This week BalletBC rewarded Vancouver’s dance lovers with performances that were both beautiful and badass. Performances that screamed – dance is still here, art is still here, we are still here! With Medhi Walerski at the helm as Artistic Director, the company has embraced work that is very much of our present moment. It pays homage to tradition, all the while incorporating modern dance styles and influences. But it never just stops there. It always takes that one step further. Twisting, turning, contorting and forcing us to look at dance and the human form in a way that we have never done before. There is confidence in the company’s vision as Walerski and his dancers break all barriers of expectations and set the tone for a brand-new season. You would be hard pressed to find a dance company in Canada in this current moment who can do it better than BalletBC.
Opening “Unfold + Give” is Toronto choreographer, Ethan Colangelo’s, Stadium. Colangelo has dancers in earthy coloured, everyday trousers and tanks moving as a group. The choreography keeps the dancers close to the ground and fluid in their movements, creating an illusion of them playing in shallow pools of water. This visual is mimicked by the reflections of the dancers in the shiny and glassy black floors that they play on. Stadium is all about the group and the experience of the individual as part of that group. The work explores the concept of human reflection through memory, which is why we see repetitions of formations. Each character builds their “stadium” and becomes an external spectator viewing their own experiences and memories. A parable perhaps, of our narcissistic and often isolating digital personas in a world dictated by social media and technology? Colangelo gives us a formidable contemporary piece that showcases the athleticism and strength of BalletBC’s dancers. We see traces of hip-hop and jazz as the piece is grounded and finds elegance in full and sweeping lines made by the dancer’s bodies.
Up next, is Company 605’s, and our favourite, After We Glow. This piece if performed by two brilliant dancers in front of a light fixture that consists of tube lights arranged in a random configuration. Initially we see two dancers on stage but they soon melt into one silhouette which makes the viewer question whether it was really two dancers they initially saw instead of the one. The music in this piece is ambient electronic, a little bit industrial. There are indeed two dancers on stage but they play with our perception by moving as one, and sometimes breaking the form to surprise us with two distinct silhouettes instead of the one. The choreography melds the precision and power of hip hop with the abstract fluidity of contemporary dance. At times the dancers appear to be glitches in a video, stuttering and sputtering, or scratches on a record being spun roughly by a deejay. At others we are reminded of Neo in the Matrix on a skyscraper roof, bending at the spine with his shadow trailing behind him in slow motion. This piece extracts and communicates with the audience the beauty that lies in our digital world. This is a positive and refreshing take on the digital world as it is always considered to be the root of a lot of our general anxieties. A ten on ten score for After We Glow and for the two dancers whose bodywork is impeccable, and whose heart and soul was immersed in the piece.
Lesley Telford is no stranger to the BalletBC stage and she brings Lean-To to the party. Her work explores the “co-dependencies of family constellations and how they evolve over time.” The constellations here are quite literally created with the dancer’s bodies as they come together to link arms and create nets for other dancers to climb and weave through. Telford’s work singles out dancers and asks them to move through a group that at once seems loving and suffocating. We see support but also claustrophobia. This double bind is demonstrated through choreography that is heart-wrenchingly emotional. As an additional treat we have the live music of Early Music Vancouver. The dancers show their brilliance by keeping their choreography abreast to music that is being created in the moment. Lean-To is a beautiful multimedia meditation on the power and limitations of family structures.
Closing the night is Walerski’s own show stopping piece, Garden. It has been the talk of the town since its digital premiere earlier this year. Walerski has the dancers in flesh-toned bodysuits and a strip of high intensity white lights. The work is inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 14 and reflects on the dialogue between strings and piano. Dancers dance in and out of the bright strip of light. We have a white curtain that is raised and dropped a few times to create a stunning visual effect. Dancers dance in front of it and behind it. The styles used here are reminiscent of more traditional ballet forms but bolstered by the athleticism of the dancers. Walerski’s choreography pushes the dancers and highlights the strength of their bodies. This strength is further accentuated by the nude bodysuits and the result is a commentary on the potential of the human form.
Walerski has mentioned that he wishes to shine a light on Canadian choreographers at BalletBC and wants to share visionary pieces from women in dance. In “Unfold + Give” we see female dancers shine. Kiana Jung is a fresh face and gives us multiple performances in which we see her grace and strength. We have watched Livona Ellis light the stage on fire season after season and she makes her presence felt in this show as well. Emily Chessa is unforgettable and so is Anna Bekirova, both dancers bring their sensitivity and creativity to the stage. Every dancer in the BalletBC company today is exceptionally talented and together they create a powerhouse that can accomplish the impossible on stage. It is apparent that the company has worked intentionally hard to bring diversity and inclusion into the folds of their offerings. As pioneers in pushing the envelope in dance, this is expected and not at all a surprise. They have always challenged the status quo in terms of dance styles and music and we’re excited to see them take this further.
To accommodate Covid-19 safety, guests have two empty seats to either side of them, and BalletBC have also introduced the concept of a mini intermission after each piece to create pockets of rest for the audience and the dancers. It is our hope to see more youth in the seats at BalletBC’s next show because this is work that we are confident they will enjoy. It is aligned to T with current youth culture and has energy that will not go amiss with young people.
We are excited to see where BalletBC and Medhi Walerski take us next.
“Unfold + Give” plays tonight at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Get your tickets here!
– Prachi Kamble