Vancouver’s Ballet BC is back in London on 20th & 21st May to begin a seven-venue Dance Consortium tour. The company is presenting a double bill of Crystal Pite’s Frontier and Johan Inger’s PASSING. We sat down with Artistic Director Medhi Walerski to discuss the production coming to the UK.
What excites you most about bringing this double bill to UK audiences, and how do you feel the UK’s deep appreciation for dance shapes the way Ballet BC is received here?
It’s always exciting to bring our work to new cities and share it with new audiences, but to kick off a tour of this magnitude in London at Sadler’s Wells feels particularly thrilling. There is such an incredible energy and enthusiasm for the arts there, and a long history of support for dance in particular. The last time the company performed there, the production was nominated for an Olivier Award, so it holds a lot of meaning for us.
Both Frontier and PASSING explore vast emotional and existential landscapes – what drew you to pairing these two works for this tour?
So many reasons! They’re both stunning works of epic proportions. Both feature the entire company and deal with big themes, but they are very distinct in their aesthetic.
Crystal has confronted the unknown in her work for many years, and Frontier very much centres on that theme—the idea of what we don’t know—along with the concept of dark matter and the personification of shadows. It’s mysterious, haunting, spellbinding. PASSING is a singular work, so unique yet very characteristic of Johan’s signature language. His choreographic mind is quite theatrical, and the dancers loved the challenge of creating a world of characters to embody. They really transform into this community of people to connect with and join for an emotional ride. There is crying, laughter, birth, death, and everything in between. Plus singing and tap dancing!
How do you see Ballet BC’s role in pushing the boundaries of contemporary ballet while staying connected to emotional authenticity?
The two things cannot help but co-exist. Our dancers are exceptional at connecting with many forms of dance and are such versatile artists. A lot of that is staying authentic to themselves and their own artistry and unique identities as humans – which I see come through in their work everyday.
As someone who’s been both on stage and now leads from behind the scenes, how has your experience as a dancer shaped your curatorial and creative decisions as Artistic Director?
First and foremost, I am a dancer and an artist. I view everything from this lens, this artistic toolkit I have built over the years. I have been fortunate to have worked with many different people who have inspired me and shaped my career, including Crystal and Johan, and many teachers, leaders, artists. I draw on all of these influences when it comes to my role as Artistic Director and ensuring I’m making the best decisions for the company.
What do you think younger audiences, especially those newer to contemporary ballet, will take away from this powerful double bill?
I think what their experience is will be different for everyone, and that’s the beauty of dance, the beauty of art. Just as we experience life differently, art can move us in a variety of ways. I hope they will feel something that might help them reflect on themselves, their connections with one another, and even the world.
With Frontier’s haunting meditation on the unknown and PASSING’s celebration of human emotion, what do these works say to you about our current moment in time?
I believe strongly in the power of dance and the body as vehicles for awakening, and connection. Two bodies moving through space, never to move through that space in the same way again. The world is experiencing many challenges, but one thing we all share is humanity. I think both of these works speak to that universal truth, that shared connection.
Dance Consortium’s tour of Ballet BC opens at Sadler’s Wells on 20 & 21 May and runs until 11 June. Tickets are available here.