Accompanied by the NAC Orchestra and dancers from Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver, Ballet BC showcases absolute group power in BOLERO X

NAC Dance proudly opens its 2024-2025 Ballet Series with an impressive triple bill by the prominent Canadian company Ballet BC. The evening begins with two works by Ballet BC’s artistic director Medhi Walerski, Chamber and Silent Tides, and finishes on a grandiose note with BOLERO X by choreographer Shahar Binyamini.

BOLERO X showcases the group's collective strength in a hypnotizing crescendo as 50 dancers grace the stage to Maurice Ravel’s iconic Boléro score, performed by the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Joining the core dancers of Ballet BC are 30 dancers from four professional training institutions across Canada: The School of Dance (Ottawa), l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (Montreal), l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec (Montreal), and Arts Umbrella Dance (Vancouver). These young dancers have been invited to perform on two of the most important national stages, at Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts (presented by Danse Danse), and on Southam Hall stage here at the National Arts Centre—giving them an invaluable professional development opportunity.

This is a chance for them to live their dream to the power of 10 and to gain unique experience. For us to watch them perform is an absolute joy, and the NAC is proud to be a part of this special mentorship initiative which is a collaboration between NAC Dance, Danse Danse and Ballet BC.”  ̶  Caroline Ohrt, Executive Producer, NAC Dance

BOLERO X was created by Shahar Binyamini for Ballet BC in 2023. He wanted to explore the power of repetition, the great natural forces which we are made of—infusing classic with a modern touch. The piece reveals Ballet BC’s exceptional dancers, impressively pushing the boundaries of movement.

The first piece of the evening, Chamber, is one of Medhi Walerski’s most acclaimed and elegant ballets. It is a visually rich echo of what Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring provokes in the choreographer’s imagination. The original music by British composer Joby Talbot will be performed by the NAC Orchestra, marking its revival with orchestra since its premiere in 2013. Walerski’s second piece, Silent Tides, is an intimate work between two dancers that reflects our relationship to one another and to ourselves—the infinite gates where our bodies receive nourishment and otherness, vibration and energy.

Pre-show chat

A pre-show chat with Ballet BC artistic director Medhi Walerski will be held on Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m. in the NAC Salon. This discussion is hosted by NAC Dance Executive Producer Caroline Ohrt, in both English and French, and precedes the evening's presentation.

Dance for All

A free Contemporary/Fusion class led by Xander Sen, one of the 5 Ottawa dancers joining Ballet BC on stage in BOLERO X, will be offered on October 12 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Peter A. Herrndorf Place. Info here.
 

SHOW AND TICKET INFORMATION

October 17-18 at 8 p.m. – Southam Hall

Chamber by Medhi Walerski (32 minutes)
Intermission (20 minutes)
Silent Tides by Medhi Walerski (18 minutes)​
Intermission (20 minutes)
BOLERO X by Shahar Binyamini (15 minutes)

To purchase tickets to this performance, visit nac-cna.ca/en/event/36014 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To learn more about the NAC’s building and facilities before you arrive, click: nac-cna.ca/en/visit.  
 
Visit the NAC Dance page to learn more about the 2024-2025 season.

ABOUT BALLET BC

Founded in 1986 by David Y.H. Lui, Jean Orr, and Sheila Begg, Ballet BC is one of Canada's leading contemporary dance companies. Based in Vancouver and led by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski, the company performs at venues throughout British Columbia and on the world's best stages. Ballet BC dancers are a group of open-minded and curious artists, each unique for their exceptional artistry while sharing an intuitive passion for movement. Deeply committed to new creation in addition to presenting masterworks from today's most sought-after voices in dance, Ballet BC's diverse repertoire includes works by choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Johan Inger, Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, Medhi Walerski, Out Innerspace, Imre and Marne van Opstal, Roy Assaf, and Micaela Taylor. The company offers a variety of professional development and educational opportunities in the community, aiming to bring the power of dance to the widest audience possible. More info: balletbc.com.

THANK YOU TO THE NAC DANCE SPONSORS

The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank the generous support by an anonymous donor and Official Hotel Partner of NAC Dance, The Lord Elgin Hotel.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE  

The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.