MISSION
Since 2017, RD Créations (RDC) has been conceiving, producing and disseminating dance creations and interdisciplinary Afro-contemporary artistic projects led by its founder, artistic director and choreographer Rhodnie Désir. Based in Montreal, the organization works locally, nationally and internationally, adopting an approach based on artistic innovation and civic engagement. RDC questions socio-political dynamics, stimulates the collective imagination, values the memory of peoples and promotes the transmission of knowledge, thus contributing to the accessibility and democratization of culture, as well as to the dynamism of the cultural sector.
RDC's productions include a wide range of cultural and educational initiatives (conferences, exhibitions, documentary series, etc.), reinforcing the links between the performing arts and other disciplines. Through a pioneering choreographic-documentary approach, rooted in authenticity and contemporaneity, RDC stands out as a major creative force.
Driven by a mission of social justice and inclusion, Rhodnie Désir sees her work as a true voice for marginalised and under-represented communities, promoting their visibility and cultural participation. Her work is rooted in a commitment to cultural mediation, democratization and outreach, affirming RDC as a key player in the arts and culture sector.
Convinced of the potential for creating a multiplicity of artistic mediums around a single choreographic work, Rhodnie Désir is developing an approach in which creation evolves according to the social and cultural realities of the communities in question. Her approach, resolutely decolonial and Creole (i.e., an act of resistance through cultural re-creation, stemming from “marronnage”, (derived from the French word “marron” meaning “name given in colonial times, when slaves fled of the property of their masters”), calling for both the preservation of African knowledge and the mixed codification of knowledge originating from dominant cultures), is based on ancestry, respect for multiple traditions and the development of collaborations based on listening, exchange and encounters.
RDC establishes multi-faceted partnerships - whether artistic, political, community, governmental or academic - to build bridges between the natural, human, social, health and environmental sciences. This interconnection between the arts and sciences enables us to produce works that are part of a dynamic of transmission and archiving of collective memories.
Through this innovative approach, RDC has positioned itself as a key player in the renewal of contemporary artistic practices, working to decolonize narratives and make marginalized voices more visible. By embracing humanity as the driving force behind creation, the organization rethinks forms of expression and interpretation, reinforcing the social, educational and heritage impact of its productions.
Désir began her creative journey in 2009, then founded RDC in 2017. The company has 28 productions to its credit, including Symphonie de coeurs (2024), TÈ BIOSPHÈRE et TÈ BIC (2023), MWON'D (2022), BOW'T-Tio'tia: ke (2021), BOW'T TRAIL Rétrospek (2020), Dusk Society (2017) and the entire BOW'T TRAIL project, which includes 6 recreations of the BOW'T oeuvre conceived and broadcast internationally from 2013 to 2019: Matnik, Brazil, Ayiti, Mexico, Halifax, New Orleans. Prior to 2017, Désir had a repertoire of 6 choreographic productions (VÍ, VÍ[REC], É'TA, BOW'T, AYEWA, D2US'T).
Her latest work, Symphonie de coeurs (SYDC), was produced in collaboration with the three co-producers and presenters: Danse Danse (Montreal), National Arts Centre - NAC (Ottawa) and LAC Lugano arte e cultura (Lugano, Switzerland); major partners (NAC National Creation Fund, the National Film Board - NFB, the Canada Council for the Arts); principal partner (Fonds de recherche du Québec - FRQ); creation partners (Montreal Heart Institute - MHI, Instituto cardiocentro Ticino, Place des arts); and 3 international orchestras (Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestre Svizzera Italiana and the NAC Orchestra).
RDC is the recipient of several honors: the Sandra Faire Next Generation Award 2022, entering the prestigious ranks of the Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame; the Dancer of the Year Award (Gala Dynastie 2022); the Prix de la danse de Montréal (Grand Prix and Prix Envol 2020); and Désir's inclusion as one of Dance Magazine's “25 to Watch 2021”. RDC was also part of the Canadian delegation at the Tanzmesse Internationale in Germany in 2022.
An incubator for a unique artistic approach entitled choreography-documentary (CD), RDC believes in the sustainability of its works and its expansion, as illustrated by the successful BOW'T TRAIL (BT), its ambassadorial piece, which is a historical, anthropological, social and artistic quest into the cultural heritage of the slave trade. It bears the UNESCO Slave Route label and is part of the United Nations' 2 Decades for the Recognition of People of African Descent (2015-2024 and 2025-2034). BT was also the only North American and dance production representing Afrodescendance during the Francophone Programming of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (2016), at the invitation of Michaëlle Jean and the late Manu Dibango, and the only Canadian project in the La mémoire et l'histoire de l'esclavage des artistes conference (UNESCO, 2014).
RDC has developed an ambitious collaboration with Radio-Canada to illustrate the BT's journey with a web series, a web documentary and a medium-length film broadcast on its platforms. It has set up the BOW'T TRAIL Jeunes Leaders youth project, developed in Florida (2021), inviting high school students to create “their own BT”. At the same time, the exhibition CONVERSATIONS, translating the liminal universe of the BT, was created at the celebrated John & Mable Ringling Museum, establishing itself as a new way to discover the iconic route.
RDC's projects have revealed a capacity to invest in a variety of environments. The attraction of scientific, social and artistic knowledge has led the company to receive international invitations to collaborate, and Désir to become the first Associate Artist of Place des Arts.
