Ballet Victoria Newsletter - Feb. 20-27, 2018

10 years ago Paul Destrooper became Ballet Victoria’s Artistic Director and has since lead the company through more than 400 performances in Victoria and on tour. 

The Director’s Choice performance presents an exciting program that truly expresses the spirit of Ballet Victoria.

The evening begins with “1490" choreographed Peter Quanz to one of the musical scores of  “la Folia”.  The name "Folia" is Spanish and refers to a fertility dance from the 15th century.  "La Folia" means folly and the music is a key tipping point in music from the Middle age to the Renaissance.   

Destrooper’s choreography of Brel’s Belgian Songs is a quest to the roots of his cultural heritage. Brel is the third best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time.  The song choices are as follows:

“Le Plat Pays”: the landscape and season in the flemish low lands

“Quand on a que l'Amour”: the power of love to face the life's challenges 

“Ne me quitte pas”: a cry of despair when a love passion ends

“Les Flamandes”: the “good life” of  flemish woman in their village

“Les Bourgeois”: is the story of students morphing into “respectable club members”

“Amsterdam”: the port of Amsterdam’s rough beauty and mariners

To celebrate Spring, Destrooper makes his choreography of the “Rite of Spring" a look at the primal driving force of humanity: Love and its balance. Dressing both men and women in tutus, Destrooper’s interpretation is fresh and reviving.  Igor Stravinsky’s musical score of "The Rite of Spring” was controversial when it was launched in Paris in 1913. At the premiere both upper and middle class audience members suspected they were being mocked by the composer. They roughed up the orchestra, but the musicians valiantly played on (despite numerous objects raining down on their heads) until gendarmes were called in to restore order. Overnight the young composer was vaulted to fame.  Ballet Victoria is proud to showcase this challenging work. The performance is lush with the splendour of dance as it takes the audience into the pagan rituals and folk ballads of early Russia. Is “The Rite of Spring” a masterpiece, as many critics have said?   This is your opportunity to decide for yourself!

ACROSS 4 Jacques ___6 Composer of Rite of Spring?8 Students become ___ club members11 “La Folia” means?13 More than 400!14 Artistic Director for ___ years!15 Rite of___16 6th & 7th

DOWN

1 Rite of Spring was launched in___2 Paul ___3 Peter Quanz5 Where is the show? (2 words)7 Belgian ___9 Amsterdam is a ___ of rough beauty10 Director’s ___12 Ballet ___

Director’s Choice at the Royal Theatre

TUESDAY, MARCH 6 at 7:30 PM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 at 7:30 PM

Call the box office for tickets: 250-386-6121 or 1-888-717-6121 Order on-line: www.balletvictoria.ca

http://www.balletvictoria.cahttp://www.balletvictoria.ca