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Alberta Ballet Fumbling Towards Ecstasy NOVEMBER 8 + 9, 2013 • 7:30 pm Running time: 90 minutes (incl. intermission)
Music Sarah McLachlan Choreography Jean Grand-Maître Lighting Design Pierre Lavoie Costume Design Paul Hardy Set Design Scott Reid
Make up Design Bryon Callaghan Projection Design Adam Larsen Sound Design Claude Lemelin Libretto Jean Grand-Maître
Alberta Ballet acknowledges the assistance of the Performing Arts Residency program at The Banff Centre
Biographies Sarah Ann McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzosoprano vocal range she has sold well over 40 million albums worldwide, has earned 3 Grammy’s including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. McLachlan’s best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards (out of four nominations) and four Juno Awards. In addition to her personal artistic efforts, she founded the Lilith Fair tour showcasing female musicians and in 2002 founded her non-profit organization the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Sarah is currently writing and recording a new album set for release in spring of 2014 and you can learn more about this release and future tour dates at www.SarahMcLachlan.com.
Jean Grand-Maître, Artistic Director One of the most successful Canadian choreographers of his generation, Jean Grand-Maître assumed the artistic leadership of Alberta Ballet in 2002. Born in Hull, Quebec, he began his dance training at York University in Toronto and continued at Montreal’s L’École Supérieure de Danse du Québec. He later danced with Ballet British Columbia and Theatre Ballet of Canada. After working internationally for 14 years as an independent choreographer and director, he created and staged new
works for many of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies, theatre festivals, circus performers, opera companies, stage musicals, television specials and for film. Opéra National de Paris, the Teatro alla Scala, the Stuttgart Ballet, the National Norwegian Ballet, the Bavarian State National Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Ballet British Columbia, the National Ballet of Cuba, Ballet Jörgen and the Hartford Ballet. In 2010 he was Director of Choreography for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. During his tenure with Alberta Ballet, he has set or choreographed numerous ballets of his own. All have received considerable public and critical acclaim such as The Winter Room (2002), Carmen (2003), Cinderella (2004), Romeo and Juliet (2005), Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and The Drum—co-created with Joni Mitchell (2007), Mozart’s Requiem (2008), Bolero (2009), Love Lies Bleeding (2010)—created with the participation of Sir Elton John, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (2011)—created with the participation of Sarah McLachlan and Balletlujah!— inspired by and featuring the music of k.d. lang—in 2013. This year, he is again working with Joni Mitchell on a new ballet featuring her greatest love songs.
Casting Overture Artists of Alberta Ballet Child Kori Empson Hold On # 1 The coming odyssey of a woman’s life Artists of Alberta Ballet Child Kori Empson Ben’s Song The innocence of childhood Child Kori Empson Drawn to the Rhythm Impetuous youth/ Birth of sisterhood Lead Woman # Skye Balfour-Ducharme Sisters Alexandra Gibson, Luna Sasaki, Akiko Ishii, Jennifer Gibson Crossing Boys Artists of Alberta Ballet Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Discovery of the opposite sex Lead Woman # Skye Balfour-Ducharme Artists of Alberta Ballet Bring on the Wonder The first love Lead Woman # Nicole Caron Lover # Elier Bourzac Vox A celebration of youthful love Lead Woman # Nicole Caron Lover # Elier Bourzac Couples Artists of Alberta Ballet Ice Betrayal Lead Woman # Lover # Mistress # Mistress # Mistress # INTERMISSION
Nicole Caron Elier Bourzac Yairelys Sosa Taryn Nowels Emily Nicholson
Into the Fire Sisterhood #2/Empowerment Lead woman # Hayna Gutierrez Sisters Alexandra Gibson, Luna Sasaki, Akiko Ishii, Jennifer Gibson Crossing boys Artists of Alberta Ballet Illusions of Bliss # 1 (Deluxe) Believing again Lead Woman # Hayna Gutierrez Lover # Kelley McKinlay Couples Artists of Alberta Ballet Illusions of Bliss # 2 (Piano) Giving into love again Lead Woman # Mariko Kondo Lover # Kelley McKinlay Ensemble Artists of Alberta Ballet Hold On # 2 Tragedy strikes Lead Woman # Mariko Kondo Lover # Kelley McKinlay Angels Colby Parsons, Nicolas Pelletier, Garrett Groat Good Enough Absolution/Pact with the creator/ Letting go Lead Woman # Mariko Kondo Ensemble Artists of Alberta Ballet Building a Mystery Sisterhood # 3/Empowerment Lead Woman # Mariko Kondo Sisters Alexandra Gibson, Luna Sasaki, Akiko Ishii, Jennifer Gibson Ensemble Artists of Alberta Ballet Mary Mature love Lead Woman # Beverly Bagg Lover # Christopher Kaiser Ensemble Artists of Alberta Ballet Ice Cream Celebration of love Ice Cream Cone Natalie Chui Ensemble Full Company Angel Lead woman # Lover # Couples
Reilley Bell Jaciel Gomez Artists of Alberta Ballet
The Company Skye Balfour-Ducharme Toronto, ON 5th season Eli Barnes Santa Fe, NM, USA 2nd season Andreamaria Battaggia (Guest Artist) Milan, Italy Reilley Bell Eatonville, WA, USA 6th season Elier Bourzac (Guest Artist) Santiago De Cuba, Cuba Ian Buchanan Fairfax, CA, USA 1st season Nicole Caron Vancouver, BC 12th season Natalie Chui Calgary, AB 3rd season Alison Dubsky Geneva, OH, USA (maternity leave) 4th season Kori Empson (Guest Artist) Alexandra Gibson Calgary, AB 5th season Jennifer Gibson Calgary, AB 5th season
Jaciel Gomez Pinar del Rio, Cuba 3rd season Garett Groat Edmonton, AB 4th season Hayna Gutierrez Havana, Cuba 4th season Yukichi Hattori Tokyo, Japan 8th season Akiko Ishii Tokyo, Japan 3rd season Christopher Kaiser Los Angeles, CA, USA 1st season Mariko Kondo Tokyo, Japan 6th season Kelley McKinlay Edmonton, AB 12th season Tudor Moldoveanu Tulcea, Romania 1st season David Neal Casper, WY, USA 3rd season Emily Nicholson Vancouver, BC 8th season Taryn Nowels Huntington Beach, CA, USA 1st season
Colby Parsons Santa Barbara, CA, USA 3rd season Nicolas Pelletier Quebec, PQ 3rd season Alexandra Pera Bucharest, Romania 4th season Catherine Rutherford Barrie, ON 1st season Luna Sasaki Kanagawa, Japan 1st season Ryo Shimizu Chiba, Japan 1st season Yairelys Sosa Havana, Cuba 3rd season Heather Thomas Lewisberry, PA, USA 1st season Laura Vande Zande Calgary, AB 3rd season Ben Warner Boston, MA, USA 2nd season For more information on Alberta Ballet’s dancers, click on albertaballet.com/dancers
About Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Fumbling Towards Ecstasy portrays the spiritual odyssey of a woman’s life. The innocence of childhood dreams gives way to the aspirations of an adolescent heroine. The birth of the sisterhood strengthens the woman’s resolve to keep faith in life. The discovery of the opposite sex gives way to first love. Although it ends in betrayal, the sisters return to
help resurrect the woman’s faith once again. She then gives in to life and welcomes love once more. This time he is the one, the true one. Tragedy strikes and she faces eternity. The sisters return, she bonds to life again. At the end of her long journey, she finds love once more.
Credits ALBERTA BALLET TEAM Executive Staff Jean Grand-Maître – Artistic Director Martin Bragg – Executive Director
DANCE VICTORIA WISHES TO THANK Pre-Show Chat Sponsor:
Night Moves (Party) Sponsors:
Artistic Beverley Bagg – Ballet Mistress Alexandrous Ballard – Ballet Master Peter Dala – Music Director
Production Oliver Armstrong – Stage Manager Mike Booth – Head Properties Roz Brown - Seamstress Quynh Chestnut - Cutter Stacey Frislev - Head of Wardrobe Matt Gault – Head Carpenter Raven Hehr - Wardrobe Coordinator Brett Johnson – Head Electrics Grant Johnson – Assistant Technical Director Michele Merrells - Touring Head of Wardrobe Susan Montelbetti - Dye Artist Harry Paterson – Director of Production and Touring Scott Paterson – Head Flys Dan Plumtree – Head Audio Blair Puente – Company Manager Andrew G. Smith – Technical Director Chris Sprague – Assistant Electrician Alberta Ballet is grateful for the support of:
Alberta Ballet Tour Sponsor:
Hold On, Ben’s Song, Drawn to the Rhythm, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Vox, Ice, Into the Fire, Illusions of Bliss, Good Enough, Building a Mystery, Mary and Ice Cream used by permission of publishers Netwerk Music. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Into the Fire, Illusions of Bliss, and Building a Mystery Company music used by permission of Pierre Marchand D/B/A 4237579 Canada Ltd. Bring on the Wonder music used by permission of Susan Enan of Feast Music Group LLC Synchronization license provided by Nettwerk Music One Ltd and Pierre Marchand
Raino Dance
Public Sector Support: We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia
Dance Victoria’s Endowment Fund and the Chrystal Dance Prize Fund are held at The Victoria Foundation
Dance Victoria Charitable Registration # RR Dance Victoria Studios #- Quadra Street, Victoria, BC VT E -- DanceVictoria.com