MercedesCard
proudly presents
BJM_danse – les Ballet Jazz de Montreal
Canada's finest Jazz Ballet company

Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal :

With The Stolen Show, Pite set out to eradicate the mythical opposition between Art with a capital A and entertainment. All of her creations, as magnificent as they are, are infused with a subtle dose of irreverent humour. And the dancers of [bjm-danse] - hip, funky and comical - convey this admirably. "
– La Presse, Montreal –

The company :

Solidly established on the international dance scene, [bjm_danse] - les Ballets Jazz de Montr?al continues to evolve with the vitality and openness that have been the company's hallmark since its inception in 1972. Thanks to the unshakeable faith of such founding members as Genevieve Salbaing, a new style has been launched over time. The arrival of Louis Robitaille as artistic director has transformed [bjm_danse]. The new management has infused [bjm_danse] with fresh energy and a personality embodying the new century. Louis Robitaille's leadership is now reaching a public eager for new forms. A dancer of internationally acclaimed virtuosity, Louis Robitaille is taking advantage of the vast experience he has acquired in a brilliant career through numerous pedagogical and artistic encounters to guide the company during the reorientation process. Endowed with a new name - [bjm_danse] - in perfect harmony with its history, the company's revitalization has been guaranteed by a rich range of innovative trends as well as by a high-calibre artistic team.

PROGRAM :

1. Mapa
(about 30 minutes)
Choreography: Rodrigo Pederneiras
Music: Marco Antonio Pena Araujo

--- INTERMISSION ---

2. The Stolen Show
(2nd and 3rd section; about 45 minutes)

<---- Crystal Pite













Choreography: Crystal Pite
Music: Owen Belton

Under its new name [bjm_danse], more contemporary and in line with the new direction taken by artistic director LOUIS ROBITAILLE since 1998, the company will perform the latest work of the renowned Canadian choreographer CRYSTAL PITE: The Stolen Show.

Completed during her three-year residence in Montreal at [bjm_danse], this trilogy by Crystal Pite is a co-production of the Banff Centre for the Arts, the National Arts Centre and the Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa. With an original score by Owen Belton, The Stolen Show is a veritable study of movement, as well as a parody of art and entertainment. Interwoven into this ironic choreography are masterful improvisations by the fourteen talented dancers of the Quebec company.

The first part of the trilogy, Short Works: 24, has been acclaimed by public and critics alike since premiering in 2001. With her long-time collaborator, composer Owen Belton, Pite created two dozen works, each roughly one minute in length. While each of the works was built to stand on its own, Short Works: 24 flourishes in the presentation of the entire series wherein each piece can be experienced in context. Non-narrative and driven purely by sound and movement, these one-minute works nevertheless resonate with the emotion and humour inherent in the human body.

Emboldened by this success, Crystal Pite has now completed the second and third segments: xspectacle and The Stolen Show, the title of the full trilogy. Both are Resident Choreographer Crystal Pite's newest works for [bjm_danse], created with composer Owen Belton during the company's 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons. Fascinated by the conundrum of art vs. entertainment in the context of this well-loved company, Pite investigates both sides of the argument with her signature frankness and wit. Whether The Stolen Show is presented as a question or a comment, a tribute or a parody, is left to the viewer to decide. Powered by [bjm_danse]'s astonishingly versatile and courageous performers, Pite's creation is an unflinching exploration of spectacle and expectation.

Presented in its world premiere at the prestigious Canada Dance Festival by the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, The Stolen Show also played to packed houses at the Theatre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal. A fabulous success, Crystal Pite's trilogy is about to embark on a full-scale tour in Canada and abroad. The extraordinarily dynamic vision, eclecticism and inspiration that Crystal Pite has brought to [bjm_danse] has already been hailed by critics... An absolute must-see!

The Reviews :

“Sexy, funny and sharp, the dancers have personality coming from every pore.”
Sharon McDaniel THE PALM BEACH POST, West Palm Beach, 2004

“As fascinating as it is entertaining.”
Stephanie Brody LA PRESSE, Montreal, Canada

"Part homage, part parody, totally entertaining: Crystal Pite's brilliant vision steals the show. [...] Choreographer Crystal Pite blew the first fresh breath of youth and irreverence into the Canada Dance Festival at the National Arts Centre with her brilliantly witty work The Stolen Show."
Jenny Jackson, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN, Ottawa, Canada, 2004

“Part homage, part parody, totally entertaining: Crystal Pite's brilliant vision steals the show. [...] Choreographer Crystal Pite blew the first fresh breath of youth and irreverence into the Canada Dance Festival on Saturday at the National Arts Centre with her brilliantly witty work The Stolen Show.”
Jenny Jackson THE OTTAWA CITIZEN, Ottawa, 2004

“Dynamite dancers who use an unstoppable combination of street dance, post-modern step and the enduring sposer of ballet. (...) A sexy open-hearted attitude.”
Ninotchka Bennahum THE DENVER POST, Denver, 2004

“The dancers are terrific, with lithe bodies, appealing verve and pleasantly distinctive presences.”
Jennifer Dunning THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, 2003

“These dancers have it all – the bods [...], the moves, effortlessly morphing angular shapes into spinal ondulations, dizzying extensions, head rolls, and hip twists. They've got professional polish and youthful spunk, and they even make their own music!”
Adele Nickel THE VILLAGE VOICE, New York, 2003

“The eleven-member company's superlative skill, presence and passion were more than enough to arouse the enthusiasm of the audience.”
Ursula Pellaton WINTERTHUR, Suisse, 2002

1,800 Baht
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“Under artistic director, Louis Robitaille, ... the company has broadened its definition of jazz music, widening the horizons of jazz dance to include contemporary ballet.”
Paula Citron, THE GLOBE AND MAIL, Toronto, Canada, 2002

“A Stew of Choreographic Styles, Seasoned With Ingenuity ... the choreography drew upon a variety of balletic, modern-dance and jazz-dance techniques. The result was an enjoyable program of New York premieres notable for the verve of the dancing and the ingenuity of the choreography.”
Jack Anderson, THE NEW YORK TIMES New York, 2001

“Les Ballets jazz de Montreal Energized by New Direction ... Sexy choreography, indefatigable dancers and purposeful programming caused a sensation ...”
Victoria Looseleaf, LOS ANGELES TIMES Los Angeles, California, 2001

The Artistic Director - Louis Robitaille

Appointed Artistic Director of [bjm_danse] in August, 1998, Louis Robitaille enjoys an enviable reputation. An internationally famed interpreter, named Officer of the Order of Canada and of the Ordre du Que'bec, he has inspired a generation of choreographers and danced on the world's great stages. The young man who, in 1973, won a fellowship to study with les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, had returned to [bjm_danse], to assume its leadership.

The native-born Montrealer had realized at age 15 that dance was to be his vocation and life-long passion. The catalytic impact of Maurice Bejart's Messe pour un temps present was to mark the beginning of a brilliant career. As an apprentice at the Ballets jazz's academy, he studied classical and jazz dance with an illustrious teaching corps drawn from Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the American School of Ballet (affiliated with the New York City Ballet), and the American Ballet Theater. On graduation he joined the Eddy Toussaint Dance Company, later becoming the star dancer of the Les Ballets Eddy, founded in 1974. His flawless technique, keen sensitivity, power and musicality rapidly won him invitations from choreographers and dance companies around the world.

In 1989, Louis joined the Grands Ballets Canadiens, where he danced the great masterworks of the classical repertoire, not to mention works by such outstanding contemporary creators as William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Hans van Manen, Nacho Duato, Edouard Lock and James Kudelka. A flamboyant soloist in his own right, Louis Robitaille starred in works ranging from Fernand Nault's Carmina Burana and Massine's Three-Cornered Hat, to L'Apres-midi d'un faune, a reconstruction by Ann Hutchison the epoch-making Nijinski creation. Since 1990, he has been regular participant in the annual Gala des Etoiles alongside the world's finest dancers.

In the course of his career, Louis Robitaille has encountered many of the outstanding artists of his and earlier generations, among them personalities like Rudolph Nureyev, Rudy Brians, Michael Denard, Michael Baryshnikov and Vincent Warren, all of whom helped shape his artistic identity and his interpretative approach.

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