Ballet troupe takes center stage
Saba Naseem
Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Lifestyles
Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal will take the stage 7 p.m. tonight at the Walton Arts Center for their performance of "Minus One."
"If you have ever dreamt of ballet, you have to experience this one," said Alain Dancyger, who has been the general director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal since 1996. "It goes outside the limit of normal ballet ,and you have to expect the unexpected."
Ohad Naharin created "Minus One" in 2002 for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. The show is a collage of eight of his earlier works that spans 13 years and contains a wide range of musical styles, such as bossa nova and cha-cha, according to a news release.
Naharin studied at Julliard with the Martha Graham Company and later returned to Israel to direct the Batsheva Dancing Company, where he now serves as the company's artistic director.
"[Artistic director] Gradimir Pankov was among the first to commission Naharin in Geneva. Pankov and Naharin have a close and long standing relationship," Dancyger said. "Pankov is very stimulating to work with. He has dynamic vision, a great flare, and he's very creative."
The company recently returned from Les Êtes de la Dance Festival in Paris where they performed 16 times in three weeks, including performances of "Minus One."
"'Minus One' has been one of our greatest hits for the past 10 years," Dancyger said. "It is like seeing a movie over and over. It is performed in so many places and transcends different cultures. There is something new to discover every time."
The ballet ensemble was formed in 1957 and is based in Montréal, Canada. They hold auditions once a year in Montréal and in other places where they tour.
Once dancers are admitted into the troupe, the roles are open to all levels, and it is up to the choreographer to choose whom he wants for what role.
"We are the company more dedicated to the ballet of today than any other ballet company," Dancyger said. "Through different shapes and forms, we showcase the richness of ballet."
Dancyger refused to call the ballet "contemporary," arguing that it simply means "modern" or "current." Instead, he stuck to the phrase "the ballet of today" and said that it included all elements of classical ballet with a touch of "today."
Pierre Lapointe, the principal ballet master, is giving a master class from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today for intermediate dancers ages 14 and older. Lapointe joined the company in 1982, and his superb mastery and understanding of dance earned him the position of principal ballet master, according to the news release.
"People usually have the preconceived idea of what ballet should be," Dancyger said. "'Minus One,' however, will show you what it can be and will take dance to a new breadth."
"If you have ever dreamt of ballet, you have to experience this one," said Alain Dancyger, who has been the general director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal since 1996. "It goes outside the limit of normal ballet ,and you have to expect the unexpected."
Ohad Naharin created "Minus One" in 2002 for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. The show is a collage of eight of his earlier works that spans 13 years and contains a wide range of musical styles, such as bossa nova and cha-cha, according to a news release.
Naharin studied at Julliard with the Martha Graham Company and later returned to Israel to direct the Batsheva Dancing Company, where he now serves as the company's artistic director.
"[Artistic director] Gradimir Pankov was among the first to commission Naharin in Geneva. Pankov and Naharin have a close and long standing relationship," Dancyger said. "Pankov is very stimulating to work with. He has dynamic vision, a great flare, and he's very creative."
The company recently returned from Les Êtes de la Dance Festival in Paris where they performed 16 times in three weeks, including performances of "Minus One."
"'Minus One' has been one of our greatest hits for the past 10 years," Dancyger said. "It is like seeing a movie over and over. It is performed in so many places and transcends different cultures. There is something new to discover every time."
The ballet ensemble was formed in 1957 and is based in Montréal, Canada. They hold auditions once a year in Montréal and in other places where they tour.
Once dancers are admitted into the troupe, the roles are open to all levels, and it is up to the choreographer to choose whom he wants for what role.
"We are the company more dedicated to the ballet of today than any other ballet company," Dancyger said. "Through different shapes and forms, we showcase the richness of ballet."
Dancyger refused to call the ballet "contemporary," arguing that it simply means "modern" or "current." Instead, he stuck to the phrase "the ballet of today" and said that it included all elements of classical ballet with a touch of "today."
Pierre Lapointe, the principal ballet master, is giving a master class from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today for intermediate dancers ages 14 and older. Lapointe joined the company in 1982, and his superb mastery and understanding of dance earned him the position of principal ballet master, according to the news release.
"People usually have the preconceived idea of what ballet should be," Dancyger said. "'Minus One,' however, will show you what it can be and will take dance to a new breadth."
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