Ballet BC presents Walking Mad & Other Works at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from March 8-10, 2012 with three evening performances at 8:00 pm, featuring two World Premieres and a Canadian Premiere.
The Canadian Premiere of Walking Mad by choreographer Johan Inger, formerly Artistic Director of Cullberg Ballet and a member of the Royal Swedish Ballet and Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT), is set to Ravel’s famous Bolero. The work for 9 dancers reflects the belief that “…our greatest blessings come to us by way of madness.” Choreographed for NDT in 2001, Inger received the Lucas Hoving Award (Dutch) for best production and the Danza & Danza Award for this ballet.
In this World Premiere, one of Canada’s leading choreographers Aszure Barton has created a new work for Ballet BC. She has also created works for Mikhail Baryshnikov, The National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theater, Sydney Dance Company, NDT, the Martha Graham Dance Company and Hubbard Street Dance. The New York Times calls Barton’s work “…a rare instance of a dance that feels as if it were plucked straight from the choreographer’s extremely specific imagination and set, full-grown onstage…full of surprise and humor, emotion and pain.”
Ballet BC’s Artistic Director Emily Molnar has created an evocative full-company World Premiere inspired by the music of Icelandic composer and cellist Hildur Gudnadóttir. Molnar, a former member of The National Ballet of Canada, Ballet BC and Frankfurt Ballet, is an internationally respected and critically acclaimed artist who has choreographed for Alberta Ballet, Ballet Mannheim, Ballet Augsburg, Ballet BC, Cedar Lake Dance, Pro Arte Danza and Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company.
“We are delighted to be the first company in Canada to present the work of world-renowned choreographer Johan Inger in his award-winning riotous hit Walking Mad, as well as the highly anticipated world premiere by Canadian sensation Aszure Barton,” says Molnar. “This spectacular evening of international work is a riveting example of the diversity of our approach to contemporary ballet and our vision of creating dance that moves and captivates our audiences.”
Tickets for Walking Mad & Other Works can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-2787 (855-985-ARTS) or online at ticketmaster.ca and range in price from $70.00 to $22.50 (excluding service charges).
