{"id":42519,"date":"2023-10-27T01:50:35","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T08:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=42519"},"modified":"2023-10-26T17:16:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T00:16:02","slug":"two-world-premieres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2023\/10\/27\/two-world-premieres\/","title":{"rendered":"Two world premi\u00e8res"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artists of Ballet BC and Arts Umbrella practise Shahar Binyamini\u2019s BOLERO X. Part of HERE, which runs Nov. 2-4, the work brings 50 dancers on stage for the first time in Ballet BC history. (photo by Marcus Eriksson)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ballet BC begins its season Nov. 2-4 with HERE<\/em>, a diverse program that includes two new works from choreographers who have never worked with the company before, and the return, by popular demand, of Enemy in the Figure<\/em> by William Forsythe.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach work stands on its own, and there are no common themes, so to speak,\u201d Ballet BC artistic director Medhi Walerski told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cIt invites audiences to create their own narrative and interpretation, allows for personal engagement, and invites them to explore the scope of human connection and expression.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the new works featured is the world premi\u00e8re of Israeli choreographer Shahar Binyamini\u2019s BOLERO X<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been following Shahar\u2019s work for awhile, and I was eager for both the company and the audience to immerse themselves in his distinctive style and choreographic language,\u201d said Walerski.<\/p>\n

It will be the first time Binyamini is presenting his work in North America, Walerski added, \u201cand it is a privilege that he has chosen Ballet BC for this special occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

BOLERO X<\/em> brings 50 dancers to the stage \u2013 the most in Ballet BC history.<\/p>\n

Of the logistics, Walerski said a multitude of factors come into play. \u201cScheduling is at the forefront, both in the studios and at the theatre. Fortunately, we\u2019re collaborating with Arts Umbrella Dance, sharing a common vision of turning the impossible into reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the production side, the costume department is putting in tremendous effort,\u201d he said. \u201cLed by our dedicated head of wardrobe, Kate Burrows, our incredible team is going the extra mile to bring that vision to life. Our rehearsal directors are navigating a new experience of rehearsing many dancers at once, and they are doing this brilliantly. It shows the professionalism and dedication of our remarkable team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Binyamini returned to Vancouver to work with the company this week. It is important that such performances continue, even when there is a war going on \u201cbecause the arts and creation are amazing bridges in order to build trust,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we see happening could easily happen anywhere else and be used as inspiration for other conflicts to accelerate in the same direction. The crime against humanity is the destruction of trust and, in order to build trust, you need to create channels into humanity. Dance could be a very important vessel or tool to connect people. And this is what gives me the motivation to be here and working. Because what I do is important, especially now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cArt has this unique power to breathe life into the world, and it brings vitality into our everyday lives,\u201d said Walerski. \u201cIt is an incredible force that transcends boundaries. It has this magical ability to bridge gaps between people, regardless of geographical or cultural differences. It\u2019s like a vibrant thread weaving through the fabric of humanity, connecting hearts and minds. It brings a sense of unity and shared understanding, nurturing a profound connection among individuals who might otherwise seem worlds apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

The press material for BOLERO X<\/em> says \u201cthe creation explores themes of unison and repetition, while still allowing for individuality and stand-out solo and duet performances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m focusing more and more on the dancers\u2019 uniqueness in relation to the large group,\u201d said Binyamini. \u201cThere is unison, but individuality within that unison. Here at Ballet BC, I find I can explore more the individual aspects and solos. These dancers are so generous and they give you everything \u2013 all they have. It\u2019s very rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maurice Ravel\u2019s 1928 composition, Bolero<\/em>, \u201cis very repetitive, obviously, the melody itself, but the orchestration brings more layers,\u201d Binyamini explained. \u201cA long crescendo of something getting more intense has been very present in my work previously. It\u2019s what turns me on. So, when I started working with Ravel, I tried various works, but got fixated on this and it felt like it really fit. It allowed me to focus on something I was already into, but gave me the anchor and licence to clear out all the unnecessary thoughts or feelings. I decided to just focus on the musicality and the playfulness, which allows the dancers to stay playful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Binyamini was not at all daunted by the challenge of having 50 dancers on stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt and still feel how much of a force it is to react to, and to say yes to. To have a dialogue with 50 dancers is such a powerful thing in the studio and it enables me to be in the moment, especially with all the other things going on in my life,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel very comfortable working with a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Ballet BC artist Sidney Chuckas at work in the studio ahead of the season opener HERE. (photo by Marcus Eriksson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The other new creation \u2013 and world premi\u00e8re \u2013 being presented in HERE<\/em> is Stephen Shropshire\u2019s Little Star<\/em>. Originally commissioned by former Ballet BC artistic director Emily Molnar, its trip to the stage was delayed by the pandemic.<\/p>\n

The inspiration for Little Star<\/em> was composer Angelo Gilardino\u2019s \u201ccycle of guitar variations based upon \u2018Ah vous dirais-je Maman,\u2019 a popular children\u2019s song originating in 18th-century France and adopted for the English-language lullaby \u2018Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,\u2019\u201d explains the press release. \u201cShropshire\u2019s movement language for the creation is dynamic, beginning with themes suggesting something child-like and playful, before evolving into something more intricate and complex.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rounding out the HERE<\/em> program is Forsythe\u2019s Enemy in the Figure<\/em>, which was mounted by Ballet BC in 2018. Set to music by Thom Willems, the work involves improvisation, which means that each performance is different.<\/p>\n

\u201cDance can tell a universal story, like music,\u201d Binyamini said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very challenging to tell a story based on movement, but, when doing it correctly, it\u2019s very effective and has the potential to go much deeper than words, because it\u2019s something we all have in common. We can all relate to physical effort, and have empathy for someone that is moving. You can connect to that energy. To be able to tell a universal story through movement is a big challenge, but very satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n

HERE<\/em> takes place Nov. 2-4, 8 p.m., at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets, starting at $19, are available at balletbc.com.<\/p>\n

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Artists of Ballet BC and Arts Umbrella practise Shahar Binyamini\u2019s BOLERO X. Part of HERE, which runs Nov. 2-4, the work brings 50 dancers on stage for the first time in Ballet BC history. (photo by Marcus Eriksson) Ballet BC begins its season Nov. 2-4 with HERE, a diverse program that includes two new works […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[785],"tags":[2285,2282,22697,4330,22696,22695],"class_list":["post-42519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-performing-arts","tag-arts-umbrella","tag-ballet-bc","tag-bolero-x","tag-israel","tag-medhi-walerski","tag-shahar-binyamini"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}