Edilson Roque was born in Rio de Janeiro, where he studied classical ballet and modern jazz at the Nos da Dança arts centre. Later, he travelled to New York to complete his training with Alvin Ailey. Following an international career as a professional dancer, including many years performing with the Oba Oba company, Edilson Roque settled in Paris as a teacher of the Horton Technique.
Currently, he teaches at differents schools and at Studio Harmonic. He is regularly invited to give workshops for professional dancers at Micadanses and at CEFEDEM in Rouen, and he also directs his own Ediroque Dance Company, which he founded in 2008. His latest piece, Sur un Air de Bossa Nova, was performed in November 2011 at the Vingtième Théâtre in Paris.

The Horton Technique
This dance technique was developed by Lester Horton (1906-1953) and remains one of the cornerstones of modern ballet. Alvin Ailey, a pupil of Horton, was among its foremost exponents.

The Horton Technique is not a style in itself but rather an approach towards performing in all dance styles. It was initially designed as corrective training and approaches the body holistically through detailed anatomical awareness. It requires the body to be positioned precisely around a strong centre. Movements rely on flexibility, extension, energy and coordination as the dancer, progressing through a series of exercises known as « fortifications », becomes increasingly aware of the depth of each move so that errors are naturally corrected. Control is achieved as the dancer understands his/her body and the rules that govern it.
This approach aims at a controlled technique which frees the dancer’s self-expression. The Horton Technique helps dancers develop the self-assurance and precision they need to dance without fear of injury, thanks to a solid core and acute bodily awareness.

Every Horton Technique session includes barre exercises which are then applied through choreographed sequences in a variety of styles.