3 Fold @BalletBC (review)
I know, I’m on a self-imposed hiatus. But I can’t not write about 3 Fold by Ballet BC. Disclaimer: I’m a former trained, competitive contemporary dancer. So, for me it’s really easy to mesh with the music, the movements and I really appreciate contemporary dance as a form of art. For those who love traditional ballet, give yourselves the chance to learn about and have a taste of some of the best contemporary dance you’ve ever seen.
3 Fold is an exquisite trio of contemporary dance works that showcase athleticism, physical prowess, an amazing ability to tell stories through extreme plasticity and beautiful movements. As I said in my tweets, the ensemble that Emily Molnar’s wonderful artistic direction created was able to provide a fabulous experience for everyone who attended (and I was pleasantly surprised at how many young students/graduates from Arts Umbrella went to the show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre).
I took Dora Schweber (Ianiv’s mom and Arieanna’s Mom-In-Law) as my date to the show, and we both enjoyed it enormously (we both have backgrounds in dance). My absolute favorite was the closing number, Doppeling (choreographer by Simone Orlando with a familiar musical background for someone like me who was trained classical, the Concerto in d minor for two violins of Johann Sebastian Bach). As indicated in the subtext, Doppeling deals with questions of uniformity, conformity and the prevalence of the collective over the individual.
Parole Sospese (Words Suspended) is a beautiful and poetic exploration of how contemporary society would behave in the context of the 16th century (the Satires, written betweeen 1517 and 1525 by Ludovico Ariosto). Most of the musical background includes music by Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, and a few others.
Starting with Diversion (choreographed by Robert Glumbek) made it easy for Ballet BC to build towards a magnificent finale. Diversion is very much a standard contemporary dance show in that it asks (demands, even) from the public to pay attention to the every movement of each dancer. It’s a visceral, sometimes somber and haunting performance that made me ponder about the main message underlying this piece.
Ballet BC demonstrates again why it is one of the best dance companies around. While it’d be unfair to single out any particular dancer, Livona Ellis, Alexander Burton, Connor Gnam, Daniel Marshalsay, Makaila Wallace and Peter Smida all shine throughout the performance (bear in mind, I *am* a male former contemporary dancer, I appreciate a lot of what the male body’s movement offers in ballet and in contemporary dance). There are a few pieces during the performance where we see male-with-male and female-with-female dancing, and I find it incredibly beautiful – so pure and perfect, just poetry in motion. And kudos to guest artist Darren Devaney who did amazing work alongside Ballet BC.
We were invited to stay afterwards for a glass of wine with the ensemble, but we felt it was a bit too intimate and we didn’t want to overstay our welcome. It was just wonderful to see so many supportive folks (family and friends and fellow Arts Umbrella participants) be part of the almost-sold-out audience. Still, there were a few empty spaces which there shouldn’t have. I briefly saw my friends Monique Trottier and James Sherrett as well as Rob Easton. It was lovely to see so many people appreciate the wonderful work of Ballet BC in 3 Fold.
More about Ballet BC here:
Founded in 1986 and led by Artistic Director Emily Molnar, Ballet BC is an internationally acclaimed collaborative and interactive contemporary ballet company that is a leader and resource in the creation, production and education of contemporary ballet. Bold and innovative our company’s distinctive style and approach has helped the company make a unique and valuable contribution to the development of dance and art.
Ballet BC consists of a select group of 16 dancers (13 full time and 3 apprentices) with exceptional classical and contemporary dance training who are uniquely individual for their artistry, dynamic movement, intelligence and passion. The Company presents a diverse repertoire of Canadian and International contemporary ballet from the late 20th and early 21st centuries and is a hotbed for the creation and performance of new works.
You can still buy tickets to tonight’s performance here.
Disclosure: I attended the opening night of Ballet BC’s 3 Fold on media tickets. A review is not required, nor a favorable review expected. As with any review I post on this site, I retain editorial control at all times.
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I love to watch contemporary dance. I appreciate contemporary dance as a form of art. Informative post any dance related artist will be delighted by reading such instructive post. Thanks
I SUPER enjoyed Ballet BC in 3 Fold.
Beautifully choreographed, and performed by incredibly talented and passionate young dancers.
And I LOVED being Raul’s date
Thanks again for an amazing experience!!