Dance Touring
Ballet BC
BALLET BC (Vancouver)
Artistic Director: Medhi Walerski
Director of Artistic Operations: Rupert Tookey
Director of Production and Operations: Derek Mack
Company web
Ballet BC is a creation-based contemporary dance company led by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski. Formed in 1986 by David Y. H. Lui, Jean Orr and Sheila Begg, with Annette av Paul as founding Artistic Director, Ballet BC has been a leader and resource in the creation, production, and education of contemporary dance in Canada and around the world for more than 35 years. The company was formerly under the artistic direction of Reid Anderson, Patricia Neary, Barry Ingham, John Alleyne, and Emily Molnar.
Ballet BC’s distinctive style and approach has made a unique and valuable contribution to the development of dance locally and globally. Attracting top international talent, 20 dancers are a group of open-minded and curious artists, each unique for their dynamic movement while sharing an intuitive passion for their art form. They are in a creative place and work in a collaborative environment. The company aims to create dance at its most essential: visceral, powerful, thought-provoking and transformative.
The company presents a diverse repertoire featuring more than 50 new works created since 2009, and is deeply committed to fostering creation and collaboration. Canadian and international choreographers include William Forsythe, Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, Medhi Walerski, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Johan Inger, Imre and Marne van Opstal, Adi Salant, Company 605, Jorma Elo, Wen Wei Wang, Itzik Galili, Serge Bennathan, Emily Molnar, Lesley Telford, Jiří Pokorný, Nicolo Fonte, Fernando Hernando Magadan, Kevin O’Day, Dorotea Saykaly, Shawn Hounsell, Gioconda Barbuto, Simone Orlando, Robert Glumbek and Aszure Barton among others.
European Tour Spring 2025 Ballet BC’s in preparation.
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Ballet BC’s performances in Europe, May & June 2024, with three recent works:
PASSING (2023) from Swedish choreographer Johan Inger explores the vulnerabilities and sensitivities that make us individuals. The edgy Heart Drive (2022) by dynamic sibling duo Imre and Marne van Opstal is a 30-minute piece for eight dancers who move to an ominous, beat-driven score by Amos Ben-Tal. Also on the bill is Walerski’s Silent Tides (2020), a beautiful duet that reflects our relationships to one another and to ourselves.
TRIPLE BILL
Heart Drive
Choreography Imre van Opstal and Marne van Opstal
Silent Tides
Choreography Medhi Walerski
PASSING
Choreography Johan Inger
May 31, 2024
Teatro Municipale Valli, Reggio Emilia, Italy
June 5 to 9, 2024
Stadttheater Fürth, Germany
June 13 & 14, 2024
Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Heart Drive
World Premiere November 2023, Ballet BC / A co-production of Ballet BC and Tero Saarinen Company / Choreography Imre van Opstal and Marne van Opstal / Assistant to the Choreographers Chloé Albaret / Music New composition by Amos Ben-Tal / Lighting Design Tom Visser / Set Design Tom Visser and Imre and Marne van Opstal / Costume Design Imre van Opstal and Marne van Opstal in consultation with Kate Burrows / Performers Ballet BC dancers / Running time 30 minutes
Silent Tides
World Premiere September 2020, Nederlands Dans Theater I / Choreography Medhi Walerski / Music Composition by Adrien Cronet ‘Violin concerto in A minor, BWV 1041: Andante, by Johann Sebastian Bach / Performed by Joji Hattori and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra – Courtesy of 1997 Conifer Records Limited Licensed by Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) / Lighting Design Pierre Pontvianne and Lisette van der Linden / Lighting Consultant Tom Visser / Set & Costume Design Medhi Walerski / Performers Ballet BC dancers / Running time 20 minutes
PASSING
World Premiere May 2023, Ballet BC / Choreography Johan Inger / Performers Ballet BC dancers / Lighting Design Alan Brodie / Costume Design Linda Chow / Running time approx. 40 minutes
Previuos performances & Tour organised by Mondigromax:
Committed to creating and performing new dance works, Ballet BC Vancouver offers a Triple Bill including Sharon Eyal‘s Bedroom Folk, a choreographed group for 18 performers based on electronic music; The Statement, by Crystal Pite, which wonderfully combines dance and theater to explore the conflict of power, and Garden, by Medhi Walerski, inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’ Quintet for piano and strings. Excellent combination for a night of high-flying contemporary ballet and emotions.
TRIPLE BILL
Bedroom Folk
Choreography by Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar
The Statement
Choreography by Crystal Pite
Garden
Choreography by Medhi Walerski
February 11 to 12, 2023
Teatro Arriaga, Bilbao, Spain
February 7, 2023
La Comète, Châlons-en-Champagne, France
February 1 to 3, 2023
Théâtre National de Chaillot, Paris – CCN Créteil, France
January 27 to 28, 2023
Malraux – Scène nationale Chambéry Savoie, France
January 24 to 25, 2023
MC2 Grenoble, France
January 17 to 20, 2023
Maison de la Danse, Lyon, France
Prouds to share last Press quotes from Bilbao’s performances, February 11 & 12, 2023
“The delirious The Statement, a wild and funny critique of the corporate world launched by Canadian Crystal Pite, choreographer at the top right now.” SuzyQ
“A hypnotic choreography dubbed Bedroom Folk by the dazzling Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal.” SuzyQ
“Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, the creation and collaboration-based company has made a unique and valuable contribution to the development of contemporary dance both at home and around the world” Doce Notas
“The dancers are led to a “hypnotic” dance while they brilliantly master rich and complicated gestures, to the sound of evocative and vigorous music” Crónica País Vasco
TRIPLE BILL
Garden
Choreography by Medhi Walerski
Bedroom Folk
Choreography by Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar
Before right After
Choreography by Medhi Walerski – World Première
February 10 & 11, 2022
Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg
The creative residency Ballet BC at Luxembourg’s Théâtres de la Ville in 2022, culminated in a world premiere, choreographed by their artistic director Medhi Walerski.
TRIPLE BILL
Bedroom Folk
Choreography by Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar
BUSK (Fragment)
Choreography by Aszure Barton
Solo Echo
Choreography by Crystal Pite
January 28, 2020
Teatro Sociale Trento, Italy
January 24, 2020
Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Austria
January 15 to 19, 2020
Stadttheater Fürth, Germany
January 10 & 11, 2020
Staatenhaus – Bühnen Köln, Germany
TRIPLE BILL
To this day
Choreography by Emily Molnar
Bedroom Folk
Choreography by Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar
Solo Echo
Choreography by Crystal Pite
July 9 & 10, 2019
Festival Colours, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Germany
July 6 & 7, 2019
Festival GREC, Teatre GREC – Barcelona, Spain
TRIPLE BILL
Beginning after
Choreography by Cayetano Soto
Solo Echo
Choreography by Crystal Pite
Petite Cérémonie
Choreography by Medhi Walerski
December 19, 2018
Staatstheater Darmstadt, Germany
December 17, 2018
Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg
December 13 & 14, 2018
Teatros del Canal, Sala Roja, Festival Madrid en Danza, Spain
TRIPLE BILL
16+ A Room
Choreography by Emily Molnar
Solo Echo
Choreography by Crystal Pite
Bill
Choreography by Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar
April 5 to 7, 2018
Opening of the 16. Festival Movimentos 2018 Kraftwerk, Wolfsburg, Germany
The collaboration between BALLET BC and MONDIGROMAX start at this point.
