The Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada announced its exciting 2012-13 season that will include a remounting of two of its most popular past original productions – Amadeus, Romeo and Juliet – as well as a five-province tour of its critically acclaimed and powerful Ghosts of Violence ballet. Amadeus will also be performed in New York City in 2013.
“The Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada continues to grow and prosper every year,” said company CEO Susan Chalmers-Gauvin. “We are very thankful to our sponsors and audiences for their ongoing support. We are working day in and day out to demonstrate the importance of arts and culture and how these can have a significant positive impact on society and the economy.”
This season incorporates a first for the Atlantic Ballet Theatre – the incorporation of the spoken word into its reworked Romeo and Juliet production using four actors thanks to collaboration with Theatre New Brunswick (TNB). Romeo and Juliet was originally staged by the Atlantic Ballet Theatre in 2010 and tells the tale of two young lovers facing the consequences of feeling too deeply in a world where there is no clemency for breaking rules.
“When the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada presented us with this opportunity, I was immediately intrigued by the artistic opportunities it presented both of our companies to explore an innovative marriage of theatre and dance through one of the world’s great love stories,” said Caleb Marshall, TNB’s artistic director.
“It’s great when two provincial professional arts organizations can partner together and broaden our audiences’ experience,” he said. “The Atlantic Ballet Theatre is an exciting and important part of our provincial cultural community and we’re very excited about this debut collaboration.”
“We are greatly looking forward to this production of one of the greatest love stories of all time,” said Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada artistic director Igor Dobrovolskiy. “We are always looking for new challenges and ways to innovate. Working with Theatre New Brunswick is allowing us to do just that.”
Also on hand at the announcement was Anna-Marie Holmes, an Emmy Award winner and internationally acclaimed ballet luminary, who is in Moncton working with the Atlantic Ballet Theatre as they prepare for their remounting of Amadeus, debuting on October 5, at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton. Ms. Holmes is teaching classes and working with Atlantic Ballet Theatre artistic director Igor Dobrovolskiy in rehearsals. Holmes has worked and performed all over the world, including Europe, Asia and North America.
“I’ve been very impressed by the quality and dedication of the Atlantic Ballet Theatre’s dancers,” Ms. Holmes said. “I’m always excited when I see a young ballet company such as this get so many accolades from critics and audiences.”
Amadeus was originally staged in 2005 and catapulted Atlantic Ballet Theatre onto the international stage. This production has been performed in United States, Belgium, France and Switzerland. This riveting story traces the life of Mozart and examines his isolation by a society that accepts the musical works – but not the composer.
The company’s acclaimed production of Ghosts of Violence, a ballet inspired by women who have lost their lives at the hands of an intimate partner, returns this season and will tour New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
In Ghosts of Violence, artistic director Igor Dobrovolskiy and Canadian theatre icon Sharon Pollock have tackled the subject of violence against women in a way that is getting raves from audiences and critics alike, including Paula Citron, senior dance critic with The Globe and Mail, who wrote, ““With strong theatrical values, expressive choreography and committed dancers, Ghosts of Violence makes for a poignant dance experience.”
The 2012-13 season also marks the debut of the company’s first speakers’ series in conjunction with the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce. Featured this year are two well-known individuals in the dance world – Michael Crabb and Dr. Rob Austin.
Mr. Crabb is one of Canada’s longest-serving dance critics and arts journalists. He has been writing and broadcasting about the arts in Canada for almost 40 years. Dr. Austin is the dean of the faculty of administration at the University of New Brunswick. He is also the author of several books, including Artful Making: What Managers Need to Know About How Artists Work, which he co-wrote with Lee Devin.
On November 29, the Atlantic Ballet Theatre’s major annual fundraiser returns to Moncton’s Delta Beauséjour who will once again host the Grant Thornton Velvet Gala. At this year’s black-tie celebration, the Atlantic Ballet Theatre will induct long-standing supporters into its new Founders’ Circle, an honorary group of founders who have been with the company since the beginning and who have continued to support them through the years.
Also on tap for 2012-13 is the return of the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada’s Intense III Gala fundraising events to be held in Fredericton and Halifax in May 2013, as well as a performance by the company at the Canadian Folk Music Awards to be held in Saint John in November.
The complete schedule of the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada’s 2012-13 season is as follows:
Ghosts of Violence
October 29, 2012 – Arts and Culture Centre, St. John’s NL
November 1, 2012 – Arts and Culture Centre, Gander NL
November 5, 2012 – Arts and Culture Centre, Grand Falls NL
November 7, 2012 – Arts and Culture Centre, Corner Brook NL
November 9, 2012 – Arts and Culture Centre, Stephenville NL
March 1-2, 2013 – Performing Arts Centre, Regina SK
March 7, 2013 – Arden Theatre, St. Albert AB
March 13, 2013 – Cowichan Theatre, Duncan BC
March 21-22 – Theatre Junction Grand, Calgary AB
April 2013 – Capitol Theatre, Moncton NB
Amadeus
October 5, 2012 – Capitol Theatre, Moncton NB
October 25, 2012 – The Playhouse, Fredericton NB
April 21, 2013 – Brooklyn Centre for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn NY
Romeo and Juliet
January 31, 2013 – Capitol Theatre, Moncton NB
February 2, 2013 – The Playhouse, Fredericton NB
February 5, 2013 – Dalhousie Arts Centre, Halifax NS
Soirée Grant Thornton Velvet Gala
November 29, 2012 – Delta Beauséjour Hotel, Moncton NB
Intense II Gala
October 23, 2012 – Dalhousie Arts Centre, Halifax NS
Intense III Gala
May 11, 2013 – The Playhouse, Fredericton NB
Other appearances
November 17, 2012 – Canadian Folk Music Awards, Saint John NB
