For over five decades, this artist has shaped contemporary dance and movement education. Her career bridges performance, teaching, and deep somatic work. It represents a rare commitment to artistic evolution.
She built her reputation as a choreographer and educator in the 1970s. In 1981, she co-founded Les Ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal with Candace Loubert. This school grew into Canada’s leading contemporary dance institution, later renamed École de danse contemporaine de Montréal.
Linda Rabin taught there from its beginning until spring 2023. Her influence trained generations of Canadian dancers. The school reshaped the country’s dance landscape through rigorous, creative training.
In the 1990s, her focus shifted toward somatic education. She became a certified Body-Mind Centering® practitioner. She also trained as an authorized teacher of Continuum Movement.
Today, her work centers on this fluid practice. It uses breath, sound, and motion to awaken the body’s innate intelligence. She treats movement as both art and spiritual discipline.
Her teaching reaches across continents—from Montreal to Europe, Asia, and Israel. She leads workshops that blend technical rigor with deep compassion. Her journey shows that true mastery means constant curiosity and adaptation.
A Journey in Dance and Early Achievements
A collaborative vision between two dance educators brought forth a revolutionary training ground for contemporary artists. This institution would reshape Canada’s dance landscape for decades.
Founding Les Ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal
In 1981, Linda Rabin and Candace Loubert launched Les Ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal. The school filled a critical gap in Canada’s dance ecosystem.
It offered rigorous technique alongside creative exploration. Students found a space where discipline met individual expression.
The institution quickly gained recognition as a leading center for contemporary dance training. Its approach balanced modernist principles with personal artistic development.
Shaping Canadian Contemporary Dance
Les Ateliers became a crucible for emerging talent. Dancers learned to trust their bodies and develop unique choreographic voices.
The school’s reputation attracted students nationwide. Alumni populated dance companies and created independent works across the country.
Linda Rabin’s teaching philosophy emphasized both technical excellence and creative risk-taking. Her four-decade commitment built a lasting legacy in Canadian dance education.
| Year | Milestone | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | School Founding | Created Canada’s premier contemporary dance training institution |
| 1980s-1990s | Rapid Growth | Attracted national student body and developed distinctive curriculum |
| 2000s | Renaming to EDCM | Signaled evolution while maintaining core teaching principles |
| 1981-2023 | Teaching Tenure | Shaped multiple generations of Canadian dancers and choreographers |
Transitioning to Somatic Education and Body-Mind Centering
After two decades of building Canada’s premier dance institution, Linda Rabin turned inward, seeking movement’s deeper currents. The 1990s marked her deliberate shift from choreography to somatic education. This pivot redefined her relationship with the body itself.
Embracing the Principles of Somatic Studies
She became a certified Body-Mind Centering® practitioner through years of dedicated study. This practice explores the body’s systems as pathways to awareness and healing. It required unlearning traditional dance training’s external focus.
Body-Mind Centering® gave her a new teaching vocabulary rooted in anatomy and cellular intelligence. As a certified practitioner, she helped artists access deeper expression. They learned how the body organizes movement from the inside out.
Integrating Dance, Theater, and Healing Practices
Her work expanded beyond studio teaching to individual coaching and creative facilitation. She blended somatic awareness with performance preparation for professional artists. This integration created a unique approach to movement education.
She also became an authorized teacher of Continuum Movement. This practice uses breath and sound to explore the body’s fluid nature. Today, Continuum sits at the heart of her teaching practice.
Her memberships in multiple somatic organizations reflect her commitment to body-based learning. She bridges different traditions through her integrative approach to somatic education.
Celebrating the Legacy of Linda Rabin in Dance and Movement
In workshops from Montreal to Asia, participants discover movement not as performance, but as a deep, personal process. This global reach defines the current chapter of her work.
She connects with people across cultures, sharing a practice that blends art with healing.
International Workshops and the Continuum Movement
As a Continuum teacher, Rabin guides groups with a rare balance of structure and freedom. Each workshop adapts to the people in the room.
The pace is slow, often involving floor work. Breath and sound become tools for exploration.
Participants might be professional dancers or individuals seeking a new connection to their bodies. The work meets them where they are.
Her teaching style offers clear cues, then steps back. This trust allows personal discoveries to flourish.
This approach honors movement as a way of life. It is a spiritual practice rooted in the body’s innate intelligence.
Through personal coaching, she also refines creative processes for artists. Her work is a living, evolving legacy.
Honoring a Life of Art, Healing, and Enduring Inspiration
The true mark of a master teacher is a legacy that lives on in the bodies and creative spirits of their students. Linda Rabin’s life in dance and somatic education embodies this principle. Her influence shapes not just stages but also personal journeys.
Her practice today bridges the worlds of art and healing. It offers a counterbalance to a fast-paced world. This work invites a deeper connection to one’s own experience.
Through international coaching, she supports artists seeking creative depth. Her approach is rooted in decades of dedicated practice. This long-term commitment gives her teaching profound authority.
Her career is a testament to integrity and evolution. She followed a genuine curiosity about movement. This path has created an enduring and inspiring body of work.
