Vancouver-based Ballet BC (British Columbia) wowed audiences and critics on their debut visit to the UK in 2018 with their “superb, gorgeous energy” [The i], with standing ovations at every venue inspired by the “joyous technical expertise of this excellent company” [The Guardian].
Seven years later, they return to the United Kingdom on a tour that will visit seven cities with a double bill: PASSING (2023) from Johan Inger and Frontier (2024) by Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite.
PASSING by Johan Inger
In PASSING, legendary Swedish choreographer and longtime Ballet BC collaborator Johan Inger traverses a vast landscape of human emotion, taking audiences on an epic, theatrical, often touching ride. Commissioned by Ballet BC in the 2022/23 season and inspired by climate catastrophe, PASSING explores relationships, from the intimate to the societal. Set to an original score by Amos Ben-Tal as well as selections from Erik Enocksson and Louis T. Hardin (aka Moondog), the sonic journey is as beautifully complex and captivating as the movement language throughout.
Frontier by Crystal Pite
Originally created for Nederlands Dans Theater in 2008 and reimagined for Ballet BC, Crystal Pite’s Frontier will take the UK’s stages in spring 2025. Featuring 24 dancers, the visionary, enigmatic Frontier examines the unknown—the characterization of dark matter, the personification of shadows. “As a creator, I find a pleasing parallel between what we don’t know about the universe, and what we don’t know about consciousness” says Pite. “Creation for me is about venturing into unknown territory and being in a generative relationship with doubt.”
DOBLE BILL
PASSING
Choreography Johan Inger
Frontier
Choreography Crystal Pite
Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (including one 20 minutes interval)
May 20 + 21, 2025 Sadler’s Wells Theatre | London, UK.
May 23 + 24, 2025 Edinburgh Festival Theatre | Edinburgh, UK.
May 27 + 28, 2025 Newcastle Theatre Royal | Newcastle, UK.
May 31, 2025 Swan Theatre | High Wycombe, UK.
June 3 + 4, 2025 Plymouth Theatre Royal | Plymouth, UK.
June 6 + 7, 2025 Grand Theatre Wolverhampton | Wolverhampton, UK.
June 10 + 11, 2025 Norwich Theatre | Norwich, UK.
Header image description: Six performers in loose, sand-colored clothing move gracefully against a desert backdrop. Their arms are outstretched, suggesting freedom of movement. In the background, desert mountains and sandy terrain are visible. Foto © Marcus Eriksson