Alberta Ballet (also known as the Alberta Ballet Company) was founded by Muriel Taylor and Dr. Ruth Carse in 1958 and became a professional company in 1966.[1][2] The company is a resident company of both the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, Alberta and the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, Alberta and performs its full season in both venues.
| Alberta Ballet | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Name | Alberta Ballet |
| Year founded | 1966 |
| Founders | Ruth Carse and Muriel Taylor |
| Location | Calgary |
| Website | albertaballet |
| Senior staff | |
| Director | Francesco Ventriglia |
| Artistic staff | |
| Music Director | Peter Dala |
| Other | |
| Official school | Alberta Ballet School |
Development
editCarse directed the company until 1975.[3] She was followed by Jeremy Leslie-Spinks (1975-1976), Brydon Paige (1976–1988), and Ali Pourfarrokh (1988–1998). During Pourfarrokh's tenure, in 1990, the company merged with the Calgary City Ballet and moved into the Nat Christie Centre in Calgary. Since then, it has performed in both Edmonton and Calgary.
Former San Francisco Ballet dancer Mikko Nissinen then directed the company until 2002. Nissinen introduced Balanchine works, while continuing to commission new works from Canadian and international choreographers. He toured the company to China, Finland, and Egypt.[3]
Jean Grand-Maître was then appointed as artistic director. In 2019 Christopher Anderson was appointed co-artistic director of the company alongside Grand-Maître. This was planned as part of a three year transition process leading to Anderson becoming full artistic director of the company for the 2022/2023 season.
In June 2023 it was announced that Christopher Anderson and Alberta Ballet had "decided to part ways”.[4] Anderson left the company in December of 2023.
Francesco Ventriglia has been director of the company since January 2024.
Choreography
editArtistic director Jean Grand-Maître has choreographed Carmen, which toured China, and Fiddle and the Drum, a collaboration with Joni Mitchell while at the Alberta Ballet. In the spring of 2010 the company built on its ballet and pop collaboration by staging an Elton John production named Elton:[5] Love Lies Bleeding.[6] Elton John reportedly was so moved by Fiddle and the Drum that he asked Alberta Ballet to produce a ballet for him.
Alberta Ballet was the first Canadian company to stage a ballet by Christopher Wheeldon of the New York City Ballet. Wheeldon choreographed A Midsummer Night's Dream with the company. It also commissioned two pieces from Jorma Elo, of the Boston Ballet.
Canadian choreographer Sabrina Matthews has created pieces the company as well.
2015-2016 season
editThe season included performances of the glam-rock ballet Love Lies Bleeding, featuring principal dancer Yukichi Hattori in the role of Elton John.[7]
2016-2017 season
editThe 2016–2017 season featuring Alberta Ballet company dancers included Dracula, The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and the World Premiere of Our Canada, a new creation in collaboration with Gordon Lightfoot. Dracula was on-loan from Texas Ballet Theater and choreographed by their artistic director, Ben Stevenson (dancer).
Guest company performances included Shadowland (performed by Pilobolus), a mixed bill from dance company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, and Life (performed by BalletBoyz). [8]
Dancers
editDancers of Alberta Ballet (2024/25):[9]
| Name | Nationality | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Ma | China | Principal Dancer |
| Luna Sasaki | Japan | Principal Dancer |
| Mariko Kondo | Japan | Principal Dancer |
| Aaron Anker | United States | Principal Dancer |
| Alexandra Hughes | United States | Principal Dancer |
| Caleb Durbin | Australia | Soloist Dancer |
| Jolie Rose Lombardo | United States | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Zachary Boresow | United States | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Scotto Hamed-Ramos | United States | Soloist Dancer |
| Alyssa Churchill | Canada | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Zara Bailey | Australia | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Tess Browning | Canada | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Scotto Hamed-Ramos | United States | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Matthew Maxwell | Australia | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Seira Iwamoto | Japan | Senior Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Macyn Malana Vogt | United States | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Yaroslav Khudych | Ukraine | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Allison Perhach | United States | Soloist Dancer |
| Michael Scott-Kahans | Australia | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Rhys Hudson | United States | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Emmanuel López Martinez | Mexico | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Leona Takada | Japan | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Mirko Melandri | Italy | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Federico Vitali | Italy | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Alfonso Maria Guerriero | Italy | Corps de Ballet Dancer |
| Victoria Bourassa | Canada | Apprentice Dancer |
| Rikuto Kubota | Japan | Apprentice Dancer |
| Chizuru Kikuchi | Japan | Apprentice Dancer |
| Teodora Dvoretski | Canada | Apprentice Dancer |
| Hotaru Maruyama | Japan | Apprentice Dancer |
| Hinata Takahara | Japan | Apprentice Dancer |
| Isabel Tornqvist | Canada | Apprentice Dancer |
| Dylan West | United States | Apprentice Dancer |
Alberta Ballet School
editThe Professional Division at Alberta Ballet School is a full-time dance and academic training program for students in grades 7 through 12, with a part-time, dance-only option for those in grades 5 and 6. The School's Dedicated Contemporary Dance Stream is available to students in grades 10, 11 and 12 who wish to focus on contemporary dance.[10]
The School is led by Artistic Principal Ashley McNeil and, in 2018, was recognized by Canadian Heritage for its national impact in training artists for professional artistic careers, at the highest levels.[11]
Other Notable Artistic Staff
edit- David Adams
- Jeremy Leslie-Spinks
- Cherice Barton
- Lambros Lambrou
- Marianne Beausejour
- Scott Harris
- Brian Bender
- Jay Brooker
- Claude Caron
- Nicole Caron [12]
- David Chipman Seibert
- Svea Eklof
- Marc LeClerc
- Mark Mahler
- Daniel McLaren
- Barbara Moore
- Kevin Peterman
- Michel Rahn
- Martin Vallée
- Yumiko Takeshima
- Greg Zane
- Jung Min Hong
- Howard Epstein
- Clark Blakley
- Wayne Mcknight
- Anita Bostok
- Youri Alechine
- Stephanie Achuff
References
edit- ^ Anderson, Jack (17 October 1997). "From Alberta, a Troupe Both Lyrical and Dramatic". New York Times. New York City, United States. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
- ^ Sanderson, Kay (1999). 200 Remarkable Alberta Women. Calgary: Famous Five Foundation. p. 91. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013.
- ^ a b Crabb, Michael (August 2005). "Alberta Ballet's Dramatic Moves". Dance Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ Jarvie, Michele (7 July 2023). "'Alberta Ballet to lose artistic director after one full season at the helm'". Calgary Herald.
- ^ "AMA Home Page - AMA". AMA. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- ^ "Alberta Ballet Performances - ELTON". Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ "Dancer Yukichi Hattori stepping away from stage after Love Lies Bleeding". Calgary Herald, Salena Kitteringham, May 2, 2016
- ^ Bonfield, Stephan. "Gordon Lightfoot, Dracula a part of Alberta Ballet's 2016-2017 Season". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- ^ "Dancers 2021". Alberta Ballet. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "About the School of Alberta Ballet". Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ "Investing in Arts Training Programs in Alberta". Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ Levesque, Roger (24 October 2017). "Alberta Ballet's Sensual Venture into a Dangerous Seduction". Postmedia. Retrieved 18 June 2018.