Linda Rabin brings to her teaching more than 50 years of experience in dance, movement education, coaching and directing. As a Canadian dance pioneer, Linda has contributed to the emergence of several generations of dancers in this country. As a somatic practitioner, she facilitates individuals and professional artists to realize their personal, creative and performance processes.
A graduate of the Juilliard School (BFA in dance, 1967), she worked as rehearsal director and teacher for Israel’s Batsheva Company and with Ballet Rambert in London, England. She taught and choreographed extensively across Canada for many of the country’s major dance companies, professional schools and university dance programs. Her unique perspective on dance was deeply informed by studies in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, in the Alexander technique with Rika Cohen & Katya Michaeli, Pilates with Bob Fitzgerald, Ideokinesis with Lulu Sweigard, Kinetic Awareness with Elaine Summers, as well as Voice and Theater with Ann Skinner and Richard Pochinko.
The desire to integrate mainstream dance training with creative and personal processes, led Linda with colleague Candace Loubert, to co-found Les ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal (LADMMI) in 1981. Today it is recognized as one of Canada’s leading professional schools in contemporary dance training. In 2012 the school was renamed L’école de danse contemporaine de Montréal (EDCM).
Thirty years ago Linda oriented her focus on Somatic Education. She studied Experiential Anatomy and Infant Developmental Movement Patterns, to become a certified practitioner of Body-Mind Centering®, the work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. During that time she discovered Continuum and began intensive studies with founder, Emilie Conrad and with Susan Harper, creator of Continuum Montage. In 2001 Linda was made an authorized teacher of Continuum, and maintained a mentor relationship with Emilie until her passing in May 2014. While Linda draws upon her background in Dance, Theater, Body-Mind Centering® and other Somatic Studies, Continuum dwells at the heart of her practice today.
As an international workshop leader, Linda teaches in her native Montreal, in Canada, Europe, Asia and Israel. Her love for travel, languages and meetings with people of different cultures has brought her to countries around the world. She shares her life passion with people from all walks of life: movement as art and creative research, as a transformational and healing process, and as the fundamental expression of Life.
Linda is a founding member of CTA (Continuum Teachers Association), a member of BMCA (Body-Mind Centering Association), ISMETA (International somatic education and therapy association), RES (regroupement pour l’éducation somatique), RQD (Regroupement québecois de la danse)
- 2018, honoured by the Quebec Ministry of Education as a Distinguished Member of l’Ordre de l’excellence en éducation.
- 2019, Member of the Order of Canada.
- 2020, honorary award, Le prix de la danse de Montréal, Contribution Exceptionnelle.
- 2022, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, lifetime achievement in dance