Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal Present Two Houston Premieres
In Cullen Series in November 2008
From November 7-8, 2008, Houston Ballet's Cullen Series presents Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal with two Houston premieres of the most stunning pieces in its repertory. When Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal last visited Houston in 2005, audiences adored the vitality and theatricality of the dancers. By popular demand, this vibrant company is back, showcasing acclaimed productions by two dazzling contemporary choreographers, Didy Veldman and Stijn Celis. Veldman's TooT is a brilliantly theatrical circus, with dancers who fling themselves into falls and acrobatic phrases. Celis's Noces is a radical restaging of Nijinska's historic ballet. Both works were extravagantly lauded by American critics when Les Grand performed at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival during the summer of 2005. "The new TooT, by Dutch dancer/choreographer Didy Veldman, is a revelation," reported Karen Campbell, a correspondent with The Boston Globe. "Entertaining and visually stunning, it is a powerful statement on the conflict between conformity and individualism." (August 20, 2005)
Didy Veldman's inspiration for TooT started with the Jazz Suite No. 2 by Shostakovich. As a Russian composer under Stalin's regime, he was forced for economical reasons to compose music for a huge variety of arts, film and entertainment but still managed within that spectrum to keep his own identity. Ms. Veldman said, "I started to question identity, individuality and the relationship of the individual to society. Surely society was created for the benefit of the individual or has it become the other way around? Do we have to let go of individuality to be a part of society?"
Didy Veldman danced with Scapino Ballet in the Netherlands, Ballet du Grand Theatre in Geneva and Rambert Dance Company. She created her first piece in 1987 for Scapino Ballet. Since then, she has been a much sought after choreographer and has worked for Ballet du Grand Théâtre in Geneva, Rambert Dance Company, Les Grand Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Ballet Gulbenkian, Northern Ballet Theatre, New Zealand Ballet, Komische Oper Berlin, Scottish Dance Theatre and more. She created Til baka for Iceland Dance Company's February 2006 performance.
As for Noces, John Rockwell, dance critic for The New York Times, called it "extraordinary." Belgian choreographer and set designer Stijn Celis puts his contemporary twist on the highly stylized Russian peasant wedding ritual presented by Bronislava Nijinska in the original Les Noces from 1923. Set to the Stravinsky score, this largely ensemble dance for 12 couples, comments on the institution of marriage and on the anxieties that both men and women face in relating to each other. His dancers are in whiteface - the 12 brides in tulle and white caps with cloth braids (a reference to the original) - and the 12 grooms in black suites. Celis created Noces for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and had its premiere in 2002.
"Noces was set to Stravinsky's riveting, barbaric score, with a little a cappella vocalizing to set the mood at the outset . . . He even designs a set (a slatted wood barn interior, albeit with two chandeliers) that evokes folkishness. But then he and his brilliant costume designer, Catherine Voeffray, and lighting designer, Marc Parent, take over. There are 24 dancers, divided into sharply opposing forces, male and female, challenging each other brutally," writes Mr. Rockwell. (August 19, 2005)
These performances of Noces will give Houston audiences a unique opportunity to compare two different contemporary interpretations of Les Noces, Bronislava Nijinka's seminal work of ballet history originally staged for the Ballets Russes in 1923 with Jiří Kylián's 1982 work Svadebka, which was performed by Houston Ballet in May 2007 and this performance of Mr. Celis's 2002 staging Noces.
Stijn Celis, artistic director of Bern Ballet, danced with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, the Zürich Ballet, Le Ballet du Grand Théâtre in Geneva and the Cullberg Ballet, worked as a set-designer for Didy Veldman and has assisted Jan Verzweyveld in many opera and theater productions. He has created ballets for the Cullberg Ballet, Ballet Gulbenkian, Bern Ballet, Ballet Mainz, Ballet Wiesbaden, and Ballet Nürnberg. He created Noces and the full evening The Lost Shoe (Cinderella) for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. He created L'odeur de l'ombre for L'Association de Danse Contemporaine in 1996 and UBILOZ Vanilla for the Cullberg Ballet in 1997. In a critic survey, Ballet International named him "most promising young choreographer for 2001."
Founded in 1957, the 36-member Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal is dedicated to the development of ballet in all its forms. The company is known for its commitment to works by upcoming artists from both North America and abroad, such as Kim Brandstrup, Stijn Celis, Didy Veldman; and to the presentation of the greatest works by today's leading choreographers, such as Jiří Kylián, Mats Ek, Nacho Duato, and Ohad Naharin. Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal has toured throughout Canada, and to Mexico, Spain, Germany, and the United States in the past three years to great critical acclaim. The company is under the leadership of Macedonian Gradimir Pankov.
