Ballet Vancouver: After the Rain & Other Works
When: April 23-25
Where: Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St., Vancouver
Tickets: From $44 at balletvancouver.com
If “no one cares” about ballet or opera anymore, as Timothée Chalomet said in March, it’s news to Stephanie Petersen.
“I laughed off the remark and moved on because I think it was just a flippant sort of thing,” said the Australian dancer. “I love ballet. And I know so many people love ballet.”
Let’s hope so. Petersen is part of a new company, Ballet Vancouver, making its debut this month.
The brainchild of choreographer and dancer Joshua Beamish, the company’s mandate is to, according to a media release, “revitalize Vancouver’s access to professional classical, neoclassical, and narrative ballet.”
The inaugural program features local and international dancers such as Petersen, who danced with American Ballet Theatre in New York for 10 years.
Pieces include the Vancouver premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain, originally commissioned by New York City Ballet; Wen Wei Wang’s Swan, inspired by Swan Lake; and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Redemption, a solo work that debuted digitally as part of the 2021 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Beamish has also co-created, with Gitxsan Indigenous fashion designer Yolonda Skelton, a new work, Winterbourne. It will make its world premiere as part of the program.
Petersen has known Beamish for more than a decade, which dates to her time with American Ballet Theatre. They share a love of classical ballet and a desire to test the limits of the form.
“We’ve always understood each other artistically as far as wanting to explore and express, but we also really care about tradition as well.”
Stephanie Petersen, here with Jonatan Lujan, is splitting her time between Melbourne and Vancouver as she helps launch Josh Beamish’s Ballet Vancouver. She’ll perform with the new company at the Vancouver Playhouse April 23-25. David Cooper photo
She has grown to appreciate the Vancouver choreographer’s unique style of movement.
“There’s a lot of detail, but it’s the finer detail of how the chin would look this way and around and back in, tiny little things that resonate with the audience. He finds those pathways to express what he wants to say while the girls are en pointe and doing classical balletic things and the guys are partnering and jumping and turning.”
In the inaugural Ballet Vancouver performances, Petersen will dance in Swan and After the Rain. The latter is in two parts, the first with three couples, the second a pas de deux.
“Usually, the pas de deux is presented in a gala but Josh is putting on the entire piece. It’s beautiful to see the ballet in its entirety, and I’m excited for Vancouver to see it.”
As Ballet Vancouver finds its feet, Petersen has been splitting her time between Melbourne and here. She got to know the city well, having visited several times on other dance-related missions.
“I love that the water’s right there, and there’s so much to do. I really love that about Vancouver, that there’s a calmness about it, but there’s still the buzz of lots happening.”
Beyond performance, Petersen sees the new company as an opportunity to remind people of the value of ballet, notwithstanding the remarks of a certain Hollywood actor.
“It’s extraordinary that Josh is building it from the ground up. Lots of people talk about these things but he’s doing it. We need ballet in our communities. It’s such a beautiful art form.”
Ballet Vancouver will also offer a platform for local dancers.
“There’s so much dance talent in Vancouver, but so many current and former incredible dancers have had to travel to Toronto or San Francisco or other places to have their careers,” she said. “Josh wants them to be able to dance at home.”
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