will be invited to an audition on Saturday 11 April from 9am to 7pm at the Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse in Montpellier. Twelve candidates will be selected for the first edition of BOOST, which will take place from 30 September 2026 to 4 July 2027.
A supplementary list will be drawn up, comprising three candidates, who will receive the final decision at the end of May 2026.
