Six reasons to see Bodies & Voices

Imre and Marne van Opstal are siblings who grew up as dancers in The Netherlands, who along with two additional dancing sisters, Myrthe and Xanthe, spent their professional years as artists with either Netherlands Dans Theater (NDT), or Batsheva Dance Company. Since turning to choreography, Imre and Marne strike a balance as a creative duo: “We are still very much two distinct voices and have our own ideas, and our own angles of looking at things,” says Marne. “We choose to do this together because we feel like it enriches our process, and we can learn from each other, and bring different things out. It’s very beautiful to have this sort of echo chamber with you at all times.”

Ballet BC is 40! Our fortieth season is also the final one curated by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski, who departs the company in June 2027. When planning this year’s lineup, Medhi knew the work of Imre & Marne—who had previously created the hugely successful Heart Drive for the company—needed to be included. The opportunity to commission a new creation from the in-demand pair was the perfect thing to open a season built around celebration and the world’s best in dance. Not to mention fall’s hottest ticket in town.

I’m afraid to forget your smile, a visceral work originally created by Imre and Marne in 2022 and nominated for the prestigious DER FAUST German theatre award, will make its North American premiere at Bodies & Voices. Six dancers share the stage with 16 vocalists from the Vancouver Chamber Choir, whose live voices are integral to the work and inspired the title of our season-opening program. The singers create a striking square open to the audience as the six dancers embody the work’s intense and physically demanding choreography. It is always a thrill to collaborate with local musicians to bring live music to you as part of your experience at the theatre.

Imre and Marne are artists that collaborate across many disciplines, working with well-known creatives and companies on projects from the worlds of pop music to fashion to film. The pair choreographed and provided movement direction for the global touring production for FKA Twigs’ latest album EUSEXUA (2025), were chosen to choreograph for Dior’s Cruise 2026 show designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and set at Rome’s stunning Villa Albani Torlonia (2025), and were choreographers on Seasons of Dance, a 2025 film by Tommy Pascal with additional choreography by Peeping Tom, Emilie Leriche, and Ballet BC Resident Choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, and music by Max Richter.

People are flocking to live performance again, for good reason. At a time when we spend more hours looking at our phones than our loved ones, live art offers a rare opportunity to connect, be present, and share in something transformative. For Imre and Marne, their current work is also a response to turbulent times, and an offer of reprieve: “We live in a very turbulent world that is very heavily discussed in every corner, and I think we want to bring back a sense of relief, hope, maybe transformation, softness, tenderness,” says Marne. At Ballet BC, thousands of hours of work by artists, designers, technicians, and creative teams culminate in just four performances that won’t be repeated. AI could never. 

Imre and Marne’s upcoming world premiere, Miriam, brings the full company together, including four talented new Emerging Artists. Vancouver natives Jayda Zhu and Kaitlin Cheung will take the Ballet BC stage in their hometowns for the first time, while Marcos Marqueta, originally from Barcelona, Spain, and Travon Carter, from North Carolina, will also make their company debuts at Bodies & Voices. Join us in welcoming and cheering on these four exciting new artists! Learn more about our dancers here.

An unmissable program to kick off a landmark season. Discover Bodies & Voices, November 5/6/7 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.