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ISSUE • SPRING • Ballet West + 2015/16 Season + more
Videos, + photos fo in e r mo web on the
Ballet West (Salt Lake City) Triple bill including The Lottery April 24 + 25 • Fri + Sat • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Running time: 2 hours (including two intermissions)
Ballet West Artists in The Lottery. Photo © Luke Isley
Introducing the
2015/16 Season The World’s Best Dance
Oh! Canada
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Footnotes • Issue • Spring
Dance Victoria brings the world’s best dance to Victoria’s theatres and fosters the development of new dance at its studios in Quadra Village. Dance Victoria is a non-profit charitable society. Dance Victoria Board: President/ Paul McNair Chair of Human Resources Vice-President/ Mariann Burka Chair of Policy Vice-President/ Dr. Allana Lindgren Treasurer/ Regan McGrath Chair of Finance Secretary
Kari McLay
Chair of Awards Lynda Raino Chair of René Peloquin Strategic Planning Directors
Mary Desprez John B. Shields
Staff: Executive Producer
Stephen White
General Manager
Bernard Sauvé
Operations Manager
Shireen McNeilage
Technical Director
Holly Vivian
Graphic Design
Rayola Creative
Advertising Sales
Bonnie Light
Trips Coordinator
Bill Hamar
If you’d like to volunteer for Dance Victoria please call 250-595-1829 Studios and Office: 111 – 2750 Quadra Street Victoria, BC V8T 4E8 250-595-1829 DanceVictoria.com for trailers, tickets and more information Footnotes is written by Stephen White (unless otherwise noted) and proofed by Anne Moon.
On Chance, Cherries and Vivaldi Choreographer Val Caniparoli’s version of Shirley Jackson’s classic short story The Lottery has a surprise at the end: not just for the audience but also for the dancers. In June, 1948, when The New Yorker magazine published “The Lottery,” it caused quite a stir. Readers cancelled their subscriptions and the magazine received mountains of mail, which they promptly forwarded to Jackson. Set during the middle of the 20th century, “The Lottery” is a story about an annual ritual observed by the residents in a New England town of 300. The object is to ensure a good harvest. In a carefully orchestrated ceremony every townsperson, young and old, draws a paper slip. One bears the ominous black dot because the “winner” of the lottery in fact ends up being the loser, as you will see. In an explanation about the story, Jackson said she hoped “…by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village, to shock the story’s readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives.” It’s a macabre tale to be sure, but it is now considered an American classic that has been televised, made into a film and now a ballet (2012). In Caniparoli’s version the surprise is that none of the dancers knows until the end, when the ballots are drawn, who will be the victim. Each member of the ensemble has learned the final dance, but none knows who will dance it that evening. It gives living dimension to the revelation. Also on the program are William Forsythe’s In the middle, somewhat elevated and Mercurial Landscapes, choreographed to a deconstructed version of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by American dance artist and educator, Jodie Gates. Gates had a strong career as a professional dancer, performing with the Joffrey, Pennsylvania and Frankfurt ballets. She is now Director of the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California and is the founding Artistic Director of the Laguna Dance Festival. Landscapes, a work from 2012, features eight couples who are “mercurial” in the strictest sense of the word. In dance, Gates captures rapid changes in mood with dynamic partnering, full use of space and strong musicality. There is an interesting connection between Gates and William Forsythe. Gates danced with Forsythe in Ballett Frankfurt and after retiring from performing she started to set Forsythe’s choreography on dance companies around the world. As dean of the Kaufman School in Los Angeles, she recently enticed Forsythe to join the faculty. Forsythe is considered a modern master: His work is a fusion of classical ballet and modern dance. In the middle… was originally commissioned by Rudolph Nureyev in 1987 when he was Artistic Director of the Paris Opera Ballet. The piece was to be titled Impressing the Czar and it had an elaborate set design that mimicked the ornate interior of the Palais Garnier (home of the Paris Opera Ballet). Realizing that hanging the set, as designed, would take away precious rehearsal time he had with the dancers on stage, Forsythe nixed the design and asked instead that two golden cherries to be hung on stage “in the middle, somewhat elevated.” “It was thrilling, a high-voltage shock to the world of ballet that would spread far from the stage of the Opera Garnier, ” wrote the critic for The Guardian. Today, In the middle… is performed by companies around the world. Put together, the three works demonstrate Ballet West’s wide range, which you may already know from its reality TV show—Breaking Pointe. FN
DanceVictoria.com •
Royal Winnipeg Ballet Compnay dancers in Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation. Photo © Samanta Katz
The World’s Best Dance: Oh! Canada It’s a very exciting time in Canadian dance. To be honest, it has been exciting for many years, but its seldom that the stars aligned in such a way that I have been able to bring four of the most interesting, most widely traveled companies to Victoria in one season. Ballet BC’s resurgence in recent years gives one faith in the old adage that success is gained through hard work because that’s how it has happened. The brilliant Artistic Director, Emily Molnar, is in the studio every day with fourteen dancers. She shows grit and determination combined with talent and passion, and through her extensive contacts in Europe, she can commission a range of world-class choreographers who then bring their craft to Vancouver and work with dancers with the finest preparation. Artistic Director Louis Robitaille has been at Les Ballets Jazz’s helm since 1998 and in that time he has re-oriented the Montrealbased company to become less jazzy and more contemporary while maintaining the standards of high energy and technique. He told me once that when he is looking for new dancers to join the company, he looks for stars — beautiful people who bring something unique to the studio. He said, “BJM is a company of soloists.” I always marvel at their astounding ability. Crystal Pite’s story is “home town girl done good, really, really
good.” Pite’s talent is acknowledged around the world and she has the accolades and opportunities to prove it. She’s a brainy choreographer with a unique movement vocabulary. She’s funny, insightful and innovative and it’s these things that will make Betroffenheit a very satisfying, full experience. It will grab you emotionally and you’ll marvel at its aesthetic. Dance Victoria is very pleased to have the support of Victoria contributors Gordon Fulton, Gordon Gunn, Robert Milne and Janete Vanderveen in the commission of this new work. We end the season with Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation. Commissioned by RWB Artistic Director André Lewis from a story by award-winning writer Joseph Boyden, this sensitive, contemporary story of a young First Nations woman in an urban environment is a truly Canadian story. I selected it to be part of our season, not only because it’s an important (even profound) work, but also because it is so beautifully danced. The choreography is by acclaimed dance maker Mark Godden. I’m proud of this season. It’s diverse, offering a range of experiences. The dancing and production values are of the highest calibre. It presents a range of experience and moves us forward in our celebration of the world’s best dance. It was time for us to acknowledge some of the world’s leading companies, right here at home. Oh! Canada. – Stephen White
You Like Us, You Really Like Us! You’ll have to forgive us our Sally Field moment, but our eyes popped and our hearts went aflutter when we looked at the sales for the 2015/16 Dance at the Royal season on Monday, March 16, after Compagnie Käfig. To our surprise and amazement, by the end of the first on-sale date we were already at 35% of our target for the year! In one day! It seems that Victoria is ready for an allCanadian season. Thank you.
Ballet West Pre-Show Chat
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Renew your subscription by 5:30 pm, Saturday, April 18, if you want to retain or upgrade your current seats. Phone 250-386-6121 or visit the McPherson or Royal Box Office, Monday through Saturday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. (The Royal closes for lunch from 1:30 to 2 pm.) After April 18, your seats will be released and available to the general public.
Join us in the lobby at 6:45 pm on both Ballet West performance evenings (April 24 and 25) to meet Artistic Director Adam Sklute in conversation with Dance Victoria Vice President and Chair of U. Vic’s Theatre Department, Dr. Allana Lindgren. Free to ticket holders.
Best seats. Best prices. The world’s best dance. Subscribe to Dance Victoria’s 2015/16 Dance at the Royal Series.
BALLET BC | 30
CONTEMPORARY BALLET
November 13 + 14, 2015 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre New Work choreographed by Belgium’s Stijn Celis Solo Echo choreographed by Victoria’s Crystal Pite Twenty Eight Thousand Waves choreographed by Spain’s Caeytano Soto “A fast-driving but meticulously sculpted vision of wrapping and unwrapping forms. No one creates pas de deux in the endlessly innovative ways Soto does.” G E O R G I A S T R A I G H T
backdrop of whirling snowflakes, duets emerge and disappear. Soto’s work was an audience favourite when it premiered at Ballet BC in 2014. A rich and varied program from a company that is commanding attention across the continent.
In 2015, Ballet BC celebrates 30 years with a triple bill program that includes three of the world’s most exciting choreographers and 14 finely trained ballet dancers. Choreographer Celis has had a prolific career, creating works for many major European companies to great acclaim. Pite’s Solo Echo is reflective, soft and very human: against a
LES BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL
CONTEMPORARY
February 26 + 27, 2016 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre
BJM is at the top of its game having just returned from an exciting world tour. In Kosmos, dance maker Foniadakis draws his inspiration from the modern world; the frenetic pace of everyday. He transforms the frenetic into something beautiful. The score for Pedeneiras’ work includes throat singing, the sound of waves, the rustling wind and the
cry of wild geese. The dance is performed vigorously, at full throttle, in a direct, genuine, raw style. Galili’s new work is currently in development but also promises very dynamic movement. Fasten your seat belts and remember to breathe! Few companies in the world match BJM’s intensity and skill.
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Prices include GST, credit card fees, and a $5.50 per ticket charge levied by the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society. Dance Victoria is a non-profit charitable organization with deep roots in this community. Consider making a charitable tax-deductible donation to Dance Victoria when you renew your subscription. Your charitable contribution will ensure we continue to bring the world’s best dance to Victoria and support the development of new dance works for the world stage in our studios at 2750 Quadra Street.
Ballet BC – Company Artists; photo © Michael Slobodian. BJM – Christina Bodie and James Gregg in Night Box; photo © Gregory Batardon
Kosmos by Greece’s Andonis Foniadakis Rouge by Brazil’s Rodrigo Pedeneiras Mono Lisa by Israel’s Itzik Galili
KIDD PIVOT | ELECTRIC COMPANY
DANCE THEATRE
March 11 + 12, 2016 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Betroffenheit Written and conceived by Vancouver’s Jonathon Young Choreographed and directed by Victoria’s Crystal Pite
Kidd Pivot – Company dancers in Betroffenheit; photo © Wendy D Photography. Royal Winnipeg Ballet – Company dancers in Going Home Star - Truth and Reconciliation; photo © Samanta Katz Photographyy. Alberta Ballet – Jen Gibson in The Nutcracker; photo © VPaul McGrath.
Co-produced by PANAMANIA Arts and Culture Program of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, Sadler’s Wells (London UK), The Banff Centre, National Arts Centre (Ottawa), the CanDance Network, Canadian Stage (Toronto), L’Agora de la Danse (Montreal), Brian Webb Dance Company (Edmonton), and Dance Victoria (Victoria).
A group of Canada’s finest artists (set designer, composer, sound artists, wardrobe) join Kidd Pivot’s company of international dancers and celebrated actor Jonathon Young to tell a very personal story about living through disaster: an innovative, boundary-stretching hybrid of theatre and dance. Pite’s last work, Tempest Replica, was
described in T H E N E W Y O R K E R magazine as “a work of astonishing beauty and thoughtfulness [filled with] visual and aural wonders.”
ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET
BALLET
April 1 + 2, 2016 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation Choreographed by Montreal’s Mark Godden. Written by Joseph Boyden. With the generous support of the following Production Investors: Truth and Reconciliation Commission, The Asper Foundation, Tuccaro Group of Companies, and Wawanesa Insurance.
★★★★★ ”might well be the most important ballet produced by RWB in its 75 year history” W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S Commissioned by Artistic Director André Lewis, Going Home Star Truth and Reconciliation explores the world of Annie, a young, urban First Nations woman adrift in a contemporary life of youthful excess. But when she meets Gordon, a longhaired trickster disguised as a homeless man, she’s propelled into a world she’s always sensed but
never seen. Not only do they travel the streets of this place but also the paths of their ancestors, learning to accept the other’s burdens as the two walk through the past and toward the future. Together, both Annie and Gordon learn that without truth, there is no reconciliation. “…ballet turns darkness into beauty” G L O B E A N D M A I L
Special Presentation
ALBERTA BALLET
+
WITH THE VICTORIA SYMPHONY
December 4 + 5, 2015 • 7:30 pm December 5 + 6, 2015 • 2:00 pm Royal Theatre The Nutcracker Choreographed by Edmund Stripe Music by Pytor Tchaikovsky
“There’s a magic and whimsy to it that bewitches the children in all of us.” GEORGIA STRAIGHT
A favourite Victoria family tradition returns to the Royal by popular demand! Alberta Ballet’s sumptuous production casts a bewitching spell. Extravagant bejeweled sets and gorgeous costumes created by Emmy-Award winner Zack Brown, give the ballet the look of a richlyillustrated children’s book. Be prepared to be transported to 19th
SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS
• Only subscribers can buy The Nutcracker before August 17, 2015.
century Russia with the captivating magic of this beloved holiday classic. Accompanied by the Victoria Symphony.
• Buy additional tickets at a discounted price to any show throughout the season. • Receive 10 off any 2015/16 Victoria Symphony concert when you call or visit the box office
• • • •
Keep or upgrade your seats, season after season. Receive three issues of our newsletter, Footnotes Free ticket exchange for any performance Misplaced tickets reprinted at no extra charge
ď˜ž Footnotes • Issue ď˜źď™€ • Spring ď˜şď˜šď›œď˜˝
Dance Days ď˜şď˜šď›œď˜ž Although it may seem that it’s a long way off, you’ll want to mark your calendar and begin stretching your muscles to prepare for the 7th annual Dance Days marathon of free classes in all kinds of dance styles, all over town! The dates next season are January 22 through 31 and while we’re still some months from confirming all the details, we are very excited to announce that we will be presenting the WORLD PREMIERE of the newest work by Vancouver’s Out Innerspace (OIS). This is the company we presented at the Metro Studio Theatre in 2014 with their quirky duet Me So You So Me that the Georgia Straight called “a hot pot of Japanese pop culture and contemporary dance.â€? In August, 2014, 55 folks joined us for Rough Cuts at Dance Victoria studios to see the emergence of this new group work. Both the postshowing discussion with the artists and the reception were supportive and lively, with one patron exclaiming, “David and Tiffany [OIS principals] are stars!â€? FN
As Big as the Community That Supports Us Thanks to the many patrons who have stepped up to support Dance Victoria this season. We are currently at 90% of our target with just $10,000 left to raise before June 30. Your donation supports everything we do; most especially the work we do at our studios where we offer access for local artists to hone their craft and bring professionals in to work with them. We also support young dancers on many levels, through the annual Chrystal Dance Prize, free master classes and our Pay Your Age program. Give us a call today at 250-595-1829. We can answer your questions and we’re happy to accept donations of any size. Thank you.
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Once again we’re hosting several residencies at Dance Victoria Studios in the 2015/16 season. We kick off in August when Vancouver dance/theatre artist Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg comes to the studios for two weeks to continue working with Italian dance/theatre artist Silvia Gribaudi. Friedenberg and Gribaudi first saw each other’s solo performances at Edinburgh’s Dance Base event in 2012. In 2013 with support from the Canada Council, Friedenberg brought Gribaudi to Vancouver where, for two weeks, they began to explore movement, sound and character development. The two weeks at Dance Victoria Studios will reunite these two artists. After Victoria, they will continue their work during a residency at The Dance Centre (Vancouver). Friedenberg was one beneficiary of Dance Victoria’s 2014 Chrystal Dance Prize, which helped bring Gribaudi to the west coast. Watch for a Rough Cuts in mid-August where you can see the work these two artists are developing and enjoy a barbecue with Tara, Silvia and Dance Victoria Board and Staff. In October we will be hosting two companies. Local dance maker Constance Cooke will embark on a new project and Vancouver’s Out Innerspace returns for two weeks to continue to develop aspects of the work we will premiere during Dance Days. Other artists who have expressed interest include Victoria’s Lori Hamar, who wants to play with projected live texting and improvisational dance this summer. In January, a local collective comprising Brandy Baybutt, Stacey Horton and Treena Stubel will continue work on Not Enough Alone, a piece they developed during an immersive workshop with Berlin-based dance dramaturge Gabi Beier at Dance Victoria Studios this February. There will no doubt be additional activity. We’ve learned since we took on the management of the studios in September, 2010, that our best approach is to be open to proposals and ideas generated by the community. We like to be responsive.
Out Innerspace. Photo Š Wendy D Photography
Residencies in 2015/16
DanceVictoria.com •
Dance Seen A Horse Race, a Ransom, a Season
Sophie Lee in Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation. Photo © Réjean Brandt Photography
By Stephen White I am often asked how I construct a season, and I’m always happy to respond. My typical answer is that first I negotiate with the opera and symphony to gain access to weekend dates at the Royal Theatre (this can be a delicate and protracted negotiation). Then with dates in hand I begin talking with presenter colleagues in the Pacific Northwest and dance agents in New York, Montréal and California. I’ve been thinking lately how each of the 16 seasons that I have programmed has constructed itself to a certain extent. One or two companies sign up and then others seem to fall into place. The 2015/16 season certainly worked that way. My absolute deadline to have it all lined up and get all the text and images to our designer so the brochure could be designed, proofed, printed and stuffed into envelopes for the March 13 and 14 performances (Käfig) was Thursday, February 26. In early January, I was in good shape. We were going to start with Ballet BC. Next up was Ballets Jazz de Montréal, followed by Kidd Pivot and ending with a Brazilian company that had never been to Victoria. I had agreements in place with all of them, except the Brazilians. I had also looked at Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Going Home Star. My only hesitation: it’s a big show. Then the spoiler. In late January, as it does every year, Dance Victoria brought a dozen dance presenters to Victoria during Dance Days. The event is called the “Presenters Forum.” Over two days we see a series of Rough Cuts (new works-in-progress) by mostly west coast artists. It’s very informal and really cool. Better than Christmas and my birthday put together. We set up chairs in the studios, I introduce the artists. They talk about what we’re going to see. They dance and afterwards we discuss what we’ve seen. In between and after the showings, we have food, we talk about our business. In the evenings we add wine and spirits: the artists and the presenters mix and mingle. For those two days, Victoria is the centre of dance in Canada. During last call at the Bengal Lounge on the first night, the presenters occupying the sofas and chairs around the fireplace under the grin of the dead tiger on the wall, my dear colleague from the National Arts Centre, Cathy Levy, leaned in: “Why aren’t you presenting RWB’s Going Home Star next season?” I say, “Oh Cathy, I’ve looked at it, people have talked to me about it, it’s just so big…I don’t know.” “I’m not telling you what to do,” she says, “ but the truth is, it’s not going to be around very long and it’s an important work. You should present it.”
Two days later at work, Bernard Sauvé (Dance Victoria’s General Manager) and I look at the video again. Bernard used to dance with Ballet BC — he knows ballet, so I trust his opinion. We both agreed to sleep on it. I was still clinging to the idea of this big Brazilian company finishing the season. They’d be like the fireworks at the end of Symphony Splash. Bing, Bang. Ka-pow. Next day Bernard says, “You know, I looked at RWB again at home last night. It’s really beautiful. It’s poetic.” By now we were into the second week of February. Our deadline to have everything in place is ten days away. I phone RWB’s agent. “We want it. But now I need to move really fast. I have to have confirmation within a week.” “Give me to Friday,” the agent says. I call Friday, “So?” “You have to give me ‘til noon Monday. We wanna do it, but the only way is if we get dates at the Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver to present it after Victoria. And, there’s another company holding those dates at the QE.” “Dammit!” I think. Now that there’s a contest, I really want RWB. I can’t picture any better way to finish an all-Canadian season than with a profoundly Canadian story, danced with sensitivity. “Can’t you get them to move their dates?” I ask. “That’s what we’re working on,” the agent says. The weekend passes. Monday comes, there’s no phone call. Yikes! Tuesday morning, I’m on the phone, “What’s happening?” “We’re pretty positive it’ll happen, 90 sure, but we have to wait ‘til we hear from the QE. Noon Wednesday, I promise.” “Thursday is my deadline for the brochure!” I say. “I know, I got it,” says he. Wednesday noon comes. Phone rings. I pick it up. “What?” “You have to give us until 2 pm today.” What is this, a horse race? Am I on the phone with some mafia hood setting up the delivery of ransom money? What? This is unlike any season I have ever booked, ever. Two o’clock, on the spot. An e-mail from RWB — “We’re coming to the west coast!!!” And a phone call, “Just a moment ago we got word, it’s happening.” This is how a fine connoisseur, a well-seasoned, educated dance presenter selects a season. Part horse race, part ransom money, all heart. I know you’re going to love it. FN
Footnotes • Issue • Spring
Tango Until You Drop While you’re reading this, Dance Victoria is on the road again, this time visiting Argentina and Chile with 38 subscribers and supporters led by Trips Coordinator Bill Hamar and Dance Victoria’s Executive Producer, Stephen White. The group will return just in time for Ballet West at the end of the month. In addition to walking tours and museum entrances, the itinerary in Buenos Aires includes visits to some of the city’s most popular milongas (tango clubs) as well as to a Tango Show. The group will visit the small town of Colonia in Uruguay, a world-heritage site, for a day and then fly to Mendoza, capital of the Argentine wine country. After four nights of sampling wines and cuisine, they will traverse the Andes to Santiago, Chile, where the group will spend its final three nights enjoying cultural events. In May, a group of 27 will travel with Hamar and White to Boston for five nights. Later that month another group of 28 will visit Prague, Vienna and Budapest. These tours, aside from being a whole lot of fun, are fundraisers for Dance Victoria. This year alone they contributed more than $27,000 to the organization’s operation. In 2016 look for two trips: London/Paris (a repeat of a popular 16day trip from a few years ago) and a reprise of Argentina and Chile.
Update on the Chrystal Dance Prize Dance Victoria has $27,000 to award this year to both young and established dancers. The application deadline was March 16, and the submissions are currently under review by a panel of three dance professionals. Winners will be announced in mid-June. Dance Victoria will have a full $35,000 to award for its 2016 Chrystal Dance Prize, making it one of the most significant dance awards in the country. We are also in the process of changing how the award is delivered. We will start asking for proposals from the independent or midcareer dance artist community in September, 2015, with a closing date of November 1. The application for a young dancer continuing her/his training at an international institution will be made available in April, 2016, with a deadline of May 31, 2016. To learn more about the Chrystal Dance Prize go to DanceVictoria.com FN
Raffle Draw: May 6 We’re making our Raffle Draw an event this year! A big thank-you to the many people who supported Dance Victoria and bought tickets to our annual raffle. Proceeds support what we’re doing in our studios to boost the development of dancers and dance works. Prizes include: • 1st Prize: New York Travel with Dance Victoria to New York for five nights (May 2016). Package includes return air, accommodation, daily breakfasts, walking tours, museum entrances and event tickets, including admission to the American Ballet Theater’s Spring Gala at the Lincoln Center. • 2nd Prize: Victoria Athletic Club A year-long membership to Victoria’s premiere health club, the Victoria Athletic Club (at the Hotel Grand Pacific). Amenities include a 25-meter pool with sauna, steam room and hot tub plus a full work out facility, squash court and more. • 3rd Prize: Vancouver Fly Helijet to Vancouver, three nights at the Rosedale on Robson and tickets to a performance of Ballet BC at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets are only $10 each or a book of five for $40. There are still tickets available! You can buy them over the phone at 250-5951829 or visit our office at 2750 Quadra Street or at the performances of Ballet West. Then, plan to join us May 6 at 2 pm at the Victoria Athletic Club in the Hotel Grand Pacific (463 Belleville Street). You can have a wee tour of the beautiful facility, enjoy a free bevvy and enter to win a draw for more prizes including a 12-visit punch card for Victoria Athletic Club (value $150) and a family four-pack of tickets to Alberta Ballet’s The Nutcracker accompanied by the Victoria Symphony (value $356). Know your limit and play within it.