ESSENCE
Ausia Jones, Crystal Pite, Aszure Barton
As part of its 50th Anniversary season, Ballet Jazz Montréal has curated a triple bill that includes We Can’t Forget About What’s His Name, a new creation by company member, Ausia Jones, Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue by Crystal Pite, and Les Chambres des Jacques by Aszure Barton. This landmark anniversary program pays homage to the company’s roots but also serves as a springboard for a new artistic vision – a balance between the company’s DNA and the evolution of its mission into the next half-century.
Throughout its history, the company hasn’t been afraid to explore new ideas and ways of moving. Moreover, the company’s high calibre dancers have used their distinct personalities to bring life to the movement and stories evolving on stage. This fearless vulnerability and humanity are what have allowed the company to connect to their audiences and how audiences have been able to see themselves in the artists. Standing in this truth, this program is symbolic and contains voices that are capable of driving Ballets Jazz Montréal forward.
Ms. Damiani’s kinetic response to the work of Aszure Barton and Crystal Pite was an indicator that these artists – whose talent was cultivated by Ballets Jazz Montréal at the beginning of their choreographic careers – are the perfect ambassadors for the company. Innovative, sensual, human, complex – the work by these prolific choreographers, who constantly use their voices and platform to explore and push against their limits, also moves the milieu forward. They challenge. They go beyond. They refused to settle for safe.
In order to complement these two established artistic voices, Damiani had a strong desire to cultivate emerging talent similar to Ballets Jazz Montréal founder, Geneviève Salbaing. Having been mentored by William Forsythe, company member Ausia Jones has a choreographic voice that reflects her generation – confident, witty, spontaneous, informed. Her movement language offers the audience another perspective during this evening – one that is inspired by diverse movement languages, groove, and counterpoint.
The company will step onto the stage for the next 50 years taking these distinct voices with them – ones that are alive, adapting, listening, reacting, innovating, and evolving. This is the DNA of Ballets Jazz Montréal and the ESSENCE of this program.
WE CAN’T FORGET ABOUT WHAT’S HIS NAME
Choreography Ausia Jones
Music Jasper Gahunia, Stephen Krecklo, William Lamoureux aka Earth Boring
Lighting Design Claude Plante
Costume Design Anne-Marie Veevaete
Duration 22 minutes
TEN DUETS ON A THEME OF RESCUE
Choreography Crystal Pite
Repeater Cindy Salgado
Music Solaris by Cliff Martinez
Lighting Design Jim French
Costume Design Linda Chow
Duration 14 minutes
LES CHAMBRES DES JACQUES
Choreography Aszure Barton
Assistant to the Choreographer Andrew Murdock
Music Gilles Vigneault, Antonio Vivaldi, Les Yeux Noirs, The Cracow Klezmer Band & Alberto Iglesias
Lighting Daniel Ranger
Costume Design Rémi Van Bochove
Duration 32 minutes
Duration (full evening) 92 minutes
Artists Alyssa Allen, Gustavo Barros, Yosmell Calderon Mejias, John Canfield, Tuti Cedeño, Astrid Dangeard, Shanna Irwin, Ausia Jones, Miu Kato, DaMond LeMonte Garner, Larissa Leung, Austin Lichty, Marcel Mejia, and Andrew Mikhaiel
Photos Sasha Onyshchenko
Promotional Video Acemedia
ESSENCE IS CO-PRODUCED BY
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