Ballet BC continues its ambitious 2023/24 season with ‘NOW,’ an exciting evening of contemporary dance that features the return of Crystal Pite’s modern masterpiece The Statement, as well as world premieres from Vancouver’s own Out Innerspace, and LA-based rising star Micaela Taylor.
Landing on International Women’s Day weekend, the program is centred on West Coast-based female creators—from an exceptionally talented star on the rise to one of the world’s most sought-after voices in contemporary dance.
“I am excited for Vancouver audiences to experience this incredible program, highlighting the talent of diverse female choreographers” says Ballet BC Artistic Director Medhi Walerski. “Each of these artists brings a unique and exceptional approach to the creative process, along with a distinct vision for expressing their art. Crystal Pite’s The Statement has become one of our most cherished pieces of repertoire, shared around the world to rave reviews. Out Innerspace continue to push boundaries, establishing an international reputation for themselves. It brings me great pride to share a new world premiere of theirs right here at home. And Micaela Taylor is a force, one of the most in demand emerging choreographers in North America at the moment, with a style that is incredibly dynamic and balances precision, energy, and emotion.”
The Statement—from Ballet BC alum and frequent collaborator Crystal Pite—returns to the Ballet BC stage, back by hugely popular demand following sold-out performances in Europe and New York City. Called “a dazzling account of complicity, naivety and guilt” by The Independent, the tour de force dance-theatre hybrid is strikingly timely and current, with characters and language that mesmerizes from start to finish. Exploring themes of power, control, and moral conflict, four dancers move to an exacting script by Canadian playwright and close collaborator Jonathon Young. The Statement is a deeply salient and transfixing work from one of the most brilliant and accomplished choreographers of our time.
Following the success of Strange Attractor, their explosive 2022 work for Ballet BC, choreographic duo Out Innerspace—Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond—will premiere their latest creation at NOW. The immersive, funky new creation for Ballet BC is set to music by experimental Japanese artist Asa Chang and explores a sound landscape described as futuristic nostalgia, highlighted by percussive rhythm. Entering their 18th year of collaboration, Tregarthen and Raymond’s performance careers include roles with Wen Wei Dance, Justine A. Chambers, Company 605, Beijing Modern Dance Company, and since 2013, an ongoing collaboration with Crystal Pite’s renowned contemporary dance theatre company Kidd Pivot. For almost a decade, OIS’s creations have toured nationally and internationally and have been awarded the 2014 CanDance Creation Fund and the 2019 Crystal Dance Prize. OIS are also Associate Artists of Agora de la Danse in Montreal. Their most recent company work, Bygones, has been performed in 30 cities worldwide.
Also premiering at NOW is a brand new creation by Micaela Taylor. Taylor continues her relationship with the company after her dynamic work Volo premiered in the 2022/23 Ballet BC Annex program, touring schools across the province. Known for creating groundbreaking work that introduces a variety of commercial styles to concert dance, Taylor is catching the attention of dance fans and critics alike around the world. Taylor’s work has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Broad Stage, Ford Amphitheatre, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, and more. Alongside the launch of her company TL Collective, Taylor has been commissioned to choreograph and teach by Rambert Dance Company, The Getty Museum, Springboard Danse Montreal/Gibney Dance Company, Carlos Acosta’s Acosta Danza. She was recently named Resident Choreographer of BODYTRAFFIC and commissioned for NDT 2’s 2023/24 season.
