Alberta Ballet: Unleashed A world premiere, a Canadian premiere, & a Balanchine classic

Feb 05 2020

Alberta Ballet dancers are UNLEASHED in this triple bill

Experience ballet from three different artistic perspectives powerfully expressed by Alberta Ballet’s company dancers. February’s triple bill Alberta Ballet Unleashed perfectly blends classical and contemporary ballet in one unforgettable evening.

“Mixed bills are always the most exciting moment of the year for us. We get to rediscover our dancers through the eyes of guest choreographers, we get to see them reveling in contemporary choreographic vernaculars and finally, we have the chance to see dance itself as a more abstract form, free of narrative,” said Artistic Director Jean Grand-Maître. “Mixed bills are also an opportunity for all of us to participate in the pure creation of new dance forms, thus leaving our mark on history.”

The program includes works by the legendary George Balanchine, Montreal choreographer and dancer Anne Plamondon, and renowned American choreographer Helen Pickett.

Opening in Calgary Feb. 12-15 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

Opening in Edmonton Feb. 21-22 at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

Alberta Ballet Unleashed will ignite your passion for dance. Tickets for Unleashed start at $47 and are available at albertaballet.com/unleashed.
Allegro Brillante
George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, performed to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3 is characterized by what Maria Tallchief (the ballerina on whom the bravura leading role was created) calls “an expansive Russian romanticism.” The music’s vigorous pace makes the steps appear even more difficult, but the ballet relies on strong dancing, precise timing, and breadth of gesture. Balanchine said: “It contains everything I know about classical ballet in 13 minutes.”Yearning To Make A Difference
Be among the first to witness the world premiere by Montreal choreographer, the formidable Anne Plamondon. Based on an emotional event involving the death of a young girl that shook the province of Quebec, the piece represents society’s responsibility in a time of tragedy and how small gestures can really affect someone’s life in a beautiful way. Working with Alberta Ballet dancers, Anne explores movement that expresses how individuals have the power to make a positive impact in the greatest time of need.

Petal
Inspired by the vibrant colour and softness of a Gerber Daisy, Helen Pickett’s Petal has become one of her best-known works in her expansive and highly acclaimed repertoire. “It will be a celebration. It’s a very bright piece, it pulls people in because of the brightness and the lightness of the music and the exemplary dancing I’ve seen with the Alberta Ballet.” Pickett describes her staging and coaching process as “never looking for safe or pretty or right, I’m looking for extraordinary, off balance, risky, so that is the coaching and the development that has to happen to get them into this style of what Petal is.”
Unleashed Production Images + Broll
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About Alberta Ballet 

Alberta Ballet, under the direction of Artistic Director Jean Grand-Maître, connects audiences with dance that excites and inspires. The company reaches thousands of Albertans over the course of its September to May season and has toured across Canada and internationally.  Through both the originality of its programming and the talent of its classically-trained dancers, Alberta Ballet has earned a passionate following in its twin home cities, Calgary and Edmonton, and abroad.