The artists of Ballet BC in Bill. Photo by Chris Randle
By Brittany Tiplady
@yellowbird888
Back in 2016, when Ballet BC was kicking off its 30th anniversary season, I wrote that Emily Molnar believes in taking risks. Since taking the reign as Ballet BC’s artistic director in 2009, “Molnar has driven the company with motivation for change, and innovation.” This still rings true today; as Ballet BC closes their 32nd season with Program 3, it’s unmistakable that Molnar’s bold risks continue to help the company flourish both at home and on international stages. In fact, Ballet BC broke new, exciting ground this year, touring Europe for five weeks, delighting audiences with two sold-out shows at Saddler’s Wells in London and gaining global recognition that will, undoubtedly, change the face of the company for the next decade.
Program 3 opens Thursday, May 10 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with resident choreographer Cayetano Soto’s BEGINNING AFTER, a hauntingly exquisite look at what is truth and what is illusion, choreographed to a score by Handel. BEGINNING AFTER was created on Ballet BC dancers a few years back, and will be making its return to the stage with much anticipation.
“BEGINNING AFTER is very deep rooted, intense work that’s also very poetic in it’s own way,” explains Molnar in a recent interview with Loose Lips. “In Cayetano Soto’s style, the [piece] is very beautiful, and very sculptured.”
The second piece on the program, When You Left, is a world premiere choreographed by Molnar in collaboration with the Ballet BC dancers and accompanied by Vancouver’s award-winning and beloved Phoenix Chamber Choir.
“Graeme Langager [Phoenix Chamber Choir’s conductor] and I have been wanting to work in collaboration and put some version of our institutions together for a while and this just happened to be the right time. There will be about 35 singers with us live,” says Molnar.
When You Left (a 15-minute, full-company piece) explores the notion of memory in only a way that Molnar can; through boundary-pushing, intricate movement that probes the body into full-artistic expression. “I’m seeing a lot people in my life, either lose or be challenged by this idea of living and also the memory of living. That it’s disappearing, that it fades, and that we want to hold on. We just want to hold on to what we remember of life but it’s fleeting. I wanted to work with a large score in an intimate way, about this idea of memory and saying goodbye,” she says.
Closing the night is Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s acclaimed Bill, a familiar piece that continues to mesmerize audiences locally and abroad. It’s a raw, rather jarring body of work that intensifies the senses; showcasing Eyal “signature shifts from large to smaller groups that morph into breathtaking solos.”
“The idea of Bill, is that it’s one person, seen from many different angles and it’s also the reason behind the sort of homogeny behind the costuming–it’s really this one character. Sharon is a very strong voice choreographically in the world, she’s got a very unique style, and a very unique approach to the expression of the body so we are very excited to have this piece brought back to Vancouver and I think people are hungry to see this work again,” says Molnar. She adds, “we are also bringing [Bill] back in a slightly different way, with more layers and with a little more research and knowledge of Sharon’s work. There’s truly something in this program for everyone.”
Ballet BC’s Program 3 runs May 10- 12 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. For more information, visit the Ballet BC website.
Brittany Tiplady is a writer, editor, ballet teacher, and the co-founder of Loose Lips Magazine. She loves the indoors, fast wifi, collecting maps, and a generous glass of red wine. She’s a self-proclaimed wizard of time management and a notorious loud talker with a penchant for all things Internet.
