CALGARY February 12–15, 2020 EDMONTON February 21–22, 2020 Mixed Bills Are Always the Most Exciting Moment of the Year for Us
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
GEORGE BALANCHINE ANNE PLAMONDON HELEN PICKETT CALGARY February 12–15, 2020 EDMONTON February 21–22, 2020 Mixed bills are always the most exciting moment of the year for us. We get to rediscover our dancers through the eyes of guest choreographers, we also get to see them reveling in contemporary choreographic vernaculars and finally, we have the chance to see dance itself as a more abstract form, free of narrative. Mixed bills are also an opportunity for all of us to participate in the pure creation of new dance forms, thus leaving our mark in history. JEAN GRAND-MAÎTRE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR As with every season, I always enjoy mounting this particular 2002 - PRESENT program as it gives me the chance to challenge you with an – eclectic and contrasting evening of riveting ballets. Tonight, we celebrate the limitless potential of ballet as it will thrice morph into radically different esthetics before your very eyes. George Balanchine’s spectacular Allegro Brillante captures with dynamic panache the very essence of his homeland’s greatest orchestral music. Indeed, like many other one-act ballets he created, these masterworks became his personal tribute to his most beloved composer P.T. Tchaikovsky. It has been performed across the world by hundreds of ballet companies and is considered to be one of the great masterpieces of the 20th century. Helen Pickett is a renowned and accomplished American choreographer with significant international credentials. This Canadian premiere of her sublime Petal marks her first appearance on a Canadian stage, and we are extremely proud to introduce her to our audiences. Helen’s highly individuated work requires complete commitment from the interpreter. It’s rich, layered inner beauty can only be revealed once all the dancers, having mastered her complex architectural vernacular, have also invested her visions with a deep sense of purpose and uncompromising commitment. Montreal based Anne Plamondon is a rising choreographer with extensive experience as a performer and dancemaker across North America and Europe. Her choreographic explorations involve the extensive fusion of numerous forms of dance. Once assembled in her own unique and inimitable way, they all blend seamlessly into a compelling and often deeply moving esthetic. Anne pushes the dancers to extended themselves way beyond their comfort zones, both kinetically and spiritually. Her work demands extreme authenticity and when the dancers finally abandon themselves to her direction, the results are explosive yet fragile and ephemeral. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Joysanne Sidimus for her generous and inspiring collaboration setting Allegro Brillante. To Helen Pickett, and her assistant Sarah Hillmer thank you for allowing us to inhabit your beautiful world for this short while. How grateful the dancers and all of us are for Anne Plamondon’s inspiring and magnificent participation. And, of course, thank you to everyone who has offered their talents: our dancers, our designers and our crews; you believe in the magic when we need it most. Jean Grand-Maître 2 ALBERTA BALLET ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PREPARES TO PASS THE TORCH Dear Friends, I’ve been so privileged to lead this company and to share so much beauty and creativity with you for almost 20 years. I have had a long tenure with Alberta Ballet and after much considered reflection, I feel that for me personally, as well as for the Alberta Ballet, the time has come for mutual renewal. You may have seen the exciting announcement that Christopher Anderson has accepted our invitation to become Alberta Ballet’s next Artistic Director. I have endless admiration and respect for Christopher. His invaluable collaboration over the past five years has shown me that he’s the ideal candidate to sustain our artistic excellence and deep connections with the community. He is a dedicated and inspiring leader who brings a wide and eclectic knowledge of ballet history and a love for the craft of this art form. Changing hands in artistic leadership is a rare event for this company, but I looked to arts organizations around the world and realized that gradual transitions are the most successful, and so we have allowed for three seasons to enact this change. The 2020-21 season will be my last as sole Artistic Director and will feature new ballets from me and Christopher. Through 2021-22, we will be Co-Artistic Directors, and the following season, 2022-23, Christopher will be sole Artistic Director and I will enjoy a year as Artist-In-Residence for both Alberta Ballet and Alberta Ballet School. When I finally leave the company, at the end of 2023, it will mark two unforgettable decades of collaboration with this magnificent organization. These precious years will always be remembered as being the most enriching and fulfilling of my artistic life. It has been a privilege to serve the splendid people of this province and they will always hold a very special place in my heart. Please join me in welcoming Christopher to his new role! Rest assured Alberta Ballet is well prepared to continue creating the powerful live dance that keeps you, our audiences, coming back for more. Jean Grand-Maître 3 ACT 1 ALLEGRO BRILLANTE George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante is danced to Tchaikovsky’s unfinished third piano concerto, the last music he composed before his death. In the sweeping style of the music, the choreography alternates between fast-moving ensemble passages and contrasting sections of peaceful lyricism and is characterized by what Maria Tallchief (the ballerina on whom the bravura leading role was created) calls “an expansive Russian romanticism”. Although Allegro Brillante was choreographed as a last-minute replacement for a cancelled work, Balanchine claimed the ballet “contains everything I know about classical ballet—in thirteen minutes.” The performance of Allegro Brillante, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust. career throughout Europe. The son of a composer, Balanchine gained a knowledge of music that far exceeded that of most of his fellow choreographers. In 1924, Balanchine was invited to tour Germany as part of the Soviet State Dancers. A year later, the young choreographer joined Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russes. At just 21 years old, CHOREOGRAPHER Balanchine took over as choreographer for GEORGE BALANCHINE the group, one of the most renowned ballet Born on January 22, 1904, in St. Petersburg, companies in the world. Russia, George Balanchine studied ballet After the Ballet Russes collapsed, Balanchine and music in Russia before making his way created the company Les Ballets in 1933. to America in late 1933 following an early Following a performance, American dance 4 aficionado Lincoln Kirstein approached LIGHTING RECREATION Balanchine about collaboration and the two James Thurmeier began a 50-year creative partnership, co-founding the School of American Ballet in PREMIERE 1934. The following year, the professional March 1, 1956; New York City Ballet company known as the American Ballet ALBERTA BALLET PREMIERE emerged, becoming the official company of February 12, 2020 New York's Metropolitan Opera until 1936. In 1946, Kirstein and Balanchine co-founded a company that would become the New CASTING York City Ballet. Balanchine served as artistic Principals director of the company, based out of New Mariko Kondo & William Sheriff Jr: York State Theater at Lincoln Center. He FEB 12E, 14E, 15E, 22E produced more than 150 works for the Heather Thomas & Garrett Groat: company, including The Nutcracker. FEB 13E, 15M, 21E In addition to ballet, George Balanchine Corps de Ballet choreographed Hollywood movies and Allison Perhach, Jennifer Gibson, Alexandra Broadway musicals. He is known for his Gibson, Reilley McKinlay, John Canfield, connection to Igor Stravinsky; Balanchine Yoshiya Sakurai, Zacharie Dun, Kelley created many ballets to his work, some in McKinlay: FEB 12E, 14E, 15E, 22E collaboration with the composer. He made Melissa Eguchi, Luna Sasaki, Sayuri Nakanii, more than 465 works, which have been Kira Anderson, William Sheriff Jr, Scotto performed by nearly every ballet company in Hamed-Ramos, Eli Barnes, Kuu Sakuragi: the world. FEB 13E, 15M, 21E He died in New York City in 1983. Subject to change. E: Evening M: Matinee MUSIC Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 75, 1892 [unfinished]) STAGING Joysanne Sidimus COSTUME DESIGN Holly Hynes 5 ACT 2 YEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Yearning to Make a Difference is a reflection on the transformative, yet sometimes subversive effect of the collective. It highlights those specific, crucial moments when a community's efforts contribute to generate changes, big or small, in the lives of individuals. It also addresses the way we, as members of our society, treat each other, and how tiny gestures can transform who we are. Our bodies carry traces of the various experiences of our lives, much like a quilt with its multiple colors, shapes and textures. A yearning brings movement: it is triggered by a desire, a longing for something out of reach — sometimes for a better world, sometimes for much more egocentric cravings... In this spiral of movement both collective and self-centered, we entrust to others the task of caring for our loved ones, our children and elders, while we go on our business as usual. Only when the collective sense of responsibility and commitment fails, we start to question this collective power. Only then do we realize its fragility and the deep — sometimes deadly — influence it can have on one’s outcome and destiny. Chain reactions, whether good or bad, can change people’s lives forever no matter how small each action is. CHOREOGRAPHER ANNE PLAMONDON Anne Plamondon is a choreographer, dancer and teacher.