Program 1 Petite Cérémonie Medhi Walerski
To this day Emily Molnar
Enemy in the Figure
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A message from Ballet BC Welcome to the opening program of Ballet BC’s 2018/19 season! This season, we celebrate 10 years of inspiring dance under the artistic direction of Emily Molnar. Building on the past decade, we open with an evening of riveting works by leading choreographic voices. Thank you for joining us as we present the return of audience favourite, Petite Cérémonie by Medhi Walerski, a world premiere inspired by the music of Jimi Hendrix and the Canadian premiere of the critically acclaimed Enemy in the Figure by William Forsythe. Just on the heels of his Romeo + Juliet, Medhi Walerski’s Petite Cérémonie is a delight to present to Vancouver audiences. Humorous and thought provoking, the piece is a dazzling showcase of movement and ideas that features the talents of our company of artists. Commissioned for Ballet BC in 2011, Walerski creates a sensitive and episodic dialogue about relationships inspired by the concept of ‘life in a box’. He is known for creations that are “out of this world...a dreamlike experience.” To celebrate her 10th season as Artistic Director, Emily collaborates with the artists of Ballet BC to create a daring yet intimate landscape that brings her signature expressive style in conversation with the music of Jimi Hendrix. With each of her new works there lies a boldness in craft an a deep sense of connection between the idea and the artist: “The choreographic process continues to enthrall and humble me with each and every attempt.” We close the program with William Forsythe’s ground-breaking Enemy in the Figure. Created in 1989, the piece pushed 20th century contemporary ballet to new extremes. A dynamic theatrical display, chaos edges on the unknown as shadow images unexpectedly emerge against the driving score by long-time collaborator, Dutch composer Thom Willems. Forsythe continues to galvanize the dance world with his innovative thinking: “if dance only does what we assume it can do, it will expire.” Ballet BC is proud to bring this thrilling masterwork to Canada for the first time.
Our highly anticipated season continues in February with Jorma Elo’s critically acclaimed 1st Flash, the first North American commission by emerging choreographer Adi Salant, and the highly anticipated return of Schachmatt by Cayetano Soto. We conclude the season in May with the North American premiere of Bedroom Folk by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, a world premiere by Vancouver-based dance maker Serge Bennathan, and the return of Ohad Naharin’s renowned Minus 16. In 2018/19 we look forward to deepening our connection and engagement with the greater national and international communities. We are pleased to share our work as we travel through the season to perform in Madrid, Luxembourg, Darmstadt, Tel-Aviv, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Ottawa, Halifax, Toronto, Des Moines, New York City and other venues soon to be announced. Be sure to visit our website for more details! Our programming could not be produced without the dedicated participation and generous gifts from our audience, volunteers, sponsors, and patrons. We would like to express our deepest appreciation for the tremendous, steadfast support we receive from our Founders’ Council members, subscribers, government and private funding agencies, our entire hard-working staff and team, our dedicated Board of Directors, individual donors, in-kind contributors, the Ballet BC Up committee, and volunteers who passionately support our work. And last, but not least, we are incredibly humbled by the support of our Platinum Season Sponsor, BMO, our Community Balcony Sponsor, Simons, our Performance Sponsor, Wells Fargo, our Hotel Sponsor, Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotels, as well as our Media Sponsors, Georgia Straight, and City Vancouver/ Omni Television. Thank you for being here tonight; your support means so much to us at Ballet BC. We look forward to seeing you throughout the season. Enjoy the performance! –Emily & John
In MemoriAm
Ballet BC dedicates this opening program of the season to Julie Poskitt. A dedicated and passionate advocate who helped so many realize their artistic vision across the province and country. An artist in her own right, and a beautiful human being. We will deeply miss her.
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Petite Cérémonie
To this day
Choreographer and Scenic Design: Medhi Walerski
Choreography: Emily Molnar in collaboration with the artists of Ballet BC
Lighting Design: Bonnie Beecher Costume Design: Linda Chow Music
Musical selections by Mozart, Bellini, Rodgers & Hart and Vivaldi compiled by Medhi Walerski Blue Moon
Composed by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers Performed by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra with Helen Ward
Used by permission by EMI Robbins Catalog Inc. (ASCAP) administered in Canada by Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada (SOCAN). All rights reserved. Master Recording courtesy of Sony Music/Columbia.
The Serenade N 10 in B Flat major (Gran Partita)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Performed by Jean Jacques & Tapiola Sinfonietta
Used by permission of BIS Records, Sweden.
Winter
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Bournemouth Sinfonietta Used by permission of Chandos Records Ltd, CHAN 6697.
Performers: Brandon Alley, Anna Bekirova*, Emily Chessa, Parker Finley (Nov 1, 3), Alexis Fletcher, Scott Fowler, Miriam Gittens*, Kiera Hill, Patrick Kilbane, Racheal Prince, Justin Rapaport, Gilbert Small, Peter Smida, Dex van ter Meij* (Nov 1, 3), Nicole Ward, Sophie Whittome* (Nov 2), Zenon Zubyk* (Nov 2)
World Premiere, November 2018, Ballet BC
World Premiere, February 2011, Ballet BC
program
Lighting Design: James Proudfoot Costume Design: Kate Burrows
Assistant to the choreographer: Alexis Fletcher Music
“BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN”
Words and Music by WILLIAM BELL, BOOKER T. JONES JR.
© UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING CANADA ON BEHALF OF IRVING MUSIC, INC./75%
Not for broadcast transmission. All rights reserved. DO NOT DUPLICATE. Cotillion Music Inc. (BMI) Master Recording Courtesy of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. under exclusive license by Sony Music Entertainment
“ONCE I HAD A WOMAN” and “VOODOO CHILE Blues”
Words and Music by JIMI HENDRIX
© UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING CANADA ON BEHALF OF EXPERIENCE HENDRIX, L.L.C
Not for broadcast transmission. All rights reserved. DO NOT DUPLICATE. Master Recording Courtesy of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. under exclusive license by Sony Music Entertainment Special thanks to Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. for permission.
Performers: Brandon Alley, Anna Bekirova*, Emily Chessa, Parker Finley, Scott Fowler, Miriam Gittens*, Kiera Hill, Patrick Kilbane, Racheal Prince, Justin Rapaport, Peter Smida, Dex van ter Meij*, Nicole Ward, Sophie Whittome*, Zenon Zubyk* *Emerging Artist
*Emerging Artist
A special thank you to the dancers for their creative generosity throughout the process. A group of people searching for the right space the perfect balance. Men and Women. Different brains. Boxes and wires trying to connect, to create a congruent image.
INTERMISSION
As a starting point I asked the dancers to tell me what ‘life in a box’ meant to them. This is what came out. I would like to thank the dancers for their work, creativity and positivity, as well as Sylvain Senez and Emily Molnar for their support.
INTERMISSION 4
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program
World premiere, May 1989, Operahouse Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
Enemy in the Figure Choreographer: William Forsythe Music
Thom Willems Stage, lights & costumes: William Forsythe Staging: Thomas McManus, Ayman Harper
Performers Nov 1 and 3 Brandon Alley, Emily Chessa, Parker Finley, Alexis Fletcher, Scott Fowler, Patrick Kilbane, Racheal Prince, Justin Rapaport, Gilbert Small, Nicole Ward, Sophie Whittome* Nov 2 Parker Finley, Alexis Fletcher, Miriam Gittens*, Patrick Kilbane, Racheal Prince, Justin Rapaport, Peter Smida ,Dex van ter Meij*, Nicole Ward, Sophie Whittome*, Zenon Zubyk* *Emerging Artist
Making use of an undulating screen positioned diagonally across the stage, a rope that is pulsed across the floor as if indicating energy levels or secret messages, a floodlight on wheels that is manipulated by the dancers, and a ticking, brooding score by Thom Willems, Enemy in the Figure is a dark and thrilling poem about vision and perception, form and chaos. Light—as integral here to the choreography as the steps—filters across the stage in uneven and transient shafts, exploding and contracting the space, bathing the dancers in a concentrated glare or obscuring them with deepening shadows that intensify the ephemeral beauty of the movement. Donning garments of layered fringes over their black or white leotards, the dancers burst out of and disappear into the darkness like eruptions from the unconscious, their bodies appearing as polyphonous instruments that can generate movement from any point. Ballet-trained limbs mutate into angled, disjointed shapes, inscribing convulsive geometries as they spin against their kinetic shadows, or generate endless chains of movement on a suddenly empty stage, the light bleached and even, the music a low, rhythmic, repetitive melody. In a universe alternately frenetic and calm, Enemy in the Figure presents a non-narrative of mystery and urgency, isolation and connection, the mechanical and the human: dance as a medium for infinite possibilities. (Roslyn Sulcas) Performances of the Work are given by permission of Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.
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Artists of Ballet BC in Petite CĂŠrĂŠmonie Photo: Michael Slobodian
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INTERVIEW
Interview with Emily Molnar by Pia Lo Why do you consider Enemy In The Figure a masterwork of contemporary dance? William (Bill) Forsythe created Enemy In The Figure in 1989 for Frankfurt Ballet, but when you see it today it’s still ahead of its time. It is a beautiful piece of architecture on stage, and compositionally, all of the components— movement language, theatricality, set and costumes, the score (composed by Thom Willems, one of Bill’s long-standing collaborators)—come together with such a beautiful sense of counterpoint. Enemy is invigorating to watch. Bill pushes the boundaries of relationships between body and space, stage and audience, and tries to shift our assumptions, yet pay tribute to classicism. He’s taking the value of all these things, stretching them into a large trajectory, while never sacrificing one for the other. He doesn’t reduce classicism in order to find something more contemporary and he doesn’t negate a contemporary point of view in order to research the potential of classicism.
What ideas inspired Forsythe when he created Enemy? Bill was very interested in the works of architect Daniel Libeskind, and the idea that if you put a chair in the middle of the room, there are all these different trajectories—pathways—of where that chair could potentially go in space. If you draw those out from the chair, the room would be full of possibilities. He was also influenced by the work of Rudolf Laban and his research of the body and space.
You have wanted to bring Enemy to Ballet BC since you became the company’s artistic director ten years ago. Why is now the right time? Enemy is a big piece—it requires a curious mind, technique, stamina and a very strong understanding of three-dimensional space. I feel we have the artists who are physically able to ‘eat up’ the choreography and have the intelligence to take on the virtuosity of Bill’s improvisational technologies (tools created by Forsythe for developing movement potential). There is fixed choreography, but there’s also a great deal of responsibility for the dancers to be in improvisational states. Bill’s improvisational technologies create a way of thinking, which creates a certain kind of timing that is different than when something is known. The state of improvisation has a surprise element to it, but it also comes with questions and risks: How do you phrase it? How do you compose it? I wanted to bring this work to the company this season as a way of celebrating the past ten years!
“I feel we have the artists who are physically able to ‘eat up’ the choreography and have the intelligence to take on the virtuosity of Bill’s improvisational technologies (tools created by Forsythe for developing movement potential).”
Your world premiere, To this day, is set to three songs from Jimi Hendrix’s Blues album. It’s inspired by the music of the blues and draws on the idea of finding one’s voice. Describe your research process with the dancers. We started by looking at the time in which the recordings of those songs were made. A lot of really important moments in our global history took place then, including the landing on the moon, Woodstock and Martin Luther King. We looked at the Gutai group, a radical art collective that began in post-war Japan, and the ways in which they were working. We looked at certain paintings and pieces of architecture and their relationship to concepts like the ephemeral, the human machine, corruption and shadow. We started to examine where the dancers’ own personal story lines sat inside of those concepts and then we started to build a collective understanding and a language for the work. The dancers have created, in most cases, all of the movement base, and then I have been assembling and pulling it apart and basically composing it. They really are truly collaborators with me on this piece.
Petite Cérémonie was created by Medhi Walerski for Ballet BC in 2011. Explain why this is a special piece in the company’s repertoire. It was our first creation by Medhi and during the early days of the renewal of Ballet BC and my position as artistic director. A handful of our dancers today were part of the original creation and the piece has a lot of their personalities inside of it. When I watched the run-through in the summer, it brought tears to my eyes and I think it was the same for the dancers. It’s retrospective and carries a certain nostalgia to it, but we don’t feel like we’re going backwards. The piece is very human, as is all of Medhi’s work, and is still very fresh. I know there are now more companies performing it, and that makes me excited for Medhi and for us, knowing that we helped to make that happen.
As a choreographer, your primary medium is the body. What part of the body fascinates you and why? I think it’s the way the mind and the heart interact through the body in space. I don’t think it’s one aspect of the body, rather, it’s the way the body is available to exercise what your imagination wants to say. Pia Lo, www.GlobeDancer.com
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“PICTURE PERFECT” —ThE GEORGIa STRaIGhT
Nutcracker presents Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Choreography Galina Yordanova & Nina Menon Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
One of Canada’s most popular holiday productions!
December 7 | 7:30pm December 8 9 | 1:00pm & 6:30pm Queen Elizabeth Theatre | balletbc.com SUPPORT FOR BallET BC haS BEEn GEnEROUSly PROvIdEd By
MEdIa SPOnSORS
TOP lEFT/RIGhT PhOTOS: RWB COMPany danCERS. BOTTOM lEFT PhOTO: lIanG XInG and yayOI Ban. BOTTOM RIGhT PhOTO: RWB SChOOl STUdEnTS and yayOI Ban. PhOTOS By davId COOPER.
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Biographies
18/19 SEASON Dancers Brandon Alley A North Carolina native, Brandon Lee Alley began his dance training at the Eastern Randolph High School when he was 14 under the direction of Britt Allen. He later attended the Greensboro Ballet’s year-long program on a full scholarship and graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts specializing in contemporary dance in 2012. Brandon has had the pleasure of attending many summer intensives including Ballet Austin, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and LINES Ballet. He has also worked with choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, Victor Quijada, Cayetano Soto and Stijn Celis among many others. Brandon began his professional career with Hubbard Street 2 and has been a member of BODYTRAFFIC. This year will be Brandon’s 4th season with Ballet BC. He would also like to thank his wonderful teacher, Britt Allen, for supporting him every step of the way and his family. and friends for their guidance and love.
Emily Chessa Originally from Richmond, BC, Emily began her professional dance training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 2006 where she received the Arnold Spohr Scholarship and the Paddy Stone Scholarship for choreography. After graduating the school in 2010, she trained at Arts Umbrella in the graduate program under the guidance of Artemis Gordon. She participated in summer programs such as the Movement Invention Project in New York
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and Springboard Danse Montreal. Since joining Ballet BC in 2012 as an apprentice, she has performed works by Emily Molnar, Company 605, Johan Inger, Lesley Telford, Medhi Walerski, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin and Sharon Eyal. This is Emily’s 7th season with the company.
Parker Finley Parker Finley was born in Louisiana in 1997. In 2014, she began her professional training at the Houston Ballet Academy under the instruction of Sabrina Lenzi and Sally Rojas where she performed works by Stanton Welch, John Neumeier, Kenneth MacMillan, and Ben Stevenson. After graduating in 2016, she was an apprentice for Hubbard Street 2 during their 2016-2017 season. As their apprentice, she had the opportunity to learn works from Alice Klock, Terence Marling, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, and Bryan Arias. She has participated in summer programs such as Houston Ballet Summer Intensive and Springboard Danse Montreal. Parker is thrilled to be joining Ballet BC as a full time company member this season.
Alexis Fletcher Alexis Fletcher was raised on Vancouver Island where she received her early training before attending Arts Umbrella’s Graduate Program. Alexis was a member of Arts Umbrella’s Student Company and attended Springboard Danse Montreal. After graduating in 2005, she joined Ballet BC, where she has been fortunate to work with
creative visionaries such as Crystal Pite, Emily Molnar, John Alleyne, Johan Inger, Stijn Celis, Jacopo Godani, Walter Matteini, Fernando Hernando Magadan, Serge Bennathan, Gioconda Barbuto, and Jorma Elo among many others. Independently she has worked collaboratively with creators such as Sidra Bell, James Gnam, Simone Orlando, Rob Kitsos and Wen Wei Wang. As well as beginning to choreograph, she has co-created a multidisciplinary performance space with her husband at their home in Vancouver. They also run a successful Bed and Breakfast business together. Alexis is fascinated by how exploring the movement potential of the human body becomes a way of accessing the inner landscapes of our spirits and psyches, and this is the primary motivation behind her own physical practice and choreographic interests. She believes that dance is a unique vehicle with which to share, research and discuss our collective humanity. Alexis is in her 14th season with Ballet BC.
Scott Fowler Born in Vancouver, Scott Fowler trained at Arts Umbrella under the direction of Artemis Gordon and attended summer intensive programs at American Ballet Theatre, the National Ballet School and Jacob’s Pillow. He performed in Alberta Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Ballet BC’s Peter Pan and in the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Scott received a scholarship grant from the BC Arts Council in 2010. In 2011, he toured the Netherlands, performing at Codarts and worked with Noord Nederlandse Dans. Scott was invited in 2013 by James Kudelka to perform See#3 as a guest artist for Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie. Scott has been privileged to work with
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Biographies
18/19 SEASON Dancers choreographers Aszure Barton, Gioconda Barbuto, James Kudelka, Emily Molnar, Jacopo Godani, Wen Wei Wang, Medhi Walerski, Cayetano Soto and Lesley Telford. This is Scott’s 7th season with the company.
Kiera Hill Born in Vancouver, Kiera completed her professional training at Arts Umbrella under the direction of Artemis Gordon. She was a proud recipient of the BC Arts Council Scholarship Award for excellence in dance in 2011. After graduating in 2012 she apprenticed with Ballet BC for one season. In 2013, she joined Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal where she performed leading roles in pieces by Andonis Foniadakis, Itzik Galili, Rodrigo Pederneiras, Cayetano Soto, Barak Marshall and Wen Wei Wang. For four years she toured extensively with BJM performing in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, China, Israel, Mexico, USA and across Canada. Kiera returned to Ballet BC in 2017 and is thrilled to be back for another season.
Patrick Kilbane Patrick is from Bainbridge Island, Washington. He discovered dance at the age of 14 and studied on full scholarship at San Francisco Ballet School. He continued his training at the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and with Suzanne Farrell at The Kennedy Center. Patrick worked with Oregon Ballet Theater where he danced ballets by George Balanchine
and Jerome Robbins. He spent five seasons with Sarah Slipper’s NW Dance Project in Portland, Oregon as a performer, teacher, and choreographer. There he danced original roles in new works by Ihsan Rustem, Wen Wei Wang, Danielle Agami, Maurice Causey, Noam Gagnon, Lucas Crandall, Didy Veldman, Olivier Wevers, Patrick Delcroix, and many others. Before moving to Vancouver he danced with Whim W’Him and worked as a freelance artist in Seattle and internationally. During his time with Ballet BC he has had the privilege of performing works by Emily Molnar, Medhi Walerski, Cayetano Soto, Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, and Crystal Pite. This is Patrick’s 2nd season with the company.
Racheal Prince Racheal Prince was raised in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, and received her early training at the Quinte Ballet School under the direction of Brian Scott. She attended the School of Alberta Ballet’s Pre Professional Program with Murray and Nancy Kilgour and received the prestigious Ali Pourfarrokh Scholarship. Racheal began her professional career with the Alberta Ballet Company where she danced for four years. She has performed works by William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Itzik Galili, and Lar Lubovitch among many others. Her performance highlights include Jorma Elo’s 1st Flash, Emily Molnar’s between disappearing and becoming, and William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman. In her spare time, Racheal enjoys working on handmade items for her online store as well as teaching and choreographing. She is excited to be in her 12th season with Ballet BC.
Justin Rapaport Justin Rapaport is from Miami, Florida, where he began dancing at the age of 8. He went on to formally train at New World School of the Arts and The Juilliard School. During his training, Justin had the opportunity to learn works by Jiří Kylián, Twyla Tharp, Kyle Abraham, Brian Brooks and many more amazing artists. Justin has also studied at various summer intensives such as Nederlands Dans Theater, Springboard Dance Montreal and Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program. While at Ballet BC, Justin has had the privilege to work with choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, Johan Inger, Emily Molnar, Medhi Walerski and Cayetano Soto. This is Justin’s 3rd season with Ballet BC.
Gilbert Small Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gilbert Small started his professional ballet training at the age of 10 at the Baltimore School for the Arts. He has studied at various summer programs, including Dance Theater of Harlem, Nutmeg Conservatory, Miami City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Springboard Danse Montreal. After graduating from the Baltimore School for the Arts, he continued his studies at the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College. While at Purchase, Gilbert was given the opportunity to study abroad at the Hogeschool voor Muziek en Dans in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He has also performed with Toronto-based ProArteDanza. Prior to joining Ballet BC, Gilbert performed for New York-based Sidra Bell Dance New York. This is his 10th season with Ballet BC. artslandia.com
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Biographies
18/19 SEASON Dancers Peter Smida Peter Smida was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario. A former tennis player, Peter studied on scholarship at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and graduated in 2007. He also attended summer programs and festivals in Banff and Prague. After working with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Ballet Victoria, Peter joined Ballet BC in 2008 and has since had the pleasure of performing works by Emily Molnar, Jorma Elo, Crystal Pite, Johan Inger and Medhi Walerski, as well as many others. In addition to his work at Ballet BC, Peter has also worked on independent projects with Donald Sales and has begun choreographing, showing his work at Dances for a Small Stage and the Shadbolt Centre for the Performing Arts. This is his 11th season with Ballet BC.
Kirsten Wicklund
Nicole Ward Nicole Ward was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia but raised in Vancouver, Canada. She began her professional training at Arts Umbrella, under the direction of Artemis Gordon and Lynn Sheppard. During her time there, she had the opportunity of working with Lesley Telford, James Kudelka, Crystal Pite, Stephen Sropshire, Francesca Carotti, Fernando Hernando Magadan and Azure Barton among others. After completing the Graduate Program in 2015 Nicole was offered an apprenticeship with Ballet BC and joined as a full time member after one season. Nicole is elated to be entering her 4th season with Ballet BC.
Vancouver-born Kirsten Wicklund studied at Goh Ballet Academy and toured with Canada’s Youth Ballet Company. Kirsten received scholarships at American Ballet Theatre, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Boston Ballet, PNB, and Washington Ballet, as well as a Vancouver Foundation Arts Study Award and the Vancouver Ballet Society’s Memorial Scholarship. Kirsten received contemporary training through Tiffany Tregarthen & David Raymond of M.O.. In 2007, she won an artistry award at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in NYC and earned the only Canadian placement in the Top 12 Women. She has danced with The Washington Ballet, Alonzo King’s choreographic workshop, LUNGE Dance Collective and toured extensively with Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet. She has created works for Dances for a Small Stage, the Dance Deck Series and Arts Umbrella. Kirsten has been privileged to dance works by Lesley Telford, Medhi Walerski, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Jacopo Godani, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Walter Matteini, Wen Wei Wang, Company 605, Cayetano Soto, Emily Molnar, Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, Ohad Naharin, and others. This is Kirsten’s 5th season with Ballet BC.
Photo by Wendy D.
The artists, administration, and board of Ballet BC would like to express their deepest and most profound appreciation to Dr. Kevin B. Leslie for 10 years of exceptional leadership and service as Board Chair and President.
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Thank you, Kevin, for making us who we are today!
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emerging artists
18/19 EMERGING ARTISTS Anna Bekirova Born in Amsterdam, Anna Bekirova started dancing at the Dutch National Ballet Academy at age 10 and graduated in 2016. After her graduation she moved to Vancouver to study at Arts Umbrella under the guidance of Artemis Gordon. Here she had the opportunity to work with worldrenowned artists such as Crystal Pite, Wen Wei Wang, Lesley Telford, Tom Weinberger and Cayetano Soto. She is excited and grateful to be one of Ballet BC’s emerging artists for the 2018–2019 season.
Miriam Gittens Miriam was born and raised in Fresno, California. She grew up training at The Dance Studio of Fresno where she received a diverse dance education. In May of 2017, Miriam graduated from The Juilliard School with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance. During her time at Juilliard, Miriam performed in works by Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Richard Alston, Mathew Neenan, Zvi Gotheiner, Loni Landon, and Takehiro Ueyama. She furthered her training during summer intensives at chuthis., Bodytraffic, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Springboard Danse Montreal, and Nederlands Dans Theater. Miriam has been involved in many outreach programs and fellowships which have allowed her to share her love for dance with
audiences and students across New York City and California. She has most recently performed with chuthis. under the direction of Peter Chu. Miriam is thrilled to be joining as an emerging artist with Ballet BC for this upcoming season.
Dex van ter Meij Dex van ter Meij is originally from Amsterdam and started his professional dance training at the age of 10 with the Dutch National Ballet Academy for 8 years. Continuing his training in 2016 at Arts Umbrella under the directorship of Artemis Gordon, he had the opportunity to work with several brilliant artists such as Crystal Pite, Lesley Telford, Emanuel Gat, Doug Letheren, Eric Beauchesne, Rafael Sady, Lukas Timulak, Tom Weinberger, Wen Wei Wang and Cayetano Soto. Dex joined Ballet BC’s Program 2 for the amazing Romeo + Juliet by Medhi Walerski and feels very excited about joining as an Emerging Artist for the 2018/19 season.
Sophie Whittome Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Sophie Whittome attended Victoria School of the Arts for 12 years. In 2015, she began her professional training at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver, BC, under the direction of Artemis Gordon.
During her time there she had the privilege to perform works by choreographers such as Sharon Eyal, Crystal Pite, and Mats Ek and was able to work with artists such as, among others, Lesley Telford, Tom Weinberger, and Wen Wei Wang. Sophie performed in Nederlands Dans Theatre’s/ Korzo’s Shortcuts XL with Arts Umbrella Dance Company in 2017 and performed with Ballet BC in Medhi Walerski’s Romeo + Juliet in 2018. Sophie is hugely grateful for the opportunity to join Ballet BC this year as an apprentice.
Zenon Zubyk Zenon Zubyk is from Toronto, Ontario, where he began his dance training at the age of 11. In 2016, he joined the Arts Umbrella Graduate Program under the direction of Artemis Gordon. During his time there, Zenon had the opportunity of performing works by Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, Mats Ek, Aszure Barton, Lesley Telford, Fernando Hernando Magadan, James Kudelka, Emanuel Gat and more. In 2017, Zenon toured the Netherlands, performing in the ITS Festival and Netherlands Dans Theater’s Shortcuts XL’17. He also performed in Medhi Walerski’s Romeo + Juliet in Ballet BC’s Program 2. Zenon is so thrilled to work with Ballet BC as an Emerging Artist this season.
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EMILY MOLNAR, C.M.
Artistic Director, Ballet BC Choreographer, To this day
As Artistic Director of Ballet BC, Molnar’s vision has steered the unique company of 18 dancers into a celebrated era of innovation and collaboration. Since the start of her tenure in 2009, the Company has developed a diverse repertoire that includes more than 45 new works by celebrated Canadian and international choreographers. Molnar is a graduate of the National Ballet School and a former member of the National Ballet of Canada, a soloist with the Ballett Frankfurt under director William Forsythe, and a principal dancer with Ballet BC. An internationally respected and critically acclaimed dance artist and choreographer, Molnar worked and toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Mexico, Canada and the U.S., where she created works for Alberta Ballet, Ballet Mannheim, Ballet Augsburg, Cedar Lake Dance, ProArteDanza and Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute, among others. Molnar’s most recent works for Ballet BC are between disappearing and becoming, Aniel, 16 + a room, RITE, Keep Driving, I’m Dreaming, when you left, which premiered in May 2018. Named The Globe and Mail’s 2013 Dance Artist of the Year, Molnar is the 2016 recipient of the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award, BC Community Achievement Award and the YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Art, Culture & Design. She was recently appointed to the Order of Canada for her artistic leadership of Ballet BC and creative contribution to advancing dance in Canada.
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As an active mentor, advocate, and coach, Molnar follows her passion to nurture artists and choreographers, to educate and support the research and development of dance and artistic leadership, and explore the role of the artist in society. For six years she served as a Director on the Board of the BC Arts Council. In addition to her work with Ballet BC, Molnar is also Artistic Director of Dance at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, a new position designed to guide and inform all Banff Centre Dance initiatives throughout the year in collaboration with the Canadian and international dance community.
WILLIAM FORSYTHE
Choreographer, Enemy in the Figure
William Forsythe has been active in the field of choreography for over 45 years. His work is acknowledged for reorienting the practice of ballet from its identification with classical repertoire to a dynamic 21st century art form. Forsythe’s deep interest in the fundamental principles of organization has led him to produce a wide range of projects including Installations, Films, and Web based knowledge creation. Raised in New York and initially trained in Florida with Nolan Dingman and Christa Long, Forsythe danced with the Joffrey Ballet and later the Stuttgart Ballet, where he was appointed Resident Choreographer in 1976. Over the next seven years, he created new works for the Stuttgart ensemble and other ballet companies worldwide. In 1984, he began a 20-year tenure as director of the Ballet Frankfurt., where he created works such as Artifact (1984), Impressing the Czar (1988), Limb’s
Theorem (1990), The Loss of Small Detail (1991), Eidos:Telos (1995), Kammer/ Kammer (2000) and Decreation (2003). After the closure of the Ballet Frankfurt in 2004, Forsythe established a new, more independent ensemble, The Forsythe Company, which he directed from 2005 to 2015. Works produced by this ensemble include Three Atmospheric Studies (2005), Human Writes (2005), Heterotopia (2006), I don’t believe in outer space (2008) and Sider (2011). Forsythe’s most recent works were developed and performed exclusively by The Forsythe Company, while his earlier pieces are prominently featured in the repertoire of virtually every major ballet company in the world. Forsythe has been commissioned to produce architectural and performance installations. These Choreographic Objects, as he likes to call these works, have been presented in numerous museums and exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial (New York, 1997), the Louvre Museum (2006), the Wexner Center for the Arts (Columbus, 2009), Tate Modern (London, 2009), MoMA (New York 2010) and the Venice Biennale (2005, 2009, 2012, 2014) and the Biennale of Sydney (2016). In collaboration with media specialists and educators, Forsythe has developed new approaches to dance documentation, research, and education. His 1994 computer application Improvisation Technologies: A Tool for the Analytical Dance Eye, developed with the ZKM / Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie Karlsruhe, is used as a teaching tool by professional companies, dance conservatories, universities, postgraduate architecture programs, and secondary schools worldwide. In 2002, Forsythe was chosen as one the founding Dance Mentor for The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. Forsythe is an Honorary Fellow at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London and
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holds an Honorary Doctorate from The Juilliard School in New York. Forsythe is a current Professor of Dance and Artistic Advisor for the Choreographic Institute at the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.
MEDHI WALERSKI
Choreographer, Petite Cérémonie
Medhi Walerski danced at the Paris Opera Ballet before joining the Nederlands Dans Theater in 2001. For more than a decade at NDT, Medhi was an integral part of the company, contributing to the creative, innovative style that brought NDT world renown. He participated in the creation of numerous new works and danced in
T H E
R O S E D A L E
O N
the company’s existing repertoire. He was awarded the most important Dutch dance prize, VSCD Zwaan 2013, for his role in School of Thought (Léon & Lightfoot). Medhi has worked closely alongside the creative forces of internationally established choreographers and performed works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, Hans Van Manen, Crystal Pite, Emio Greco, Angelin Preljocaj, Jacopo Godani, Maurice Béjart, Johan Inger, etc., in prestigious theatres around the world. It was with Mammatus, a work created for the Nederlands Dans Theatre 2 in 2008 that Walerski made his official debut as a choreographer. Mammatus was part of NDT2’s touring repertoire and was performed in Germany and the UK. That same year he created Underneath for NDT 1. During his sabbatical year in 2009, Walerski delved full-time into choreography, creating for the Bern Ballet and Göteburg Ballet.
R O B S O N
S U I T E
Upon returning to NDT 1, his profile as a dancer stayed vital to the image of the company. He continued to create for NDT as well as other companies such as Ballet BC. He created the highly successful Petite Céremonie, which was toured throughout Canada and the US and has remained a highlight of Ballet BC’s repertoire. In 2011, NDT remounted Underneath and Walerski created Blink of an Eye. A year later, for the centenary of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Walerski created Chamber, a co-production commissioned by NDT, Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina, Den Norske Opera & Ballett, the Los Angeles Music Center. Chamber was broadcast to over 600 movie theatres worldwide and has toured to China and the US to critical acclaim. Since then, Walerski has returned to Ballet BC with whom he has developed a close relationship. In 2014 he created Prelude, and a year later, his first full-length work
H O T E L
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NATUS, in celebration of Ballet BC’s 30th anniversary. That same year he created Aureum for NDT 2, followed by Garden in 2016 for NDT 1. Garden was made into a documentary and broadcast on Mezzo TV. His latest creation for NDT 1, SOON, premiered in September 2017 and was part of the Nederlandse Dansdagen Gala. Walerski also created his first full-length narrative work, Romeo + Juliet, which premiered with Ballet BC in February 2018.
THOM WILLEMS
Composer, Enemy in the Figure
Dutch composer Thom Willems (b.1955, Arnhem) has collaborated with choreographer William Forsythe on over 60 ballet scores.
He studied at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague: composition with Louis Andriessen and electronic music with Jan Boerman and Dick Raaijmakers. Willems started working with Forsythe when he became director of the ballet of the Frankfurt Opera in 1984. His scores are characterised by subtle soundscapes, insistent rhythms and urban sonorities, forming an intrinsic part of the architecture of the ballets. In 1987 Willems achieved international success with In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, commissioned by Rudolf Nureyev for Paris Opéra Ballet with dancers including the rising star Sylvie Guillem. This classic ballet has travelled the world and is in the repertoire of virtually every major ballet company. 66 companies in 25 countries have performed Forsythe/Willems ballets including The Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Paris Opera Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Milano,
Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, Semper Oper Dresden and Ballet de l‘Opéra de Lyon, among many others. In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated forms the middle act of the full evening ballet Impressing the Czar (1988) and other collaborations with William Forsythe include The Second Detail (1991), Limb’s Theorem (1990), Herman Schmerman (1992), Of Any If And (1995), Pas./Parts (1999) and One flat thing, Reproduced (2000). Willems has composed ballet scores for other choreographers including Daniel Ezralow, Daniel Larrieu and Kristina de Chatel, as well as music for TV, film and art installations. William Forsythe’s short film Solo, with Willems’ music, was presented at the 1997 Whitney Biennial. Music by Willems is used by fashion designers, including Issey Miyake and Gianni Versace and was performed at the opening of Tate Modern in London (2000). In 2007 Willems was involved with Tadao Ando’s research center for design,
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21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo, and in 2008 with Matthew Ritchie’s installation The Morning Line for Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary. Reprinted by kind permission of Boosey & Hawkes.
SYLVAIN SENEZ
Stager, Petite Cérémonie
Sylvain Senez has been active on the professional Canadian dance scene for nearly 40 years. He danced as a soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Judith Marcuse Dance Company and was a guest artist with Coleman Lemieux Company for their James Kudelka Tribute Program. Sylvain also appeared in The Strange Adventure of Myself, a full-length solo created for him by Serge Bennathan.
From 1991 to 2016 he has worked for Ballet British Columbia as a dancer, Ballet Master and Rehearsal Director. He has had the privilege of remounting Medhi Walerski’s ballets and assisting him for his creations for international dance companies. He was thrilled to guest play the role of Father Capulet in Mr Walerski’s creation of Romeo + Juliet for Ballet BC. He has choreographed for the Ballet BC choreographic workshop, Dancing on the Edge and the Vancouver Opera. He is also a photographer specializing in dance and portraiture. Currently, Sylvain devotes his time to teaching, rehearsal directing, photographing and running a bed & breakfast. He and his wife Alexis Fletcher are the Artistic Directors of Casa Om Presents. This series produces The Dance Deck, an annual multi disciplinary performance project that is presented in their backyard.
THOMAS MCMANUS, MFA
Stager, Enemy in the Figure
Thomas McManus, MFA, is a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator, as well as a recognized expert on the repertory, technique, and improvisational methods of renowned choreographer William Forsythe. After dancing with American Ballet Theater 2, Finis Jhung’s Chamber Ballet USA, and Ann Marie D’Angelo and Dancers, McManus joined Ballet Frankfurt under the direction of William Forsythe. In the course of the next thirteen years, McManus danced nearly all of the new works created by Forsythe and became entrusted with setting Mr. Forsythe’s repertory on many
Program 2 Feb 28 Mar 1 2 choreography Jorma Elo | Adi Salant | Cayetano Soto
Program 3 May 9 10 11 choreography Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar | Serge Bennathan | Ohad Naharin
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Save 15% with a Mini-Pack Subscription dancer brandon alley. photo michael slobodian.
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major companies around the world – work that he has continued since retiring from the company in 1999 and brings to the BFA students USC Kaufman School of Dance. During the course of his distinguished dance career Mr. McManus has also worked with such accomplished choreographers as Stephen Petronio, Amanda Miller, Mark Haim, Susan Marshall, Phillip Grosser, Jan Farbre, William Soleu, Ohad Naharin, Helgi Tomasson, Peter Sparling, Saeko Ichino, Saburo Teshigawara, and Paul Selwin Norton, among others. Mr. McManus holds an MFA in Dance from Hollins University, Roanoke, VA.
AYMAN HARPER
Stager, Enemy in the Figure
Ayman Harper is an artist expanding the field of contemporary dance. A 30-year veteran, he has performed in over 20 countries and taught for companies and universities across five continents. As a former dancer and choreographer for The Forsythe Company, Frankfurt Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theater 2, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, he has collaborated with and performed works by some of his field’s most influential artists. As a close collaborator of Forsythe’s for over a decade, he has staged repertoire for Pacific Northwest Ballet, Dresden Semperoper
Ballet, Ballet BC, Dutch National Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Cullberg Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, and BODYTRAFFIC among others. He has conducted workshops for companies and Universities including Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Performing Arts Research & Training Studio (P.A.R.T.S.), New York University Tisch, Mid-Pacific School of the Arts, Palucca School of Dance, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, University of Southern California, HSPVA, Victoria College of Arts and Houston Ballet. Harper has worked in Europe for the past 20 years and currently resides in Berlin, Germany working as a freelance curator, choreographer, stager, and teacher.
Wells Fargo Middle Market Banking is proud to be a performance sponsor of Ballet BC’s Program 1 and 3 Wells Fargo Middle Market Banking VancouverBCRCBO@wellsfargo.com 778-328-5184
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Treating dancers and performers throughout the Lower Mainland. Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic – Physiotherapy is proud to be the Official Physiotherapy Clinic of Ballet BC.
PLAZA OF NATIONS (DOWNTOWN) CHAN GUNN PAVILION (UBC) WAR MEMORIAL GYM (UBC) UNIVERSITY SERVICES BUILDING (UBC) TWIST SPORTS CONDITIONING (N. VAN)
allanmcgavinphysio.com
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Thank you!
Ballet BC Season Partners Sponsorship, corporate charitable giving, foundation support, government grants, gifts in kind and media partnerships are absolutely essential to Ballet BC’s success. Thanks to our Ballet BC partners, we are able to continue to create innovative new work, sustain the very highest level of artistic excellence and expand dance education and outreach programs for the community at large. Thank you!
Platinum Season Sponsor
Community Balcony Sponsor
Performance Sponsor Program 1 & 3
Hotel Sponsor
Media Sponsors
Culinary Sponsor
Y.P. Heung Foundation
The Highbury Foundation
Vancouver Foundation
Emerging Artists Program
Additional Foundation Support Anako Foundation The Andrew Mahon Foundation Deux Mille Foundation Diamond Foundation McCarthy Tétrault Foundation Michael O’Brian Family Foundation The Palmer Family Foundation RBC Foundation
Additional Corporate Support Blakes Cassels & Graydon Grosvenor McCarthy Tétrault Marin Investments Ltd.
Catering Partners The Butler Did It
Gifts In Kind
Shapray Cramer Fitterman Laper LLP Alexander Whitehead Flower Factory Jillian Francis
Health & Wellness Sponsors Official Physiotherapy and RMT provider of Ballet BC:
Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre
Official Wellness Centre of
Ballet BC: Integrative Naturopathic
Medical Centre
Ballet BC Up Gifts In Kind Good Company Lager Modo Nude Vodka Soda People Footwear RYU Apparel Tealeaves
Government Funders
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ARTS UMBRELLA DANCE COMPANY presents
“It’s the equivalent of a giant box of chocolates for dance lovers.” -The Georgia Straight
December 14-16 Vancouver Playhouse Tickets available at artsumbrella.com
AKRAM KHAN COMPANY (UK) CHOTTO DESH
“AN ABSOLUTE TRIUMPH.” THE SCOTSMAN
NOVEMBER 21–24, 8PM + NOVEMBER 24, 2PM SFU GOLDCORP CENTRE FOR THE ARTS NOTE: La performance du jeudi 22 novembre sera en français.
TICKETS FROM
TICKETS & INFO: DANCEHOUSE.CA
SEASON PARTNERS JEAN LOUIS FERNANDEZ, PHOTO
DanceHouse ad / Ballet BC 7.3125” x 4.875" / CMYK / 30 September 2018 Keith > Rare Design Group: tel 604 505 4100 BalletBC_Program1_.indd 21
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Ballet BC Founders’ Council Founders’ Council members provide major funding for our performance season
Emily Molnar 10 th Anniversary Season Donors
and we are grateful for their support, dedication and encouragement. We extend our most sincere thanks to these individuals for their outstanding generosity: Thank you to our generous
Artistic Director’s Circle
$100,000+
Lewis Crowhurst Henry Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation
$50,000+
Peter Allard, through The Highbury Foundation Linda & Graham Brown Raymond Heung, through the Y.P. Heung Foundation Barbara Klebanoff, through the H.D. Klebanoff Memorial Fund at the Calgary Foundation
Choreographers’ Circle
$25,000–$49,999
Melina Buckley & J.J. Camp Dr. Kevin B. Leslie Jane McLennan Sonya Wall
$15,000–$24,999
Carol & Byran Gibson Donna Molby Fraley Jane Palmer, through the Palmer Family Foundation Sandra & James Pitblado Katerina Tieman & David Scott Don & Jane Shumka
$10,000–$14,999
Joanie Anderson Jill Diamond, through the Diamond Foundation Arlene Gladstone Stan & Kathy Hamilton Robert Lemon, in memory of Robert Ledingham Michael & Inna O’Brian, through the Michael O’Brian Family Foundation Julie Poskitt Gerald & Sheahan McGavin
Dancers’ Circle
$5,000-$9,999
Grant Burnyeat Marnie Carter, through the Deux Mille Foundation 22
Melanie Ferrandi & Doug Leard Brigitte & Henning Freybe Sherry Killam Renée Levcovitch Anndraya Luui Jean Orr Coreen Sol Chuck Willms & Thora Sigurdson Bruce Wright
$2,500–$4,999
Stephen Fitterman Chrislana & John Gregory Liz Haan & Bill Holt Donald Hayes Ingrid Leong Pamela MacDonald Margaret Mason & Brian Taylor The McGrane-Pearson Endowment Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Susan Mertens & Max Wyman Charles Pitts & Lael King, through the Anako Foundation Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt Robert J. Riecken Lynette & Fay Son Hing Cheryl Stevens Jim & Monika Sullivan Charles E. Young, through Marin Investments Ltd.
$1,000–$2,499
Anonymous (2) Susan Adams Timothy Agg & Stuart Alcock David Allison & Christopher Nicholson Santa Aloi Jason Attew Larry Beasley & Sandy Logan Greg Bowden & Janice Dillon Ruth Brodie Janice Cameron Monte Clark John Clark Sheila Cowie John A. Davis Stephane Deseau
Sai Di Drs. Allen & Connie Eaves John Esdaile Marcie Flom Robert Goldstein & Christine Kerr Victoria Graham Cathy Grant Dr. Sheldon Green Angelika Hedley & Annelise Scholz Susan & Matt Hall Gordon Harris Richard & Carol Henriquez Dr. Peter Holowka Arlene James Shell Johnson Jennifer Johnstone Erika Kertesz-Green Elisabeth & David Kyle Nelson Lacharity Emily Molnar Michael F. Morrissey Fraser Norrie & David Clarke John J. O’Leary Bev Park Michelle Pullan & Rino Pace Paula Palyga & David Demers Frances Picherack Elaine Pitblado Ann Ramsay & Chris Pollard Sabine Rouques Frank Salisbury Sonja Sanguinetti Ilona Scharer Dr. Joost Schokkenbroek George D. Seslija Dr. Philip Sestak Shiff Family Vancouver Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Larry D Stonsifer Ginny & David Strang Patricia Tolmie Con Verburg Mahmoud Virani Carole Walkinshaw Bruno Wall Mark Ward & Adriana Santa Dr. Linda Warren Thom Weeks & Jennifer Stanley Andrea Zwack & Michael Vermette
patrons who made an additional gift in honour of Emily Molnar’s 10th Anniversary Season. With your support, we will continue Emily’s vision of a creation based, world-class contemporary ballet company in Vancouver. Linda & Graham Brown Melina Buckley & J.J. Camp John Clark Melanie Ferrandi & Doug Leard Stephen Fitterman Arlene Gladstone Liz Haan & Bill Holt Stan Hamilton Barbara Klebanoff Fred Lee Robert Lemon Ingrid Leong Dr. Kevin B. Leslie Jane McLennan Donna Molby Michael and Inna O’Brian Jean Orr Robert J. Riecken Sabine Rouques George Sesliya Lynette & Fay Son Hing David Scott & Katerina Tieman Chuck Willms & Thora Sigurdson
If you would like to make a special anniversary gift, contact Lauren Fletcher, Associate Director of Development at lfletcher@balletbc.com.
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Ballet BC Legacy Circle Our future looks bright, many thanks to the following for planned gifts to Ballet BC:
The official wellness centre of Ballet BC
Anonymous (3) The Estate of Donald Allen Ann Coombs The Estate of John Cabeldu Jillian Francis The Liz Haan & Bill Holt Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation The Estate of Jean Hyatt The Estate of Joanie King Madelaine Koenigsberg Irma & Marvin Lamoureux The Estate of Kenneth Long Don & Carol Lyster The Estate of Ronald D. Pearson The Estate of Lois Smith Jason Wrobleski Current as of October 10, 2018
www.integrative.ca 604-738-1012
The most prevalent diseases are also the most preventable. Call us for more info!
“Cultivating a new landscape of ballet.” — new york tiMes
Give voice to artistic innovation by supporting the very best in contemporary dance during our 2018/19 season!
Annual Fund Campaign every gift keeps us moving forward. thank you for your generosity.
donate today! balletbc.com
Ballet BC danCer justin rapaport. photo By MiChael sloBodian.
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Ballet BC Friends Ticket sales cover less than half the cost of what you see on stage and every dollar contributed helps to support our season. Many, many thanks to our Ballet BC Friends:
$500–$999
Anonymous (1) Bob and Elizabeth-Anne Armstrong Andrew & Kerry Block Chuck Brook & Margot Paris Ann Cameron Sherry Cavallin Pam Cooper Lillian and Ross Davidson Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Peter Dickinson & Richard Cavell Monica Drake Dorothy & Robert Findlay Ronald E. Gibbs Artemis Gordon Carolyn Haddock Jane Durante & Henry Hawthorn Janet & Derwyn Lea Claude LeDoux Elaine Murray Bradley Newby Daniel & Pauline Nocente Barra O’Brian Russ & Lucille Pacey Kelly Porter Terry Prince Charles Sale & Margaret Charlton Manrico Scremin Melanie and Eric Semlacher Jeannie Wexler
$250–$499 Transform your arts and culture experience. Ballet BC Up, an affiliate group for Ballet BC’s young patrons ages 19+. Members enjoy access to special ticket pricing, exclusive seating options, and a rich calendar of educational and social events.
JOIN TODAY! balletbc.com/up BAlleT BC DANCer NICOle wArD. PhOTO BY MIChAel SlOBODIAN.
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Gillian Beattie Alain Boisset Susan Boyd & Claire Young Carol Carr Anne Carson Maggi Cheetham & Tom Hobley Stephanie Coleridge Esther Cummer Denise & Stewart Cunningham Dr. Kate Dahlstrom Jill Davidson Aurela & Michael Edgson Desirée Ellis Dr. Thalia Field Jane Flick & Robert Heidbreder John Geddes Anthony J. Giacinti, in memory of Lola MacLaughlin Gary and Jesse Peter Gorgopa
Yvonne Grohmuller John Hallett Dr. Evelyn J. Harden Marnie Jarvis Merle Kamin Mel Kaushansky Margaret Kerr Bonnie & Annie Lambert Paul Larocque Greg Leach Fred Lee & Joshua McVeity Margaret Leeper Nancy Lehman William Longstaff Mary Loukas Hilary Lukin Johnston Laverne MacFadden Peppa Martin & Family Della and Stuart McLaughlin Ray L. McNabb Rob & Orla Nicklom Muriel Perry H. Janet Reid Linda K. Porter Selma Savage Marie Schneider & Richard Dettman Andrew Serrant Greg Sivucha & Grace Pastine Judy Snaydon Peter E. Thaler Vivian Urquhart Johanne Vincent Lawrence Ward Frances White Kathryn & Jim Woodward Katherine Wreford and Bruce McLean Brenda Young
$100–$249
Maureen Allen Laurence Bayzand Susan Beechey Jennifer Bibby Brian Burke Melanie Carfantan-McLachlan Paul Caron Ru Christogeorge Danielle Clifford Judith Coffin Ruth Comisarow Pauline Davidson Deborah Dunne Janet Ericksen Susan Evans Fisher Family Daniel Fiss Glenna & John Geddes
Greg & Mokika Gehlen Katherine Gerson Samantha Gill Erik Graff Linda Graham Karen Hamersley Patricia Harrold Bill Hay Victoria Henderson & John Radosevic Sybil Henteleff Roger Hobden Brenda Hochachka Trish Hopkins Elizabeth Hunter Donald Ingledew Laura James Kathleen Jarvis Jana Jordon Lynn Katey Greg Kirkham Teresa Kirschner Madelaine Koenigsberg Karen Konrad Barbara & Robin Kuritzky Elisabeth Kwan Graeme Langager Lorey Lasley Trevor Lautens, in memory of Anna Jenson Harry Lew Elizabeth Lloyd Kevin Lorenz Mary C. Lum Troy Lundberg Geoffrey Lyster Nancy MacDonald Shawne MacIntyre Tirza Madrigal Gaviria Patricia Manly Eileen Manning Laurel March Craig Markovic Erika Mayall D. McFadden & K. Berean Catherine McKeehan Trevor McLain & Darrell Mahoney Dr. Carolyn Montgomery David Moriarty Peggy Mutch Ardis Nelson Cindy & Gary Onstad Barbara Pennyway Lisa Pullan Jo-Anne Ray Adele Ritch Tamara Ross Francis S W Zih
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on
n
And to ALL of our wonderful volunteers, THANK YOU!
Kulwinder Sall Kristen Seer Eileen Sengara Diego Silva Ellen & Robert Silverman Rosamond Smith Patricia A. Starkie Daniel Steiner Nicole Stepanek Penny Stratas Jean Swenerton Wayne Tam Beverley Taylor Naomi Taylor Jan Tennant Maria Angelica Valenzuela David Webb Marina Weremchuk Vincent Wheeler Jason Wright Cheryl Yaremko
$1–$99
Anonymous (8) Dareren Ainsley Wendy Atkinson Mike Bagshawe Theodore Benson Ingrid Bjerkelund Constance E. Blundy Liz Bowell Rey Carroll Julia Cheng Joanna Clark Paul Clarkson Brian Coleman Susan Dehnel in memeory of Ladene E. Dehnel Danica Djurkovic Dorothy Campbell Marla Eist Chad Ford Paul Geddes Erika Gerson Denise Gilbert Mary Godolphin Ariel Goldenberg Gordon Briggs Warren Greatrex Valerie Gruson Gwen Guile Stephen Hallingham David Harryman Karin Hartner Mike Houston Sydney Illerbrun Lindsay Jang Jiwa Karim Paul Kainth Katarzyna Katarzyna Rebecca A. Kruthaup David Lach
Danelle Laidlaw Donna Lang Liang Fang Richard Lipsey Lorne Prupas Donald and Carol Lyster E.MacIntosh Fiona MacKay Karen Matthews Paula Mattusch Daniel McGinnis Katherine Miller Stefan Mudler Lily Ng Otto Pfister Heather Price Melanie Ray Duncan & Kim Rice Margaret Robinson Julie Rudd Philip James Seth Ellen Shumiatcher Patricia Shuster
David Simpson Joy Smith Susan Stefanshyn Michael Talbot Kelly Thamara Thompson Michelle Thompson Rachelle Todd Natacha Urbina Karl Watson Raven White Jacqueline Wilmott Eileen Wolff
Special Thanks Stuart Alcock David Allison Arts Umbrella Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Dr. Larry Chan David Cohen, Geodis International Wendy D
Carrie Dick Stephen Fitterman Gillian Freeman Artemis Gordon Cathy Gordon John Hallett index.studio McCarthy Tétrault Susan Loewen Dr. Anthony McDougall Andi McLeish Jon McRae Josh Murray Scotiabank Dance Centre Sylvain Senez Michael Slobodian Lindsay Stewart Dr. Nardia Strydom Terry Whitehead Cindi Wicklund Inge Zegel
DanceXpress is not about learning steps, a style or technique—it’s about moving, finding rhythm, connecting, listening and learning. a Ballet BC initiative since 2015, danceXpress provides children in Vancouver access to dance and the freedom of self-expression through movement.
With anever-strengthening ever-strengthening partnership With an partnership with Vancouver SchoolSchool Board’sBoard’s Community School with Vancouver Community Teams, KidSafe Project and the Pacific Coast School team, KidSafe project and pacific Resources Society,Society, we continue to offer dance/ Coast resource we continue to offer movement programming to at-risk children and dance/movement programming to at-risk to youth whose access to dance specifically— children and to youth whose access to dance and arts and culture more broadly—may be specifically—and otherwise limited. arts and culture more broadly—is otherwise limited.
To all the students and families joining us this year, a warm welcome to Ballet BC’s 2018/19 season!
Ballet BC danCer raCheal prinCe. photo By MiChael SloBodian.
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STAFF & TEAM
18/19 BALLET BC STAFF AND TEAM ARTISTIC
ADMINISTRATION
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Emily Molnar
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: John Clark
GUEST REHEARSAL DIRECTOR: Sandrine Cassini
ARTISTIC ASSISTANT: Rebecca Karpus
DANCERS: Brandon Alley, Anna Bekirova* Emily Chessa,
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE: Sabine Rouques
Parker Finley, Alexis Fletcher, Scott Fowler, Miriam Gittens*,
BOOKKEEPER: Joanne Reid
Kiera Hill, Patrick Kilbane, Racheal Prince, Justin Rapaport,
OFFICE & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: Noni Raskin
Gilbert Small, Peter Smida, Dex van ter Meij*, Nicole Ward, Kirsten Wicklund, Sophie Whittome*, Zenon Zubyk*
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: Elisabeth Kyle ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF INDIVIDUAL &
*EMERGING ARTISTS
RESIDENT TEACHERS: Beverley Bagg, Lara Barclay,
CORPORATE SUPPORT: Lauren Fletcher
Andrew Bartee, Justine Chambers, Dario Dinuzzi, Kate
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR: Laura Aliaga
Franklin, Artemis Gordon, Heather Myers, Sabra Perry, Sylvain Senez, Gilbert Small, Lesley Telford, Makaila Wallace, Wen Wei Wang GUEST TEACHERS: Francisco Martinez, Adi Salant, Risa Steinberg, Francesca Caroti ACCOMPANISTS: Wendy Albrecht, Zabelita Fraser, Trevor McLain, Michael Park, Amanda Pi, Gregg Schiller, Catherine Tseng, Yawen Wang
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FOUNDATION &
AUDIENCE SERVICES MANAGER: Liz Carr MARKETING COORDINATOR AND BOX OFFICE ASSISTANT: Clara Chow MARKETING MANAGER: Adrienne Toye EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ADMINISTRATOR: Nina Patel MEDIA RELATIONS: Shannon Heth, Milk Creative Communications GRAPHIC PRODUCTION: Derek von Essen PHOTOGRAPHER / VIDEOGRAPHER: Michael Slobodian
SHOP Make sure to check out our new Ballet BC merchandise in the lobby! Including a new collaboration with
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STAFF & TEAM
PRODUCTION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS: Derek Mack
PRESIDENT AND CHAIR: Linda Brown
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Elliot Banner PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Jamie Sweeney PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER: Kim Plough ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER: Jake Lindsey RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER/LIGHTING DIRECTION: James Proudfoot LIGHTING DESIGN ASSISTANT: Chengyan Boon PRODUCTION ELECTRICIAN: Patrick Smith HEAD OF PROPS & SCENIC CARPENTER: Randy Biro HEAD OF WARDROBE: Kate Burrows
VICE-PRESIDENT: Cheryl Stevens TREASURER: Robert Riecken SECRETARY: Melina Buckley PAST-CHAIR: Dr. Kevin B. Leslie DIRECTORS: John Davis, Arlene Gladstone, Stanley Hamilton, Ingrid Leong, Pamela McDonald, Dario Meli, James Sullivan, Bruce Wright HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS: Jane McLennan, Don & Jane Shumka
CUTTER: Norma Lachance STITCHERS: Andrea Delano, Jenalee Tsimara DYER: Malmor Dye Department Stage, Wardrobe and Hair Crew at the QET are members of IATSE Local 118
Pacific Ballet British Columbia Society (Ballet BC) is a non-profit society, charitable registration no. 11907 5364 RR0001.
Ballet BC 601 Smithe Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 5G1 1 604 732 5003 info@balletbc.com balletbc.com
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DECEMBER 16, 2018 St. John's Shaughnessy 1490 Nanton Ave Vancouver, BC V6H 2E2 Ticket Pricing INDIVIDUAL
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Adult: $30
Adult: $100
Seniors: $25
Seniors: $80
Students: $25 Youth: $10
Students: $80 Youth: $32
Culinary Capers Catering - Ballet BC 4.8125 x 4.8125
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BalletBC_Program1_.indd 27
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your cultural concierge Photos (left to right): Davida Monk, photo by Tim Nguyen (Citrus Photography); Jonathan Roozeman, photo courtesy of Vancouver Recital Society; Desiree Bortolussi and Valentin Chou of Ballet Kelowna, photo by Emily Cooper; Jens Lindemann, photo courtesy of Kay Meek Arts Centre.
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