Ballet British Columbia Celebrates 10 Years Of Emily Molnar's Artistic Leadership

Ballet BC makes its BAM debut in celebration of 10 years of Emily Molnar's artistic direction. In a decade's time, Molnar has turned the financially strapped company into one of the most potent dance forces in Canada, with a determined focus on contemporary ballet and artistic collaboration.

Ballet BC presents three contemporary creations tracing a common lineage to the influential William Forsythe, the former director of Ballett Frankfurt-in which Molnar and Crystal Pite both danced. The program starts with his 1989 masterpiece Enemy in the Figure. With a wavy wall and a pulsating rope dissecting the stage, a rhythmically driven score by Thom Willems, and dancers in and out of shadows, Enemy in the Figure remains mysterious and exhilarating. Molnar's To This Day is a celebration of Molnar's fruitful tenure at the company. Inspired by and set to the music of Jimi Hendrix, the piece reveals the intimate and daring space where the blues meets her expressive style. Solo Echo by Crystal Pite is inspired by Mark Strand's poem Lines for Winter and set to two Brahms sonatas for cello and piano (the Allegro non troppo movement of the E minor, op. 38 and the Adagio affettuoso movement of the F major, op. 99). It moves from aggression to yearning, from the individual to the collective, and from conflict to acceptance.

Founded in 1986, Ballet BC has been under the leadership of Artistic Director Emily Molnar since 2009. Ballet BC is an internationally acclaimed, collaborative and creation-based company that is a leader in the creation, production, and education of contemporary dance in Canada. Bold and innovative, the company's distinctive style and approach has made a unique and valuable contribution to the development of dance. Ballet BC presents a diverse repertoire of Canadian and international work from the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and is a hotbed for the creation and performance of new works. Under Molnar, former member of the National Ballet of Canada, Ballet BC, and Ballett Frankfurt, the company actively fosters collaborations that support artists, choreographers, and audiences alike, furthering the boundaries of contemporary dance.