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Ballets Jazz Montréal

ESSENCE
Ausia Jones, Crystal Pite, Aszure Barton
Show
Triple bill /
Canada
Performance partner

Past, present and future collide to mark the half-century of Ballets Jazz Montréal. Choreographers Ausia Jones, Crystal Pite and Aszure Barton are the creators of this sparkling program, entitled ESSENCE.

TRIPLE BILL

Ausia Jones : We Can’t Forget About What’s His Name
Crystal Pite : Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue
Aszure Barton: Les Chambres des Jacques

Ballets Jazz Montréal has a long and rich history of excellence, innovation and above all, passion. Crossing eras and boundaries, these tireless globetrotters project themselves into the future, convinced that dance can speak to audiences of all backgrounds. To mark the company’s 50th anniversary, its new artistic director, Alexandra Damiani, has put together an all-female triple bill that expresses the quintessence of her vision. Two iconic works, Aszure Barton’s Les Chambres des Jacques and Crystal Pite’s Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue, share the program with a new piece, We Can’t Forget About What’s His Name, by Ausia Jones, a young Ballets Jazz Montréal performer whose movement language is rooted in groove and counterpoint. Hats off!

Media partner
Energy, fluidity, musicality, elegance: the company once again charmed the audience.
Sud Ouest,
France

Artists

Chorégraphe
Ausia Jones

Ausia is a young professional dancer who has worked with some of the top names in dance. Recognized for her creative talents, she is also developing her choreographic voice as an African-American woman.

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Chorégraphe
Crystal Pite

Crystal Pite is known around the world for works that courageously address such challenging and complex themes as trauma, addiction, conflict, consciousness, and mortality.

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Chorégraphe
Aszure Barton

Proclaimed Canada's official ambassador of contemporary dance, Aszure is an artist with an unstoppable creative force.

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Company

Ballets Jazz Montréal

Founded in 1972 by Geneviève Salbaing, Eva Von Genscy, and Eddy Toussaint, Ballets Jazz Montréal is a contemporary dance repertory company which, under the artistic direction of Alexandra Damiani, creates, produces, and presents on local, national, and international stages. The company collaborates with internationally renowned choreographers who develop their own research to generate a repertoire that reflects BJM's identity and is accessible to all audiences.

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Credits

We Can't Forget About What's His Name

Choreography Ausia Jones.
Music Jasper Gahunia, Stephen Krecklo & William Lamoureux aka Earth Boring.
Lighting Design  Claude Plante.
Costume Design  Anne-Marie Veevaete.

World Premiere  6 août 2022, Saint-Sauveur, Canada.

Ten Duets On A Theme Of Rescue

Choreography  Crystal Pite.
Stager  Cindy Salgado.
Music  Solaris par Cliff Martinez.
Lighting Design  Jim French.
Costume Design  Linda Chow.

World, Premiere  10 janvier 2008, New York, USA.

Les Chambres Des Jacques

Choreography  Aszure Barton.
Assistant to the choreographer  Andrew Murdock.
Music Gilles Vigneault, Antonio Vivaldi, Les Yeux Noirs, The Cracow Klezmer Band & Alberto Iglesias.
Lighting  Daniel Ranger.
Costume Design Rémi Van Bochove.

World Premiere  Octobre 27, 2006, Albany, United States.

Dancers : Alyssa Allen, Gustavo Barros, Yosmell Calderon Mejias, John Canfield, Diana Cedeno, Astrid Dangeard, Hannah Kate Galbraith, Shanna Irwin, Ausia Jones, Austin Lichty, Jordan Lang, Marcel Mejia, Andrew Mikhaiel, Eden Solomon.

Ballets Jazz Montréal thanks the Marjorie and Gerald Bronfman Foundation for supporting this creation.

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