What: The Little Prince and New Works
Where: Kirk Hall in St. Andrew鈥檚 Presbyterian Church, 680 Courtney St.
When: Oct. 8-25
Tickets: $100 (eligible for a $70 tax receipt) from or 250-380-6063
Ballet Victoria has 12 performances lined up for October, all of which will be staged in a blackbox theatre in the Kirk Hall inside St. Andrew鈥檚 Presbyterian Church built specifically for the run.
It鈥檚 a far cry from the company鈥檚 usual home base, the Royal Theatre, which remains closed until further notice. But with only 30 people in each audience, it鈥檚 a rare chance to see high-quality dance in an intimate setting, although it comes with a higher price tag.
Tickets are $100 apiece for The Little Prince and New Works, which gets underway tonight. Artistic director Paul Destrooper said that鈥檚 only $15 higher than the top ticket for previous Ballet Victoria performances at the Royal Theatre 鈥� and $70 from each ticket is eligible for a tax receipt.
The increased asking price reflects the cost of mounting a 12-performance run in the middle of a pandemic. Not only is the Kirk Hall capped at 30 people for the performances, but Destrooper was required to build his own staging in order to meet provincial health regulations.
He applied for grant funding in March that enabled him to build the COVID-friendly blackbox theatre, with strict protocols to maximize safety. 鈥淧eople can actually move around the space in a safe manner. We鈥檙e so tiny, the whole company can work together to make that happen.鈥�
He said the artistically diverse program will be a worthwhile experience for those who have missed seeing live ballet in recent months, no matter where it is. 鈥淧eople are going to have lots of leg room and lots of space,鈥� Destrooper said with a laugh.
The Little Prince and New Works is a contemporary one-act ballet mixed with neo-classical movement. The program includes two premi猫res, Polovtsian Dance, inspired by Alexander Borodin鈥檚 Prince Igor opera, and The Little Prince, Destrooper鈥檚 take on the classic children鈥檚 tale.
Wistful, by international choreographer Peter Quanz, is not a world premi猫re but is new to Ballet Victoria. In addition to the technical details involved with staging the upcoming performances, Destrooper invested a lot of emotional energy in the programming. His company dancers are like family, he said, and he knew bringing The Little Prince and New Works to the stage meant they would be returning to paid work after months of inactivity.
鈥淏allet Victoria鈥檚 commitment is to its artists. The artists are literally falling through the cracks. Some companies, especially smaller ones like us, are much more vulnerable. We looked at a thousand different ways we could make this work. I鈥檓 really committed to keeping the dancers employed, because the other option is brutal.鈥�
The run wraps its mixture of evening and afternoon performances on Oct. 25. After he sees the ticket sales totals, Destrooper will turn his attention to plans for upcoming performance, including The Nutcracker around Christmas, with the possibility of Carmen and Romeo and Juliet in 2021. 鈥淲e are really going program to program,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a plan for the season, but that plan depends on the pandemic.鈥�
Longtime supporters know to expect the unexpected from Destrooper, who creates programs for both the core and casual fan. 鈥淚 like surprising audiences. I鈥檝e always worked on that [philosophy]. I get bored easily, so I need to always play a little bit. I keep developing ideas so that I create a surprise at every show.鈥�
