Living in Calgary we really are so fortunate to have a number of pre and professional dance groups that perform regularly over the course of the year. Whether it is the Alberta Ballet, Decidedly Jazz or En Corps Dance Collective, I am always trying to encourage my dance students to get out and watch live dance performances. These experiences educate them on everything from music to history to current events and will give them a much stronger complimentary education to their studio training than any episode of Dance Moms. That being said, going to these performances are not always affordable and often conflict with dance classes, competitions and the like. It is hard to get those who should be the biggest supporters out and into the seats.
Absolute Dance has recently made the effort to organize outings to see one live dance performance a year and it has always been a very positive experience. I am always surprised at what children and teens find interesting during a performance. In January we attended The Alberta Ballet's Up Close series which featured company members performing shorter, locally choreographed pieces to an in-studio audience of only 100 people. It was such an opportunity for the dancers to see how much could be done with minimal costumes and set pieces. It was also great for them to realize how long and hard these dancers had to work to deliver a strong performance for the length of each piece. Every single person in the audience could see every little detail. Hopefully our dancers gained some perspective on where they stood with their own training and returned to the studio with renewed inspiration. This performance was also great for young dancers because it was contemporary ballet and a wonderful demonstration of how classical shapes and movement can be reworked to become something entirely new. Following the performance some of the company members took part in a Q and A with the audience. The students were able to gain some insight on what the concepts for the pieces were and how it feels to be dancing a contemporary piece as a dancer who is more accustomed to dancing classical repertoire. I had to laugh (to myself) at when one of the dancers strongly emphasized the importance of barre work and repetition. It was so nice to hear and coming from a professional who just gave his everything for 60 minutes I think those words had much more meaning coming from him rather than myself.
In March, the Alberta Ballet went on to perform Giselle. A stark contrast to the previous production, the company members returned to the classical "box" and did a great job. With the Calgary Philharmonic playing that famous music it made for a great night out. What was also nice about this performance is that it was the perfect length for the average theatre goer who maybe didn't have too much interest or knowledge when it comes to dance. As it usually is with most ballets, the storey line took a backseat to the dancing. The Peasant Pas de Deux was performed to a tee. The gentleman, in particular, did a stellar job with some very difficult jumps and turns. In the second act the patterning of the corps was stunning. The dancers floated effortlessly around the stage and moved as one. It was beautiful and thank goodness the lighting did a great job at making the 27 year-old costumes look great on stage. All in all it was a great night out.
Since the Alberta Ballet is nearing the end of its season they have very recently announced their upcoming season. It features a great line up of ballets I always seem to make reference to in class but haven't been performed in Alberta in recent years. I really hope that many of my students will be able to make it out. Some of the ballets I am most looking forward to are Don Quixote, La Bayadere and Carmen. Seeing at least one of these classics is a must and as hard as it can be to get organized enough to make it out, once you are in that seat you will be glad you made the effort.
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