April 21, 2006 -

OTTAWA -- Audiences will bask in the expansive and sexy beauty of the Lone Star state when internationally acclaimed Houston Ballet performs a terrific triple bill in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on May 4-6, 2006 at 20:00. Houston Ballet has become one of America’s most vibrant ballet companies under the sure hand of recently appointed Artistic Director Stanton Welch. One of ballet’s brightest young stars, both Welch’s Divergence and Nosotros showcase the power, beauty, and sensuality of his work. Also featured is The Accidental by award-winning Ottawa-born choreographer Julia Adam. All performances feature the NAC Orchestra.

Houston Ballet is part of the National Arts Centre’s Canril Ballet Series, which is generously sponsored by Canril Corporation.

In July 2003, Australian Stanton Welch assumed artistic leadership of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth largest classical ballet company. Still only 37, he is one of the most sought after choreographers of his generation, having created works for such companies as the Royal Danish Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet (where he became resident choreographer in 1995), American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and Houston Ballet. Welch, whose parents Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch were stars The Australian Ballet in the early 1970s, “is spring-loaded with ideas” and has high goals for Houston Ballet. In its first appearance at the NAC, the company radiates a distinctively inventive flair inspired by the enthusiastic Welch.

Choreographed by him on twenty fearless dancers, Divergence is classical dance with a wicked punch, a kick-ass, contemporary work with raw sex and Madonna-like corsets. Stanton Welch says, “It is a work of no literal meaning. Rather, I have suggested a collage of emotions and situations.” Welch’s vision is of a high-octane ballet that’s fresh and unexpected. Divergencepresents flawless technique in a highly idiosyncratic fashion, with dancers in Vanessa Leyonhjelm’s hard-edged industrial-strength costumes staking their territory, fighting for dominance and proudly prancing like uncaged animals. A hard-hitting dance like Divergence showcases the dancers’ powerful ability to create movement that highlights their astonishing physical strength. Just as remarkable as the choreography are the underlying themes of boldness and confidence -- and Welch’s willingness to push dancers to the edge. Rarely do they have time to catch their breath, moving from powerful lifts and steadily held balances to unusual head bobbles and in-your-face stares. Divergence is set to Georges Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suites No. 1 and 2, a traditional score that contrasts beautifully with the contemporary choreography.

Stanton Welch comments, “For years I had heard that classical ballet was dying; staggering along like some prehistoric creature, tiredly dragging its old and limited repertoire around. I have never believed this. I was raised on the beauty of classical ballet and have never seen its limitations -- it was my breast milk. I wanted to take classical ballet, and diverge from it. The first image in the work is what one would consider very traditional classical ballet. From then on, I kept branching off into different paths. I wanted to show the women working as hard as the men. I wanted to show the inside of ballet, to make it look difficult and athletic. I wanted to show the pain and the strength and the difficulty behind what the dancers were doing, rather than hide it.”

Nosotros is softer, more classical -- a romantic valentine. The title, the Spanish word for “us”, aptly sums up the theme of this abstract ensemble piece, whose 11 duets showcase quick-paced partnering. Set to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s popular Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Nosotros is modern in its speed and sweeping lifts, while evoking classical romance. Pat Padilla’s floating gowns and flesh-toned tights enhance the mood, as does Christina Giannelli’s star-studded backdrop, which conjures up a dreamy spring night. And, like modern love, the choreography is tinged with sensual, sometimes downright sexy, steps. From the delicate butterfly beats of ballerina feet to the languorous développés of their long legs, Welch has created a work that showcases the best of “us”, his home company.

The third piece on the triple bill is The Accidental, a visually stunning ornithological exploration by Ottawa’s own Julia Adam, one of the few women regularly choreographing for ballet companies today. A former principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet, Adam has been a choreographer since 1991. Now retired from the stage, Julia Adam has created dances for the San Francisco Ballet and Houston Ballet and is able to juggle several commissions at a time. Adam says her education as a young dancer at the National Ballet School of Canada -- particularly composition classes in art, music and photography -- contributed to her choreographic sensibility. Still, she sought exposure to more dance forms when she began choreographing professionally. She took classes in contact improvisation, an outgrowth of modern dance that emphasizes partnering through sharing body weight. Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch explains what he looks for from an emerging choreographer such as Julia Adam: “I need to enjoy the ballet. I need the person to have done something that makes me think, and the work has to be unique in some way.”

“One of the first things that hits you about this company is the technical strengths not just of its principals, but throughout the ranks.”

Dance Europe

“Wow. Am I just giddy with love at first sight, or is Divergence the coolest thing Houston Ballet has ever done? If this is 21st century ballet, bring it on.”

Houston Chronicle

“Wow! …this is explosive theatre. Divergence is sexy, funny, and eclectic, handfuls of steps and styles, grabbed from everywhere and flung together with humour and imagination.”

The Herald Sun, (Australia), September 1994

[Divergence] “Each section, in brilliantly inventive dance, created a mood and fleshed out dancers as people, not just patterns in space. Making the most of a superb array of dancers, and giving them fiendishly difficult things to dance, Welch is a choreographer who has now established his claim as a major talent.”

Nicholas Dromgoole, The Sunday Telegraph, London, April 1995

Divergence (1994)
CHOREOGRAPHY Stanton Welch
MUSIC Georges Bizet, L’Arlesienne, Suites 1 & 2
COSTUMES Vanessa Leyonhjelm
SET DESIGN Ben Anderson
LIGHTING DESIGN William Akers

Nosotros (2005)
MUSIC Sergei Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
CHOREOGRAPHY Stanton Welch
SCENIC AND COSTUME DESIGN Stanton Welch, realized by Pat Padilla and Tom Boyd
LIGHTING DESIGN Christina R. Giannelli

The Accidental
MUSIC Ottorino Respighi, Gli uccelli (The Birds)
CHOREOGRAPHY Julia Adam

Houston Ballet performs Divergence, Nosotros, and The Accidental in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on Thursday May 4, Friday May 5, and Saturday May 6, 2006 at 20:00. Tickets are $73, $68.50, $57, and $38 for adults, and $37.50, $35.25, $29.50, and $20 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card). Tickets are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at (613) 755-1111; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca. Last-minute tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students are $10 at the Live Rush Centre in the NAC Foyer after 18:00 on the day of performance only, upon presentation of a valid ‘Live Rush’ card. NEW for 2005-06! Groups of 10+ save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices to all NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances; to reserve your seats, call 947-7000 ext. 384 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

Photos for all dance events can be viewed and downloaded at: www.nac-cna.ca/media/

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Information:
Gerald Morris,
Marketing and Media Relations,
NAC Dance Department
(613) 947-7000, ext. 249
gmorris@nac-cna.ca

HOUSTON BALLET is America's fifth largest classical ballet company, an ensemble of fifty-one dancers who have been hailed by The New York Times as "one of the nation's best ballet companies." The company performs an extensive repertoire of works, ranging from the great nineteenth century classics (The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker) to cutting-edge pieces by some of the world's most exciting young dance makers (including Trey McIntyre, Julia Adam, and Natalie Weir). Houston Ballet performs on tour across the world, and at home in the magnificent Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston.

In July 2003, Australian STANTON WELCH assumed leadership of Houston Ballet. Mr. Welch is one of the most sought-after choreographers of his generation, having created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones, O.B.E., and Garth Welch, A.M., two of Australia's most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986, he began his training at the late age of seventeen, quickly winning a scholarship to San Francisco Ballet School. In 1989, he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing such principal roles as Des Grieux in Manon, Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Camille in The Merry Widow, and Alan Strang in Equus. He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Ji?í Kylían, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Béjart. Mr. Welch’s choreographic career developed during his time with The Australian Ballet. In 1990, he received his first commission from the company, marking the beginning of a series of commissioned works over the next fourteen years and developing his diverse choreographic style. For The Australian Ballet he has created The Three of Us (1990); Of Blessed Memory (1991); Divergence (1994); full-length productions of Madame Butterfly (1995) and Cinderella(1997); Red Earth (1996); X (1999); and Velocity (2003). He also created a new Sleeping Beauty for The Australian Ballet in 2005. Madame Butterfly has become a signature work for Mr. Welch internationally, and is in the repertoires of Houston Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Atlanta Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, and Boston Ballet. In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. That same year, he was commissioned to create Corroboree(Wildlife) for The Australian Ballet to perform at the “United We Dance” festival in San Francisco. Mr. Welch has been extremely active internationally, receiving numerous commissions from the world’s leading companies. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed Indigo (1999), Bruiser (2000), Tales of Texas (2004), Blindness (2004), Bolero (2004), and Nosotros (2005). For San Francisco Ballet: Maninyas (1996), Taiko (1999), Tutu (2003), and Falling (2005). For American Ballet Theatre: Clear(2001), two songs from Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison (2002); and a new version of Carmina Burana as part of the evening-length work Hereafter (2003). For BalletMet: Evolution and Don Quixote, both full-length works. For Atlanta Ballet: A Dance in the Garden of Mirth (2000). For Royal Danish Ballet: Ønsket(1998) and Ander (1999). For Birmingham Royal Ballet: Powder(1998). For Moscow Dance Theatre: Green (2000) and OPUS X (2001). Mr. Welch has also staged works for Colorado Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, The Royal Ballet School, Singapore Dance Theatre, Royal New Zealand Ballet, and Dance Galaxy.

Ottawa-born JULIA ADAM is an independent choreographer and former principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet. Trained at the National Ballet School in Toronto, she began her professional career as a dancer with The National Ballet of Canada. In 1988, Ms. Adam joined San Francisco Ballet and was promoted to principal dancer in 1996. She began her choreographic career in 1991, when she created The Medium is the Message for a workshop at San Francisco Ballet. Ms. Adam earned an Isadora Duncan (Izzy) Award nomination for this humorous work, which was recorded by the Bravo network and airs regularly on Canadian television. For her second choreographic workshop at San Francisco Ballet in 1994, she created Once is Enough, which was performed at the opening of the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. In 1996, Ms. Adams won an Izzy Award for Thirteen Lullabies, a work she created for the Bay Area Dance Series. Ms. Adam's other works include Where's George (1996); Butterfly's Day Out (1997); Seven Ages in ¾ for Robert Moses' Kin; Chameleon for Alberta Ballet; Newton (3 Laws of Motion) (1998) for Lawrence Pech Dance Ensemble; Innocence and Experience (1997) for Ballet Met; Allegoria and Night.