I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of Ballet BC. I was delighted to discover Vancouver’s resident contemporary dance company when I moved here from England three years ago. Even within that short time they have grown in stature, exuding a quiet confidence in all they do. They have become highly respected by audiences, critics, and choreographers alike. The success of the company is, in large part, down to director, Emily Molnar, who skilfully broadened the appeal of Ballet BC without compromising an ounce of its artistic integrity. She has continued to push the...
Last night was opening night for Ballet BC’s first performance in the 2011/2012 season in the Queen Elizabeth Thearre. And a wonderful opening it was! A Canadian première, a world premiere and a wonderful revisiting and expansion of Doppeling ( premiere 2009) by Canadian choreographer Simone Orlando.
In the 7:00 preshow talk Vancouver Dance writer Janet Smith interviewed both visiting choreographers presented in 3 Fold: Canadian Robert Glumbek with his World Premiere Diversion, developed for Ballet BC dancers and Italian Choreographer Walter Matteini. This is the first time this Matteini’s work has been shown in Canada.. Tonight we saw...
The directors behind Ballet BC meant it when they chose the title Re/Naissance. No soft-core metaphor here.
In the opening moments of the second performance, "Things I Told Nobody," we see a body spot-lit under one low-hanging light; slowly, we sense the dancer, fetus-like on the floor and dressed in neutral swaddling, is not alone on stage. Other lights begin to shine. They’re dim but create the illusion of one body reflected in a prism or the image of countless bodies coming to life in a honeycomb.
