Great Masterpieces of the 20th Century (Sept. 21-22): Its 44-week season, the longest one yet, launches with a look at Manhattan’s great choreographers of the 20th Century, including the late neo-classical George Balanchine and the always-edgy Twyla Tharp.
Othello (Nov. 2-3): This is only the second Alberta performance of the company’s acclaimed original production, a 2005 best choreography nominee at Moscow’s Benois de la Danse awards. For the revamp, choreographer Kirk Peterson sets it to music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, an 18-time Oscar nominee.
The Nutcracker (Dec. 14-16): More than 200 musicians, actors and dancers are incorporated into this holiday tradition, where thousands of future ballet-lovers see the artform for the first time.
Helios Dance Theatre (Mar. 1-2): This Los Angeles company has seduced and awed audiences with how-did-they-do-that movements since 1996. Don’t miss artistic director Laura Gorenstein Miller’s reimagining of two familiar stories, The Diary of Anne Frank and The Odyssey.
Celebrating Mozart (Apr. 5-6): It’s choreographed to a silhouetted 100-person chorus singing Mozart’s most famous work, Requiem, along with four world-renowned opera singers: Allyson McHardy, Nathalie Paulin, Benjamin Butterfield and John Fanning.
Balletujah! World Premiere (May 3-4): After works inspired by Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Sarah McLachlan, artistic director and choreographer Jean Grand-Maître’s tale of a young girl growing up on Alberta’s prairies is inspired by conversations with k.d. lang and set to her music.
Bboyizm (Sept. 27 and 28): Ottawa dancer and choreographer Yvon Soglo started as B-boy Crazy Smooth and now leads 10 of Canada’s best break dancers, blending their many styles with interpretive dance.
The 605 Collective (Oct. 5-6): This electrifying and athletic Vancouver group takes Capoeira, the Brazilian blend of rhythm and martial arts, and blends it again, with various hip-hop dances.
Kidd Pivot (Nov. 24): Kidd Pivot is a dance company choreographed by Crystal Pite, who has an international reputation for integrating immersive stories into an imaginative, modern dance style. This time, Pite interprets The Tempest, Shakespeare’s story of revenge and forgiveness.
Tania Alvarado and Mile Zero Dance (Jan. 18-19): A staple of BWDC since 1999, Alvarado made her choreography debut with laFura, a 2008 success. Now see her ever-improved group choreography, which incorporates philosophical theories into interpretive dance.
Wen Wei Dance (Feb. 22-23): Canadian Wen Wei Wang’s highly athletic premiere is an autobiography about identity and nationality. Since 1991, the artistic director’s creative energy has put him on stages in Europe, South America and his native China.
Gloria! (Oct. 12-14): Always open with a classic, you say? How about mixing it something modern and explosive? Let a modern piece set to Gospel music sate you before the classical ballet, set to a Vivaldi composition.
Pathway: A Dance Journey (Jan. 19): Based on the story of a displaced Polish girl caught in the madness of the Second World War, the performance focuses on the theme of journey.
Mosaic II: Barocco Beat (Mar. 9-10): Those who witnessed Mosaic One, Japanese Drumbeat had their expectations shattered by adrenaline-pumping Japanese drums, and this year it’s the combination of hip hop and ballet, choreographed by Shay Kuebler and François Chevennement, that gives Bach’s compositions an urban injection. (Did you miss Mosaic One? Catch its return at Kaleido Festival on Sept. 9.)
Ariadne’s Gate (Apr. 13-14): What did artistic director François Chevennement do on his summer vacation? He and playwright Katherine Koller rewrote a Greek myth and recreated a heroine infused with a little bit of every woman. Find out how the company will interpret his modern/classical sensibilities.
Wedding Crasher Dance Party (Sept. 21): The playful company’s annual fundraiser is a lighthearted grassroots party with participants in their finest outfits, dancing to hits by a real wedding DJ. And there are prizes, including a trip to Jasper on Via Rail and a freezer full of meat (seriously).
Alberta Culture Days (Sept. 29): Set to Erik Satie’s piano piece, “Sports et Divertissements,” to which, at some point, every aspiring ballerina dances, this piece is as synonymous with ballet as tights and as elegant as the jete.
October (Oct. 10-13): A solo dancer creates a story through movement, while a video is projected behind the performance the audience sees on the stage.
Sonikinetic (Nov. 15-18): Every dance needs spandex-tight relationships between the dancer and choreographer to understand one another on an unspoken level. This year’s open call for new performances focuses on this complexity.
Amber Borotsik (Nov. 29): A triple-threat choreographer, dancer and actor, fresh from performing Freewill Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Borotsik premieres this biographical dance about her childhood in rural Manitoba.
Amy Kubanek/Tony Olivares (Jan. 31): Two dancers with totally different styles premiere new works for one night only. Kubanek’s dances are quirky and lighthearted, while Olivares’s physically demanding work focuses on using each muscle.
Tatiana Cheladyn/Alida Nyquist-Schultz (Feb. 28): Do you dance while you vacuum and do the dishes? So does Cheladyn, who choreographs dances based on everyday tasks. Meanwhile, Good Women Dance Collective’s Nyquist-Schultz — usually a solo performer — collaborates with a group of dancers.
The Expanse Movement Arts Festival (Mar. 6-10): Artistic director Gerry Morita isn’t giving anything away about this year’s Expanse Movement Art Festival performance. But, as always, one can expect much spontaneity.
Endangered Species (May 9-11): The Ortona Armoury becomes both an art gallery and a dance studio as dancers get physical in various areas decorated with art by Tim Rechner, Patrick Ares-Pilon and others.
Jeannie Vandekerkhove (May 30): Vandekerkhove explores the idea of telling stories through movement in three different works of contemporary dance.
Jon Lachlan Stewart (June 27): The best modern dancers can move to any music, but what about a soundtrack of someone’s grandparents just talking? Not a problem, says the ever-eccentric Jon Lachlan Stewart of Surreal Soreal.
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