Context
In 2025, Montpellier Danse and CCN (National Choreographic Centre) merged into one single new organisation: Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse.
Following deliberations, the project led by Jann Gallois, Dominique Hervieu, Pierre Martinez, and Hofesh Shechter won the jury’s unanimous support in their proposals for the future of the Agora.
Supported by the unwavering commitment to dance from the city of Montpellier, the Occitanie region, and the Ministry of Culture, this initiative aims to preserve and enhance the unique history of dance in Montpellier.
The project of the new Agora outlines an ambitious strategy for the city of Montpellier and the Occitanie region that will strengthen the territory’s place on the national and international choreographic scene.
While reinventing the Cité Internationale de la Danse, it reconnects with the pioneering spirit of this unique history carried forward for more than 40 years by Dominique Bagouet, Mathilde Monnier, Christian Rizzo, and Jean-Paul Montanari.
Guiding principles
Production, broadcasting, academic education and professional training, the process of planning a large-scale festival and a dance season, instruction in the arts and support for new artists all intertwine and mutually uplift each other within a single structure.
The new Agora therefore fulfils multiple missions that are fundamental to the art of choreography and inseparable from one another. This choreographic ecosystem is one of a kind in France and in Europe.
Integrating all staff from both Montpellier Danse and the CCN, the new Agora aims to pursue an ambitious project that can contribute to the evolution of public policies for dance, support the creation and invention of new forms, strengthen the dance sector, and better address contemporary challenges in production, dissemination, programming, and training.
Building and facilities
Both entities have enjoyed dedicated facilities for decades within an exceptional building complex at the heart of the city: the Agora, a 17th-century convent (1641), graciously provided by the city of Montpellier.
Spanning over 7,500 square meters, Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse houses specialised dance facilities, including:
• An outdoor theatre with 587 seats
• A large inner courtyard
• 8 studios, 3 of which can host audiences (capacities of 75, 120, and 200 people)
• An exhibition space
• 13 rooms for artist accommodations
• A wood construction workshop
• Storage spaces
• Various offices and workspaces
