International Dance Company of the Month: Ballet BC

BroadwayWorld is excited to expand its popular feature series outside the U.S. borders setting our sights on showcasing performance companies around the world! Each month we will introduce you to an intearnational theater, dance and opera company located in one of our coverage countries.

This week, BroadwayWorld is thrilled to feature Ballet BC in British Columbia, Canada!

Founded in 1986 and led by Artistic Director Emily Molnar, Ballet BC is an internationally acclaimed collaborative and interactive contemporary ballet company that is a leader and resource in the creation, production and education of contemporary ballet. Bold and innovative our company's distinctive style and approach has helped the company make a unique and valuable contribution to the development of dance and art.

Ballet BC consists of a select group of 18 dancers (14 full time, 1 guest and 3 apprentices) with exceptional classical and contemporary dance training who are uniquely individual for their artistry, dynamic movement, intelligence and passion. The Company presents a diverse repertoire of Canadian and International contemporary ballet from the late 20th and early 21st centuries and is a hotbed for the creation and performance of new works.

The Company's repertoire has works from acclaimed Canadian and International choreographers including: Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Itzik Galili, Jorma Elo, George Balanchine, John Alleyne, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Crystal Pite, José Navas, Emily Molnar, Nicolo Fonte, Wen Wei Wang, Paul Taylor, Medhi Walerski, Serge Bennathan, Kevin O'Day, Shawn Hounsell, Agnes De Mille, Dominique Dumais, Martha Graham, Gioconda Barbuto, Lar Lubovitch, James Kudelka, Jean Grand-Maître, Simone Orlando, Myriam Naisy, Walter Matteini, Johan Inger, Robert Glumbek, Aszure Barton and Jacopo Godani.

Under the artistic direction of Emily Molnar, former member of The National Ballet of Canada, Ballet BC, and the Frankfurt Ballet, the Company actively fosters collaborations that support artists, choreographers, and audiences alike, furthering the boundaries of contemporary ballet. The company encourages individual choreographers to develop and in a broader sense we aspire to develop choreography and the art form. We embrace excellence in the practice of contemporary ballet, with its wide diversity of technique and style. We honour its roots and components. Our position is that contemporary ballet is the ballet of today.

Ballet BC regularly performs at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre (QET) in the fall, winter and spring. We tour provincially, nationally and internationally. To complement the repertoire and activities of the Company, we also present national and international guest companies in our subscription series. Including QET and community performances, regional and national tours, audience engagement activities and programming for children and youth, up to 25,000 guests see Ballet BC presentations each season.

Ballet BC's outreach and education programs include: The Artist Salon, Alternative Space Program, Sneak Previews, Studio Visits, Pre-show Chats, and Student Dress Rehearsals. Our programs directed to the professional dance milieu include: The Choreographic Series, Choreographic Workshops, Professional Development program, Artist-in-Residence program, company apprenticeship, and Summer Dance Intensive. Also to note is our Resident Choreographer position held by José Navas for the period 2010-2013.

As a cultural institution, we bring value and opportunity to the life of the community that generously supports us. We are a creative place, a collaborative environment. We are a company that aims to create dance at its most essential: visceral, powerful, thought provoking and transformative.

As part of the 2012-2013 production season, Ballet BC will next present SWAN LAKE on February 27-March 2, and GISELLE will play April 25 to 27.

For tickets and more information, click here.

To learn more about Ballet BC, click here.

Know of an international dance company we should feature? Send your suggestion to romi@broadwayworld.com

Photo Credit: Michael Slobodian. Info courtesy of Ballet BC.

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