Centre Uriel

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CENTRE URIEL

Official blazon

Arms : Azure semé of fleurs-de-lis Or and roses Argent, a chaussé Or
Crest : A demi-figure of Terpsichore affronty proper vested Azure holding in her dexter hand a pair of pointe shoes and in her sinister hand a lyre Or
Supporters : Two swan-gazelles Argent, winged, beaked and unguled Or, standing on a ballet bar Or
Motto: SPIRITUS IN MOTU

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on November 20, 2009. Previously granted to La Compagnie Christiane Bélanger (Quebec City Ballet) on February 20, 2009.

The V dividing the shield suggests a ballet slipper and pays tribute to Christiane Bélanger, founder of the Quebec City Ballet. The fleurs-de-lis symbolize Quebec and the city that shares its name, where the company was founded. The roses symbolize ballet itself: magnificent and barbed, they illustrate the ultimate grace born of the union of beauty and pain. The placement of the fleurs-de-lis and roses in chief represents the spectators attending the various performances.

Terpsichore, the muse of dance, suggests that ballet is a perfect and ancient art form. The muse is holding a pair of ballet slippers and a harp, symbolizing the union of music and dance.

The half-swan, half-gazelle hybrid animal represents the grace and power of ballet. The swan alludes to Swan Lake, the symbol par excellence of ballet, while the gazelle is an agile and graceful animal. The ballet bar upon which they are standing represents that important tool that dancers use every day.

The motto “Spirit in motion” pays tribute to the movement of the dancers’ bodies as a direct expression of their personal and collective spirit. The motto also refers to the founding of the Quebec City Ballet and the fact that it is the realization of an idea, of a long-cherished dream.