Performances - 8:00 pm
New Work
World Premiere
Choreography: Jorma Elo
The enormous success of Ballet BC’s premiere of Jorma Elo’s 1st Flash, hailed as “a virtuosic mind-blower” by the Georgia Straight prompted this commission for the 2013-14 season. Finnish-born Elo, one of the most sought-after choreographers working today, has been Resident Choreographer of Boston Ballet since 2005. His critically acclaimed works are danced by major companies around the world, including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Danish Ballet, Finnish National Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Trained at the Finnish National Ballet School and the Kirov Ballet School, Elo danced with the Finnish National Ballet, Cullberg Ballet and Netherlands Dance Theatre.
Walking Mad
Choreography: Johan Inger
Music: Maurice Ravel Boléro, Arvo Pärt Für Alina
Canadian Premiere: Ballet BC, March 2012
World Premiere: Netherlands Dance Theatre, 2001
Set to Ravel’s Bolero, Johan Inger’s Walking Mad is a “…riotous hit, a clever, surreal romp,” says the Boston Globe. Ballet BC, the first Canadian company to acquire Inger’s work, scored an instant hit with audiences and critics alike after its 2012 premiere in Vancouver. The mesmerizing ballet for nine dancers is one of riveting unpredictability, reflecting the Socratic theme that “our greatest blessings come to us by way of madness.” Inger created Walking Mad for Netherlands Dance Theatre in 2001 and received the Lucas Hoving Award for best production and the Danza & Danza Award. Inger was Artistic Director of the legendary Cullberg Ballet, a member of the Royal Swedish Ballet and Netherlands Dance Theatre where he remains an Associate Choreographer.
New Work
World Premiere
Choreography: Emily Molnar
Ballet BC Artistic Director Emily Molnar creates a new work for the full company that reflects her passion to push the boundaries of the expressive body. Molnar’s work has been called “…complex and sensual…” and engages audiences with the language of classical ballet coupled with a contemporary sensibility that changes how we look at dance. A former dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, Ballet BC and Frankfurt Ballet, she has choreographed for dance companies around the world, including Ballet Mannheim, Cedar Lake Dance, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and Ballet Augsburg. Molnar’s most recent works for Ballet BC include between disappearing and becoming in 2011 set to an evocative score by Hildur Gudnadottir and Aniel inspired by the music of John Zorn in 2012.