The creation of Springboard Danse Montréal was initially sparked by the recognition of an impenetrable dance field. It was evident to Alexandra Wells that the pipeline to the job market was obstructed - from stifled access to training to the inequities within ivory tower conservatories, as well as the precarity of employment across the sector. Building upon her time as Interim Director of l’École Supérieure de Danse du Québec, Wells coordinated her network of allied visions, organizations, and resources to build the dynamic ecosystem that is Springboard today.

In harmony with Springboard’s guiding values of integrity, creativity, equity, diversity, inclusion and mentorship Alexandra connected dancers, particularly dancers of color, to employment in an effort to counteract disparities of access to jobs. She leveraged her long-standing relationships with international dance companies in order to fuel the development of the festival. Montréal, Alexandra’s former home, was a budding international destination with an incredibly rich cultural fabric and government support for arts workers. At that time, it also touted an affordable cost of living compared to other contemporary dance hubs in North America. This combination of factors provided fertile ground for Springboard's development.