Dance Victoria Footnotes 71 (Spring 2022)

Footnotes Dance Victoria’s subscriber newsletter

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25th Anniversary

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Return to the Royal

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ISSUE 71 • SPRING 2022 • Ballet BC + Ballet Hispánico + 2022/23 Season + more…

RETURN TO THE ROYAL

25th Anniversary Season & Bash!

Ballet BC

Reveal + Tell

March 11 + 12 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Running Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes (plus intermissions)

Ballet Hispánico

Doña Perón

April 8 + 9 • 7:30 pm Royal Theatre Ballet BC’s Rae Srivastava by Marcus Eriksson

Running Time: 72 minutes (no intermission)

Announcing the 2022/23 Season

ideo Three v at s w ie prev toria. ic V e c Dan com!

2 Footnotes • Issue 71 • Spring 2022

Dance Victoria 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. Dance Victoria is a non-profit charitable society. DanceVictoria.com

Dance Scene Silver Linings

BY STEPHEN WHITE

Dance Victoria Board: Susan K.E. Howard

Vice President

Robert Millar

Secretary

Kayleigh Harrison

Treasurer

Julie Robinson

Directors

Colette Baty Maggie Bartold Frances Grunberg Stacey Horton Carrie Smart

Staff: Executive Producer Stephen White General Manager

Bernard Sauvé

Operations Manager Shireen McNeilage Marketing Manager

Tracy Smith

Production Manager Holly Vivian Studios & Admin Assistant

Kiera Shaw

Accounting

Wendy Mahon

Graphic Design

Rayola Creative

Advertising Sales

Bonnie Light Advertising

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 (unless otherwise noted).

I PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON MYSELF when I first started considering what I might write in this, my final contribution to Footnotes. How do I say goodbye, thank you, and express the enormity of what I am feeling after 22 years as Executive Producer of Dance Victoria? And then I came across Angela’s Farewell (on the opposite page) in a new journal about live arts curation called TURBA. It so eloquently captured my personal experience that I decided to let it speak for me. The dance world is small. Angela Conquet (working in Australia) and I have friends and colleagues in common. After I reached out to her, she very generously gave us permission to include it here, as did the editor of TURBA, Dena Davida (also a friend). Thank you both. (Google TURBA: The Journal for Global Practices in Live Arts Curation for an excellent, thought-provoking read!)

It’s hard to know what I will miss when I’m no longer working at Dance Victoria. The bike rides to the studios in Quadra Village every day from my home in Oak Bay for sure. The team that I work with, no doubt (though I’m sure we’ll stay in touch). I know that I will miss the artists, particularly the dialogue we have about their work. In my first years on the job, I was repeatedly seduced by artists when they described their vision for a new piece, or a work that they had recently created. I loved hearing about their process, what motivated them, how they brought the work to life. Sometimes it got me in trouble. I would engage an artist based on an in-depth conversation to discover that perhaps the ideas and inspiration were compelling, but the result wasn’t. In time, I learned to be a little more discerning. However, I still love a good conversation with a choreographer. This I will miss for sure.

Angela’s piece and thinking about what I’ll miss has put me in a reflective mood. As a result, I’ve started a blog called Post Show that is hosted on archives.dancevictoria.com. I’ll be adding to it in the months to come. It’s a place where I can stash my memories of Dance Victoria in the early days: the people, artists, shows, parties, challenges, and triumphs during my time here. I intend it to be a repository, so these memories aren’t lost. In the future, someone who wants to know about Victoria’s dance culture in the 21st century can glean some impressions written by someone who was lucky enough to be on the front lines. Hope you can join me there.

Thank you all so much for the tremendous support you have demonstrated for me and for Dance Victoria over the past two decades. It’s been an absolute pleasure.

Sincerely, Stephen White

Dance Victoria is on Lekwungen land.

Photos: Stephen White by Tracy Smith.

President

DanceVictoria.com • 3

Angela’s Farewell (excerpt) This text is part of a longer work written by Angela Conquet in March 2020 upon her retirement from Dancehouse, Melbourne, Australia and appeared in TURBA: The Journal for Global Practices in Live Arts Curation. It has been reprinted with Conquet’s and TURBA’s permission. Conquet’s entire farewell can be found at: mailchi.mp/ dancehouse/2020-04-21 Conquet is a Melbourne-based independent dance curator, consultant, editor, and researcher. She was recently a guest curator of Dance in Vancouver.

By Angela Conquet What it means.

To be the host of so much vibrancy. To be the shadow that watches over.

To be the privileged. To be immersed in so much thinking in the making.

To wonder what you have not done yet. To doubt. To falter. To try again. To fail even better.

To stay creative yourself. To be a leader. One has to. To write yet another grant. To hold the breath as you press submit.

To work nights and weekends.

Many. To not be allowed a bad day. To deal with everyone’s bad days.

To give up. Whenever no longer possible. But not too often. Not possible.

To find joy in little things. Like when that account finally reconciles.

Medhi Waleski by Rahi Rezvani; Ballet Hispánico's Eduardo Vilaro; and Dr. Allana Lindgren.

To welcome new people in. To try to be everywhere, see everything, do all the things.

To be so busy you can’t even witness the master teaching 1m away from your office.

To sneak into a rehearsal and sit in the darkness for hours. To know, deep down, what you are doing all this for.

To lie down on the floor that is not for you. You are not an artist.

To listen belatedly how to listen. Some things do arrive too late.

To force yourself to accept that words like resilience, vibrancy, excellence can be a thing.

To ensure tokenism is never a thing.

Pre-Show Chats FREE to All Ticket Holders Presented by

Join us at the Royal Theatre at 6:50 pm before Ballet BC and Ballet Hispánico at the Friday and Saturday performances — a lively conversation about the evenings’ works with Ballet BC Artistic Director Medhi Walerski hosted by Dr. Allana Lindgren, dance historian and Acting Dean of Arts at the University of Victoria on March 11 and March 12.

25th Anniversary Bash!

Sponsored by

To listen to a generously supported artist tell you that you have done nothing.

To say nothing.

To present, sometimes, a piece that is really a masterpiece and to know that it is before its time.

To surreptitiously watch the audience watch the dance and to know you knew it all along.

To lose breath. As you watch a good show or articulate a new strategic plan.

To be told that what you thought were vibrant words mean nothing, and that no bureaucrat will ever get it. To limit one idea to one sentence.

But how can you, when you are surrounded by thinkers whose thoughts move at bullet train speed and you want to capture it all?

To be too tired to celebrate when it all works out.

To grow tired. To want to go. To not worry anymore.

To give too much or too little.

To have your comfort zones biting back at you.

To let go. To part. With you. To really go.

To cry when no one sees you.

I miss you.

To leave you in good hands.

Join us as we toast 25 years of bringing the World’s Best Dance to Victoria. After Ballet Hispánico on April 8 and 9, we’re planning an exclusive party right at the Royal Theatre and you’re invited! The bash will follow all POH safety protocols and at the time of writing this newsletter, we were still determining what those will be! Our plan is for you to enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbly, catered appetizers, a DJ, festivities and more. Mark your calendars. More information will be forthcoming to your inbox.

Subscription Renewals Renew your subscription for Dance Victoria’s 2022/23 Season by 5 pm, April 29 if you want to retain or upgrade your current seats. Phone 250-386-6121 or visit the McPherson or Royal Box Office, Monday through Friday: 10 am to 5 pm. (The Royal closes for lunch from 1 pm–1:30 pm each day.) If you have not renewed by 5 pm on April 29, your seats will be released. The Royal and McPherson Box Office will not be processing subscription orders May 2 through May 13 to facilitate seat allocations. It will open again on May 16 for public sales.

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.

Please rest assured that if Dance Victoria is unable to present its 2022/23 Season as planned, you will receive a full refund for your tickets/subscription.

4 Footnotes • Issue 71 • Spring 2022

2022/23 Season We’re thrilled to announce our 2022/23 Season at the Royal Theatre showcasing the incredible technique and innovative choreography of four dance companies that we have had our eye on for a long time!

DANCE AT THE ROYAL SERIES AVAILABLE AS A 4-SHOW SUBSCRIPTION OR AS SINGLE TICKETS

BALLETX CONTEMPORARY BALLET • PHILADELPHIA, USA

November 18 + 19, 2022 • 7:30 pm • Royal Theatre Mixed Repertoire BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company, is “among America’s best” (The New York Times) commissioning choreographers from around the world to create dance that is “fresh, inclusive and connects to what people want” (Philadelphia Citizen). Under the leadership of former Pennsylvania Ballet dancers Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX has been hailed an “epicenter of creation” (Dance Magazine) and a “place of choreographic innovation.” (The New Yorker) “The program showcased dancers as personable, eloquent, and technically skilled as they are versatile.”

BOSTON GLOBE

BODYTRAFFIC CONTEMPORARY • LOS ANGELES, USA

February 10 + 11, 2023 • 7:30 pm • Royal Theatre BODYTRAFFIC from Los Angeles delivers performances that inspire audiences simply to love dance through a compelling style that “suggests invention, attitude, and urban edge” (Boston Globe) by renowned contemporary choreographers. In 2015, the Obama administration selected BODYTRAFFIC to be U.S. cultural ambassadors to the Middle East through Dance Motion USA, followed by countries in North Africa and Asia. For the program in Victoria, the company will share repertoire by internationally acclaimed artists.

“One of the most talked-about young companies, not just in L.A. but nationwide.” L O S A N G E L E S T I M E S

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM CONTEMPORARY BALLET • NEW YORK, USA

March 24 + 25, 2023 • 7:30 pm • Royal Theatre Mixed Repertoire Formed at the height of the civil rights movement, Dance Theatre of Harlem has created a space for dancers of every colour and background to express themselves freely. The legendary company continues to be a beacon of inclusion, innovation and moving art, performing a forward-thinking repertoire of treasured classics, neoclassical works by Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, and modern works that celebrate Black culture. This mixed program will showcase the dancers’ incredible technique and some of the company’s signature works. “…grace, athleticism, unparalleled technique, timing and cueing, and top notes to their beyond human mid-air suspensions, fluidity, and synchronized formations.” M O N T E C I T O J O U R N A L

MALPASO DANCE COMPANY CONTEMPORARY • HAVANA, CUBA

April 28 + 29, 2023 • 7:30 pm • Royal Theatre Mixed Repertoire Malpaso Dance Company has become one of the most sought-after Cuban dance companies with a growing international profile. Committed to collaborating with top international choreographers and nurturing new voices in Cuban choreography, the company brings a diverse program that lays contemporary dance atop intentional storytelling to create an engrossing evening of exceptional dance.

“As the theatre begins to vibrate with accumulated energy, you get the feeling that they could dance just about any genre with jaw-dropping style.” N O W M A G A Z I N E T O R O N T O

BALLETX – Photo: Gabriel Bienczycki. BODYTRAFFIC – Photo: Tatiana Wills. DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM – Photo: Rachel Neville. MALPASO DANCE COMPANY – Photo: Nir Arieli.

Mixed Repertoire

DanceVictoria.com • 5

TWO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

SUBSCRIBERS SAVE ON THESE TWO ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES!

CANADA’S

ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET + Victoria Symphony

BALLET • WINNIPEG, CANADA

December 2 + 3 + 4, 2022 • 7:00 pm • Royal Theatre December 3 + 4, 2022 • 1:00 pm • Royal Theatre Nutcracker Choreographed by Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon • Composed by Pyotr 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

OUT INNERSPACE DANCE THEATRE CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE • VANCOUVER, CANADA

January 13, 2023 • 7:30 pm • McPherson Playhouse Bygones Choreographed by David Raymond, Tiffany Tregarthen in collaboration with Renée Sigouin, Elya Grant and David Harvey

Creators David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen have travelled the world performing in Kidd Pivot’s most recent works and are at the forefront of new west coast dance theatre. Bygones combines hyper-detailed choreography, ghostly architecture, puppeteering and illusions. Bygones premiered at Bulgaria’s One Festival, toured Europe, and was co-commissioned by Dance Victoria through the Chrystal Dance Fund.

ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET – Photo: David Cooper. OUT INNERSPACE DANCE THEATRE – Photo: Alistair Maitland.

“…some of the city’s most exciting, ambitious dance theatre work right now, and the trip they’re offering is a rush — even if you don’t trust your eyes.” G E O R G I A S T R A I G H T

SEASON SUBSCRIPTION PRICE

ADD NUTCRACKER

ADD BYGONES

SAVE UP TO $156 WITH A 4-SHOW SUBSCRIPTION!

AT SUBSCRIBER PRICING

AT SUBSCRIBER PRICING

Loge Premium A B

ADULT Loge 111.25 Premium 101.75 A 85.75 B 68.50 C 49.50

360 (you save $156) 329 (you save $145) 294 (you save $100) 224 (you save $89) bers Subscri to save up $156!

CHILD 98.50 91 75.75 61.50 49.50

A B

41 38

This performance is at the McPherson Playhouse MAIN FLOOR

BALCONY

B

B

A A B STAGE

A

A

STAGE

SINGLE TICKET PRICES

NUTCRACKER SINGLE TICKET PRICES

BYGONES SINGLE TICKET PRICES

NON-SUBSCRIBER PRICING • Available September 6.

NON-SUBSCRIBER PRICING

NON-SUBSCRIBER PRICING

Loge 129 Premium 119 A 99 B 79 C+ 39 C 31

ADULT Loge 129 Premium 119 A 99 B 79 C 49.50

CHILD 98.50 91 75.75 61.50 49.50

DISCOUNT FLEX PASS 4 TICKETS FOR DANCE AT THE ROYAL SERIES BUILD YOUR OWN SERIES, WORKS GREAT WHEN BUYING TICKETS IN PAIRS & USE IN ANY COMBINATION A B

315 (you save $80) 244 (you save $70)

A B

49 43

This performance is at the McPherson Playhouse

Programming subject to change. In the event of a cancellation or substitution, subscribers can request a 100% refund.

6 Footnotes • Issue 71 • Spring 2022

2022/23 Season continued DANCE AT THE ROYAL SERIES SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS: • Get Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Nutcracker tickets at discounted prices.

• Save up to $156 over regular ticket prices.

• Get the best seats before single tickets go on sale on September 6.

• Buy additional tickets at a discounted price to any show throughout the season.

• Keep or upgrade your seats, season after season.

• Receive three issues of our Footnotes newsletter.

• Exchange tickets for any performance for free (call the Box Office.)

• Request reprints of misplaced tickets at no extra charge.

HOW TO BUY TICKETS Renew before April 29, 2022, 5:00 pm to save (or upgrade) your seat!

Visit www.rmts.bc.ca for current Box Office details or email tickets@rmts.bc.ca Phone: 250-386-6121 or toll free 1-888-717-6121, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm (closed 1:30 pm to 2 pm) Online: DanceVictoria.com Prices include GST, credit card fees and ticket surcharges.

SEASON SPONSOR

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

PUBLIC SECTOR

609 Dunedin St., Victoria BC V8T 2L7 778-265-1315 www.fastracprint.com

Choose a DFH realtor below and mention Dance Victoria when you buy or sell your property. Ten percent of the realtor’s commission helps bring World’s Best Dance to our community.

John Melvin | john@johnmelvinproperties.ca • 250-477-7291

Dorothee Friese | dorothee@shaw.ca • 250-477-7291

Terry Moore | tlmoore@shaw.ca • 250-477-7291

Rosemary & Gary Victoria Homes Team | homes@rosemaryandgary.ca • 250-477-7291

BALLETX – Photo: Gabriel Bienczycki.

Sell your home. Support Dance Victoria.

DanceVictoria.com • 7

Purchase 50/50 Raffle Tickets 50/50 tickets are on sale in the lobby of our performances at the Royal Theatre during intermission and after the shows. Proceeds from our raffle support the many artists whose projects are developed in Dance Victoria’s studios and then performed across the country and around the world. Tickets are also available at DanceVictoria.com.

Tickets are $10 each or a book of five for $40. With fewer than 2,400 printed, your odds are great, plus you’ll be supporting Victoria’s vibrant dance community.

Draw: April 26, 2022, 2:00 pm at Dance Victoria Studios, 111-2750 Quadra Street, Victoria, B.C. Total Number of Tickets: 400 @ $10, and 2,000 @ 5 for $40. GM Gaming Event Licence #130806

Support Creativity and Dance at Its Very Best Dance Victoria invites you to contribute to bringing the World’s Best Dance to the stage. Your investment has a direct impact on dance education initiatives, new dance development and the work you see at the Royal Theatre, McPherson Playhouse, Metro Studio Theatre and in our dance studios. As we rebuild in 2022/23 the investment in artists and community initiatives are especially vulnerable to budget restraints. Now more than ever we are reliant on donors to ensure we can continue to facilitate residencies at our upgraded studios and commissions for new works. Dance Victoria appreciates donations of all sizes. With your help, we can continue to foster a healthy dance community in Victoria. FN

Spotlight on Sponsors This year, Dance Victoria has sponsors for things we didn’t do: Charelli’s Cheese Shop and Delicatessen’s delicious catering for the post-show receptions we didn’t have; Willow Wealth Management of Raymond James as the Lead Sponsor for shows we didn’t present… The list is extensive. While we have valued our sponsors in the past and been blown away by how many renew their commitment year after year, this year we were moved by their generosity. So many sponsors told us to keep some or all the money they had provided to Dance Victoria and told us to come back to speak with them when our plans for the 2022/23 Season are in place. We feel fortunate to live in a community where small businesses recognize the value of cultural experiences. This support has meant the world to us, especially in those dark times when there was so much uncertainty. We ask that you help us show our appreciation by supporting the businesses that support Dance Victoria. FN

Please send my receipt to:

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Please recognize my/our name in the house program as: N A M E / O R G A N I Z AT I O N

o I have included Dance Victoria Society in my Estate Plan o I’d like to learn more about Dance Victoria’s Legacy Circle program

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How to donate: Mail: Return this form with a cheque to: Dance Victoria Society 111 – 2750 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC V8T 4E8 Phone: 250-595-1829 with your credit card in hand Online: Donate over our secure page at DanceVictoria.com In Person: at Dance Victoria Studios (we’ll give you a tour) or at the Royal and McPherson Box Offices Dance Victoria is a federally registered charity and will provide a tax-deductible receipt for all donations $10 and over. Charitable # 87377 5522 RR0001

8 Footnotes • Issue 71 • Spring 2022

Celebrating our Return to the Royal Return to the Royal Sponsor

Best seats. Best prices. The World’s Best Dance.

It’s not too late to subscribe and save when you purchase a mini subscription to both Ballet BC and Ballet Hispánico. Call the Box Office at 250-386-6121 today!

Next NEW! Visit DanceVictoria.com a week before our shows for a sneak peek of the program notes.

BALLET BC (VANCOUVER) MARCH 11 + 12, 2022 • 7:30 PM

BALLET HISPÁNICO (NEW YORK)

Ballet BC’s Sarah Pippin by Marcus Eriksson and Ballet Hispánico’s Amanda del Valle in Doña Perón by Rachel Neville.

APRIL 8 + 9, 2022 • 7:30 PM