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Guillaume Côté, the principal dancer and associate choreographer with the National Ballet of Canada will become artistic director of Quebec’s Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur.Christopher Wahl

Guillaume Côté is best known as principal dancer and associate choreographer with the National Ballet of Canada, but he also sports an enviable reputation as a guest artist with dance companies around the world. Now he adds a new jewel to his dance crown as the incoming artistic director of Quebec's prestigious Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, an international summer dance and music festival held about an hour north of Montreal.

Côté had to do some thinking when he was approached about the job by outgoing AD Anik Bissonnette. "At 32, I'm at the peak of my career as a male dancer," he points out.

"I had to know if I could juggle my career with FASS."

Which is why Côté shadowed Bissonnette for a year as she planned her 2014 farewell season. His contribution to FASS was to be the July 31 opening night concert designed to show off his talents.

The evening was set to feature four works of Côté choreography performed by Bissonnette, Toronto contemporary ballet company ProArte-Danza, members of the National Ballet and Côté. The festival runs to Aug. 9.

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