Ballet BC continues its dynamic 31st season at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, March 16-18. To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Canada, four unique voices in contemporary dance in Vancouver will honour this special occasion with a BC-inspired evening of works in collaboration with local designers and artists.
Under the artistic leadership of Ballet BC Artistic Director Emily Molnar, PROGRAM 2 features world premieres by choreographers Wen Wei Wang, Company 605, Lesley Telford, and the return of critically acclaimed Solo Echo by Crystal Pite.
Vancouver-based Company 605 is one of Canada’s most exciting emerging dance companies and is dedicated to producing new dance through a shared creative process. As Co-Artistic Directors, dancers and creators Lisa Gelley and Josh Martin bring a fresh, urban approach to movement, incorporating elements from their eclectic backgrounds and training. This commission will mark their first collaboration with a ballet company, bringing their intelligence and sensitive choreographic perspective to Ballet BC in a driving and compelling new work.
For this special occasion, Ballet BC will remount the critically acclaimed Solo Echo, an exquisite work by Ballet BC alumna and (Artistic Director of Kidd Pivot) Vancouver based choreographer Crystal Pite. Solo Echo describes the balancing point between the exuberant and sometimes reckless states of our ambition and fortitude in the prime of life, and the opposing force of a more collective spirit that begins to take shape in the reflection of our existence and surroundings in later years.
Vancouver native Lesley Telford displays exceptional drive, fragility and power in her choreographic voice. Ballet BC was the first professional dance company in Canada to support her work in 2014 with the audience favourite, An Instant. Most recently she has entered the international scene as a freelance choreographer producing commissions for Hubbard Street Dance Company 2, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Compañia Nacional de Danza 2.
After the success of In Motion, created for Ballet BC in 2011, Ballet BC is delighted to renew our relationship with Wen Wei Wang. Wang’s unique dance language symbolizes the Canada of today and honours the diversity of his life experiences. This commission will build on the startling and provocative works he has created as Artistic Director of Wen Wei Dance, inspiring the artists of Ballet BC, and speaking to our audience with his distinctive style and virtuosic elegance.
PROGRAM 2 plays the Queen Elizabeth Theatre at 8:00pm March 16-18, 2017. Tickets range from $21.25 to $91.25 (plus applicable charges) and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-2787 (855-985-ARTS) or online at ticketmaster.ca.
Photo: Michael Slobodian
