Dance Victoria Footnotes 57 (Spring 2018)

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ISSUE 57 • SPRING 2018 • Company Wayne McGregor + Ballet Hispánico + Alvin Ailey® + 2018/19 Season + more…

Dance at the Royal

Company Wayne McGregor Atomos Wayne McGregor

March 16 + 17 • Fri + Sat • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre

3-D glassesd! provide

Running Time: 70 minutes (incl. 20-minute intermission) Lead Sponsors

Ballet Hispánico

Passionate works by three leading female choreographers

April 6 + 7 • Fri + Sat • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre

Victoria ! re Premie

Running Time: 2 hours (incl. 2 x 20-minute intermissions) Lead Sponsors

Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater Four-show program! Only Canadian stop!

Company Wayne McGregor in Atomos. Photo © Ravi Deepres

May 1 • Tues • 8:00 pm Royal Theatre Running Time: 2 hours (incl. 2 x 20-minute intermissions) Lead Sponsors

Introducing the 2018/19 Season

, Videos + s o phot fo more in eb w on the

2 Footnotes • Issue 57 • Spring 2018

Now in its 21st Season, Dance Victoria, a non-profit charitable society, brings the World’s Best Dance to the Royal Theatre and supports the development of new dance for the international stage from its studios in Quadra Village. DanceVictoria.com

Dance Seen Impresario Steve

BY STEPHEN WHITE

Dance Victoria Board: Susan Howard

Vice President René Peloquin Treasurer

Susan Porter

Secretary

Nikki Sieben

Directors

Kristen Kitchen Kari McLay Colin Nicol Lynda Raino Kirsty Thomson

Staff: Executive Producer

Stephen White

General Manager

Bernard Sauvé

Operations Manager

Shireen McNeilage

Marketing Manager

Tracy Smith

Accounting

Julie Collins

Production Manager

Holly Vivian

Graphic Design

Rayola Creative

Advertising Sales

Bonnie Light Advertising

Trips Coordinator

Bill Hamar

If you’d like to volunteer for Dance Victoria please visit DanceVictoria.com and complete the online volunteer form.

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 Tracy Smith and Stephen White.

I’VE ALWAYS SECRETLY DREAMED OF being an “impresario.” It sounds so prestigious, so glamorous. You can almost hear the faint clink of champagne glasses and hearty laughter when you say the word out loud.

Instead I’m a “presenter.” A very Canadian term, don’t you think? A smidge better than “promoter,” but certainly lacking the flair and grandiosity of impresario.

It happens to me all the time at social gatherings: “What do you do for a living, Steve?”

“I’m a dance presenter.”

“Huh?” But if I said, “I’m an Impresario!” — wouldn’t that cause a stir?

When I think of great impresarios, Sergei Diaghilev, founder of The Ballet Russes, comes to mind. He reinvigorated ballet, commissioned scores by Stravinsky and Debussy and tapped Picasso and Jean Cocteau on the shoulder to design sets and costumes.

At Dance Victoria, we’ve commissioned works by Kidd Pivot, Ballet BC and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks plus a slew of others. We’ve sent new productions to Sweden, Germany, Britain, the U.S., Australia, and Korea. Surely that should help me qualify?

We’ve put together 21 seasons of dance (the 22nd is about to go on sale!) bringing companies from around the world to the Royal Theatre. We’ve hosted residencies, brought colleagues to town for Dance Days, thrown parties, receptions, dinners and more parties, many with their fair share of clinking champagne glasses and hearty laughter…

But I think the strongest argument I have for being considered an impresario is the production MAN by Norwegian choreographer Sølvi Edvardsen in our 2018/19 season. How many people can boast a friendship with a person whose name has an “o” with a stick through it? Sølvi’s solo piece MAN features powerhouse dancer Sudesh Adhana in a mesmerizing performance. I saw it in Copenhagen and couldn’t wait to bring it to Victoria. I was so excited that I spoke with colleagues across the country and together we assembled a five-city Canadian tour. Yes me. Five cities!

I’ve asked my colleague, Shireen, to order me a new name tag to wear at the Royal. It’ll say “Impresario Steve.” Has a nice ring, don’t you think?

But wait, just did a little more research and found this about Diaghilev’s production of The Sleeping Princess in 1921 on Wikipedia: “despite being well received…it was a financial disaster.” And there’s this: “Diaghilev lived from pay cheque to pay cheque and many people noticed that his impeccably cut suits had frayed cuffs and trouser-ends.”

The more I read, it sounds like his life was an emotional rollercoaster full of bankruptcies, failed relationships, bitter disputes and lifelong grudges. You know, I’ve given it some thought. I’m good with being “Presenter Steve.” FN

Stephen White photo © Don Craig Photography. Sudesh Adhana in Sølvi Edvardsen’s MAN. Photo © Trine Kim Design Studio.

President

DanceVictoria.com • 3

2018/19 The World’s Best Dance

Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal’s artisits Benjamin Mitchell, Yosmell Caldéron, Mark Sampson, Céline Cassone, Jeremy Coachman, Andrew Mikhaiel, Pier-Loup Lacour, Alexander Hille in Dance Me. Photo © Marc Montplaisir

Subscription Renewals On Sale Monday, March 19!

We’ve done the planning, talked to the agents, negotiated dates with other cities, confirmed theatre dates, signed contracts, booked hotels and the dust has settled. We’re ready to announce our 2018/19 Season and we couldn’t be happier!

The season kicks off in November 2018 with the extraordinary, much loved BJM Danse (Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal) for Dance Me, a new and exclusive dance program inspired by Montreal poet, artist and musician, Leonard Cohen. Three choreographers: Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Ihsan Rustem tackle a selection of Cohen’s songs with the recurring and universal themes of love, spirituality, poetry, society, artificial paradise, inspiration, creativity and the quest for freedom. Dance Me played to sold-out houses in Montréal returning for an additional six evening run in March 2018.

In early January, at the McPherson Playhouse, we’re proud to share a special presentation for one night only: MAN, a contemplative, contemporary work by Norwegian choreographer Sølvi Edvardsen on Friday, January 25, 2019 at 7:30 pm at the McPherson Playhouse. Through seriousness and humour, MAN portrays an individual struggle for inner balance and unfolds as a dialogue between Edvardsen and the remarkable South Asian dancer, Sudesh Adhana.

Ballet West from Salt Lake City brings a beautiful ballet program in early February with a premiere by world-renowned choreographer Val Caniparoli. Caniparoli has created more than 100 productions for ballet, opera, and theatre for over 50 companies. Dances for Lou is inspired by Lou Harrison’s Concerto For Pipa and String Orchestra.

Ballet West will also perform contemporary and classical works by Nicolo Fonte and George Balanchine. This company’s tall lean technically brilliant dancers thrilled Victoria audiences when they played the Royal in 2015.

In March, Ballet BC brings a mixed, contemporary program by next generation choreographers Cayetano Soto; Emily Molnar (Artistic Director of Ballet BC); and Medhi Walerski. The program reflects the company’s diverse repertoire of Canadian and international work and is evidence of it being a hotbed for the creation and performance of new works. Over the past two seasons, Ballet BC has toured extensively in Europe and the U.S. playing to standing ovations and critical acclaim.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago concludes our season in April — an exceptional finale. Alejandro Cerrudo is HSDC’s Resident Choreographer. Many of you were bubbling at the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet intermission after they performed his work, Silent Ghost.

We’re thrilled to have this company back to perform bold works that evoke inspiration and conversation.

Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet returns for its special presentation of Nutcracker with a uniquely Canadian twist for five shows this season — a holiday tradition that continues to create new memories every year. Subscribers enjoy discounts and best seats when they add this to their season package.

And there you have it – an eclectic program of the World’s Best Dance right here in Victoria! Renew your subscription by Saturday, April 14, 2018 for best seats, best prices!

Pre-Show Chats Presented by

Join us in the lobby of the Royal Theatre at 6:50 pm before Company Wayne McGregor and Ballet Hispánico at the Friday and Saturday performances — a lively conversation about the evenings’ works hosted by Dr. Allana Lindgren, dance historian and Chair of the Theatre Department, University of Victoria.

Subscription Renewals If you want to retain your current seats, renew your subscription for Dance Victoria’s 2018/19 Season at the Company Wayne McGregor performances (March 16 & 17) or you can phone or visit the Box Office beginning March 19 if you want to change your seating. Box Office hours are Monday through Saturday: 10:00am to 5:00pm (The Royal closes for lunch from 1:30 to 2pm each day) or phone 250-386-6121. After April 14, your seats will be released and available to the general public.

If you did not receive your renewal form at the theatre or in the mail, give us a call at the office at 250-595-1829. We’ll make sure you have all the information you need to renew.

Announcing Dance Victoria’s 2018/19 Season

2018/19 Dance at the Royal Series LES BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL

CONTEMPORARY

November 16 + 17, 2018 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Dance Me Music by Leonard Cohen | Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Andonis Foniadakis, Ihsan Rustem A vibrant dance homage to poet and musician Leonard Cohen. In five seasons that reflect five stages in the late singer–songwriter’s life, Dance Me paints a multifaceted portrait of the man who wrote Hallelujah, Suzanne and So Long Marianne. Dance, music and videos bring Cohen’s compositions to the stage in dance. Sure to sell out! “…the most ambitious project in BJM’s 45-year history” C B C

BALLET WEST

ARTS

BALLET

February 1 + 2, 2019 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Dances for Lou Val Caniparoli | Selections by George Balanchine & Nicolo Fonte Val Caniparoli’s versatility has made him one of the most sought after American choreographers in the U.S. and abroad. Dances for Lou is powerful and athletic, inspired by the hypnotic music of Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra. Contemporary and classical works by Nicolo Fonte and Balanchine round out the program with these technically astounding dancers. “… undoubtedly the future for professional ballet, both classical and contemporary.” T H E

BALLET BC

O’COLLY NEWS

CONTEMPORARY BALLET

March 15 + 16, 2019 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Beginning After Cayetano Soto | New Work Emily Molnar | Petite Cérémonie Medhi Walerski Bold, world-class dance, fun, sophisticated, and thought-provoking: this is Ballet BC. This eclectic program by three next-generation choreographers questions the truth of memory, what “life in a box” can mean, and a premiere by Ballet BC Artistic Director Emily Molnar.

Over the past two seasons, Ballet BC has toured extensively in Europe and the U.S. playing to standing ovations and critical acclaim. “…from sombre abstraction to playful delights.” G E O R G I A

STRAIGHT

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO

CONTEMPORARY

April 12 + 13, 2019 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Mixed Repertoire Now in its 39th season, Hubbard Street Dance presents fresh, bold works that evoke inspiration, thought and conversation, continually pushing the art of dance forward. With Alejandro Cerrudo as Resident Choreographer (many of you will remember his Silent Ghost as part of our Aspen Santa Fe Ballet program), you can expect a mixed program of cuttingedge contemporary dance that will leave you breathless.

“Take a deep breath, because Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is going to take your breath away.”

WASHINGTON POST

Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal – The Company in Dance Me. Photo © Thierry du Bois - Cosmos Image. Ballet West – Principal Artist Emily Adams in Rubies. Photo © Luke Isley. Ballet BC – Conner Gnam, Peter Smida, Darren Devaney, and Christoph von Riedemann in Petite Cérémonie. Photo © Michael Slobodian.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago – Ana Lopez in Little Mortal Jump.

Best seats. Best prices. The world’s best dance.

Additional Special Presentations ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET + VICTORIA SYMPHONY CLASSICAL BALLET November 30 + December 1 + 2, 2018 • 7:30 pm December 1 + 2, 2018 • 2:00 pm Royal Theatre Nutcracker Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon | Composed by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky A snowy pond hockey game, a battle on Parliament Hill, Mounties, and a cast of Canadian critters make this production memorable. Performed to live music by the Victoria Symphony.

Subscribers can buy the best seats at early-bird prices before they go on sale to the general public in mid-August. “…the most visually stunning Nutcracker I’ve ever seen…it’s worth catching the RWB’s Nutcracker, one of the most memorable to visit our city.” T I M E S C O L O N I S T

MAN

CONTEMPORARY

January 25, 2019 • 7:30 pm • ONE NIGHT ONLY McPherson Playhouse MAN Sølvi Edvardsen

Royal Winnipeg Ballet – Filbert in Nutcracker. Photo © Paul Martens. MAN – Sudesh Adhanar in MAN. Photo © Trine - Kim Designstudio.

MAN — in the understanding as man and human being — is a project at the crossroads between two cultures. Through seriousness and humour, MAN portrays individual struggle for inner balance and unfolds as a dialogue between the Norwegian choreographer Sølvi Edvardsen and the remarkable dancer Sudesh Adhana. Presented in collaboration with the CODA Festival and The National Touring Company.

SUBSCRIPTION PRICING Subscribers save up to $86 over regular prices. It’s like seeing one show for free! Get the best seats before single tickets go on sale September 4.

Add MAN / Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker to your package and pay subscriber prices. Only subscribers can buy Nutcracker before August 15.

HOW TO BUY In-person: Visit the Royal or McPherson Box Offices, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Phone: 250-386-6121 or Toll Free 1-888-717-6121 Online: DanceVictoria.com Prices include GST, credit card fees and ticket surcharges.

SEASON SUBSCRIPTION PRICE

Loge Premium A B

309 286 249 192

ADD NUTCRACKER AT SUBSCRIBER PRICING ADULT

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95.75 84.50 84.50 75.50 77.75 69.50 64.00 57.00

A B

38.50 33.25

Note: This performance is at the McPherson Playhouse

MAIN FLOOR

BALCONY

MAIN FLOOR

BALCONY

MAIN FLOOR

B A

B

B A

B

B

B

A B

B

PREMIUM

A C

B STAGE

A

A

STAGE

C

B STAGE

A A

PREMIUM

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6 Footnotes • Issue 57 • Spring 2018

Kyle Abraham’s Untitled America Explores Impact of Prison System

Everyone is anticipating the return of Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theatre on May 1, 2018. Imagine: the company’s ONLY Canadian stop is wee, little Victoria! We’re reminded of all the phone calls at the office last year, trying to secure dates, the back and forth emails, the number crunching… it’s still dreamy that it all came together.

Choreographer Kyle Abraham, a MacArthur Genius grant winner, was commissioned to create Untitled America for Ailey, one of four works in the program at the Royal. Untitled America exposes the impact the American prison system has on African-American families.

Abraham has mixed feelings about the way his race affects how he is seen as an artist:

“One of the frustrations of being a black dancemaker is that it’s always going to be the lens,” he explains. “People may try to make a connection to race or racial injustice in a way they may not with my white counterparts. But I take full ownership of who I am and the role of race in my life.”

Members of Abraham’s family and of his friends’ families have spent time in prison. Incarceration has been on his mind for a long time. The percentage of blacks in the prison system continues to be a hot topic. Nearly 40 percent of the 2.3 million Americans currently incarcerated by the U.S. criminal justice system are black.

In Untitled America, the audience grapples with a maelstrom of emotions experienced by prisoners and those waiting for them on the outside. There are raw interviews, fragments of gospel song and conversations, somber tableaus and movement ranging from tender to explosive. Dancers alternate as guards and prisoners, taking down and then lifting one another up, hands bound behind their backs.

Abraham calls his avant-garde dance style “postmodern gumbo”, a result of the different technique styles and teachers he has studied with over the years. He cites dance legends Alvin Ailey, Kevin Wynn, Marcus Graham and Bebe Miller as major influences.

In addition to Untitled America, the company will perform a selection of joyous, lighter works: Ella and Mass by Robert Battle and a Winter in Lisbon by Billy Wilson. FN (Article resources: Karlton Smith, NBC News, Dec 13, 2016; Jordon Levin, Miami Herald, Feb 23, 2017)

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Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater in Untitled America. Photo © Paul Kolnik

Yes! I want Dance Victoria to thrive!

DanceVictoria.com • 7

Chrystal Dance Prize Projects Take Flight In late December, the Dance Victoria Awards Committee reviewed Chrystal Dance Prize (CDP) project proposals submitted by independent dance artists. Out of the group of submissions, the committee selected a project to support by local dance artist Stacey Horton.

Horton was awarded $12,000 to take her dance project Concussion, and her creative team, to Berlin.

Gabi Beier, who acted as a dramaturge, will present the work in Berlin on August 18 and 19, 2018. Horton will then premiere the full work in Victoria in 2019.

In addition, the Chrystal Dance Fund is supporting Ballet BC’s commission of a new Romeo & Juliet choreographed by French dance maker Medhi Walerski with a contribution of $25,000. This investment supports the inclusion of Arts Umbrella graduate students in the production, increasing the number of corps de ballet.

Dance Victoria staff and some fellow dance enthusiasts had the pleasure of attending the premiere in February at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre. FN

Help Us Reach Our Goal WE’D LIKE TO THANK those of you that have supported Dance Victoria this season. We still have $20,000 to raise before June 30 so that we can continue to bring the World’s Best Dance to Victoria. This often means bringing international companies or troupes from the US (which require being paid in US dollars). Even with these challenges, we’re committed to bring you the world’s best! Can you help reach our goal this year? We truly appreciate the support. Feel free to give us a call at 250-595-1829 if you want more information. Your donation will be acknowledged with a charitable tax receipt, in the Dance Victoria 2018/19 House Program, and in our hearts.

Thank you.

Spring Raffle Proceeds from our raffle support the many artists whose projects are developed in our studios and then performed across the country and around the world. Tickets will be on sale at all of our performances at the Royal Theatre and at DanceVictoria.com. The amazing prizes include: • GRAND PRIZE: Vive la différence Dance Tour May 2019 8 nights in Montréal and Québec City (combined) hosted by Dance Victoria’s Bernard Sauvé. Includes air, transfers, accommodation, daily breakfasts, events & tours. (Value: $2,100) • PACKAGE 1: One-year membership at Victoria Athletic Club at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Enjoy a rigorous workout or relax and socialize by the pool (Value: $1,000)

Business Cards Rack Cards & Post Cards Newsletters & Calendars Brochures & Flyers

• PACKAGE 2: Vancouver Get Away 2018 A night in Vancouver. Return Helijet flights, one night at the Listel Hotel, dinner at Forage, tickets to Ballet BC in November 2018 (Value: $1,579) Tickets are $10 each or a book of five for $40. With fewer than 2,000 printed, your odds are great, plus you’ll enjoy knowing you’re supporting Victoria’s vibrant dance community. The raffle will be drawn at Dance Victoria Studios at 2:00 pm on May 8, 2018. Licence #101707 RAFFLE PARTNERS

609 Dunedin St., Victoria BC V8T 2L7 250-590-2998 www.fastracprinting.com

8 Footnotes • Issue 57 • Spring 2018

ODC/Dance’s Brenda Way and KT Nelson Continue to Inspire

ODC/Dance’s KT Nelson and Brenda Way. Photo: Tracy Smith

On January 31, 2018, Dance Victoria welcomed ODC/Dance co-Artistic Directors and veteran dance creators Brenda Way and KT Nelson to Victoria to discuss the fascinating origins of their company in the 60s and its incredible evolution to a state-of-the-art campus in San Francisco. Way shared her inspiration for “What we carry, What we keep” – an art exhibition at New York Museum called The Keeper, while KT Nelson shared her many influences for the creation of Dead Reckoning including environmental values instilled in her by her mother, and a sabbatical to Death Valley. It was wonderful to see many subscribers attend the evening at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Look for a special subscriber-invitation to our Ballet Hispánico event coming to you soon!

Conferences and Festivals This Summer Stephen and Bernard will attend dance conferences and festivals this summer to seek out new material and mingle with other dance presenters from around the world. In July, they’re off to Dancing on the Edge in Vancouver, an event that presents approximately 30 performances from across Canada. In late August, they’re bound for Las Vegas for the Western Arts Alliance conference.

Second Annual Choreographic Lab with Wen Wei Wang Dance Victoria welcomes back Wen Wei Wang, Artistic Director of Dance Victoria's Choreographic Lab, from July 16 through 28, 2018.

Wang will lead a two-week intensive for three choreographers and six dancers at Dance Victoria Studios after a very successful inaugural lab last summer. All positions are paid. Wang will select six dancers (three women and three men) from auditions in Vancouver and Victoria.

A jury comprising Wang, and Dance Victoria’s Stephen White and Bernard Sauvé, will select three choreographers through an application process.

During the lab, the dancers participate in a 1.5-hour technique class led by Wang each morning. At noon the choreographers are given a task. The dancers and choreographers have the afternoon to generate material. At 5 pm, everyone reconvenes to show his/her work and be critiqued. The public will be invited to attend. The lab will culminate with the presentation of the best works from the process presented to the public on Saturday, July 28 at Dance Victoria Studios. Contact Stephen White at producer@dancevictoria.com for more information.