Ballet BC artists take to the stage and beyond in Take Form, September 6 and 7
Event sees eight new creations entirely choreographed, produced, and performed by eight of the company’s dancers
The artists of Ballet BC in Take Form. Photo by Benjamin Peralta
Ballet BC presents Take Form at the Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre on September 6 at 7:30 pm and September 7 at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm
DURING THE HEIGHT of the pandemic when theatres were shuttered, Ballet BC artistic director Medhi Walerski came up with a way to keep the company’s dancers busy. Take Form was born, a digital event where the artists did everything that putting on a performance entails, from choreography to marketing to administration. It proved to be so valuable to the dancers and so compelling to audiences that it went live, selling out in 2023 and 2024. Now it’s back for its fourth year with a record-breaking eight new pieces.
The works are created by four dancers making their choreographic debut—Luca Afflitto, Joziah German, Pei Lun Lai, and Kaylin Sturtevant—and four returning voices: Michael Garcia, Orlando Harbutt, Jacalyn Tatro, and Jacob Williams. The artists have also done the lighting, set, and wardrobe design for each piece, expanding not only their creativity but also their practical skills. Among the themes that the works cover this year are identity and rehabilitation, all set within the intimate surroundings of the Newmont Stage.
This year’s edition features VIP seating in the front two centre rows plus a special gift of appreciation from the team for people in those seats.
Already the company has its sights set on moving to a larger venue with more seating and expanded technical possibilities for next year. ![]()
Gail Johnson is cofounder of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.
Related Articles
Calgary artist’s world premiere reflects on feelings of displacement and discomfort that come with spiritual transformation
Captivating duet stars dancer-choreographer Alexa Solveig Mardon and drummer Jen Yakamovich
Vocals, movement, and lighting meet in a bold reimagining of David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize–winning choral composition
Program features world premieres by Cameron Fraser-Monroe and Ballet BC company dancer Michael Garcia, plus Out Innerspace’s Last Flower
Performer’s lifelong immersion in the forms of Bharatanatyam will create space for new audience responses at Mandala Arts and Culture event
The celebrated Vancouver artist reflects on his youth, sexuality, and aging in a final solo performance
Dancers perform an increasingly surreal and unsettling ritual when the Montreal troupe brings its latest work to the DanceHouse program
India’s Meera Sreenarayanan and Toronto’s Tanveer Alam bring bharata natyam and Kathak to the Roundhouse
Junior ensemble’s triple bill includes Out Innerspace’s Last Flower as well as world premieres from Cameron Fraser-Monroe and Michael Garcia
Double bill from Imre and Marne van Opstal includes a world premiere and a collaboration with the Vancouver Chamber Choir
Choreographer-performer Wen Wei Wang collaborates with sound artist Gary James Joynes to explore memory and mortality
Rooted in the cultural teachings of the Ancestor’s Eye, the dance and theatre artist’s work draws on a traditional Coast Salish story of hope and resilience
Highlights include Greece’s The Lion and the Wolf, New York’s Martha Graham Dance Company, and Vancouver’s own Kidd Pivot
Quebec-based company delivers a haunting, hypnotic exploration of the personal costs of performative positivity
Montreal-based guitarist Philippe Jean, Spanish innovator Víctor Fernández, and more hit Flamenco Rosario’s annual celebration
Two-day festival from New Works Dance allows companies like Generous Mess to find new freedom of movement in non-traditional spaces that include staircases and rooftop gardens
Global Dance Connections piece tells a Coast Salish story of ancestral resilience and hope
Program includes world premieres by Cameron Fraser-Monroe and Michael Garcia, along with a remount of Out Innerspace’s Last Flower
Part of the Pi Provocateurs Performing Arts Series, the new work finds the Vancouver interdisciplinary artist performing with violinist Ilana Waniuk
Meditative piece is a collaboration between interdisciplinary artist Alex Mah and violinist Ilana Waniuk
Guitarist Cole Schmidt performs at a jazz-driven music-and-dance series reborn after the June passing of Tony Wilson
Highlights include a collaboration between Spanish guest artist Víctor Fernández and Flamenco Rosario, free outdoor performances, and more
Forecast’s dive into dance and Youtube, Tasha Faye Evans’s Cedar Woman, Wen Wei Wang’s final solo, and Montreal’s Ebnflōh are just some of the highlights
September’s Censored Opera Festival in Helsinki is followed by collaboration with Vancouver Chamber Choir in November
With an awards night and workshops at The Dance Centre, and the grand catwalk show at the Pearl on July 25, Vancouver Kiki Ballroom Alliance celebrations show the art form is alive and well
In a lineup reflecting the strength of the local dance scene, performer Jes Hanzelkova embraces outdoor settings for the multifaceted expression of struggle in her new piece
Copresented by Belle Spirale and the Eastside Arts Festival, the summer tradition features a Ballet BC dancer, a Bharatanatyam practitioner, members of the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and more
Multidisciplinary, site-specific outdoor performances highlight the talent of independent creators through a unique, community-minded platform
