reviewvancouver, Ballet BC: bodies&voices

BALLET BC DAZZLING DANCE PERFORMANCE

Ballet BC opened the season with a compelling performance of two dance sets that generated standing ovations by the enthusiastic full house.

The first set was I'm Afraid to Forget Your Smile, a North American premiere.

The stage curtain lifted to show 16 seated singers chanting songs in sonorous voices. Six dancers were lying on the floor and moved with energy and style to the soft sounds. The dancers, Sydney Chuckas, Imani Frazier, Joziah German, Pei Lun lai, Benjamin Peralta and Jacalyn Tatro were captivating and exciting to watch. Two large, rectangular brightly-coloured panes of light were an uplifting backdrop to the dance performance.

The music score featured in I'm Afraid to Forget Your Smile was live choral music from the accomplished Vancouver Chamber Choir singing uplifting songs by composers Arvo Pärt and Jóhann Jóhannsson.

This was an outstanding and artistic dance performance that was inventive and a pleasure to watch.

Imre and Marne van Opstal are a new and energetic voice in international dance. The brother duo have performed with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) and Batsheva Dance Company. Their choreographic pieces include The Grey, Take Root (nominated for the Dutch Zwaan Award for Best Dance Production), Baby Don’t Hurt Me (a powerful piece on identity and sexuality), and The Point Being – a collaboration with Studio Drift merging light, space, and body. They have created dance for notable companies such as Rambert, Hessisches Staatsballett, Ballet BC, Ballett Theater Basel, and Opéra de Paris

The second piece of the evening was Miriam. This was a more intense dance with low lighting, plain costumes and a stark music score by Amos Ben-Tal. The entire company of dancers participated in the performance. One point noticed by the audience was the low lighting that didn’t adequately showcase the dance movement.

This is the 40th Anniversary of Ballet BC and audience appreciation over the years ensures another accomplished 40 years of dance artistry.