Academy performers stunned at their first performance of the season with ‘FROST’
Photo by Halyna Tataryn.
The Victoria Academy of Ballet’s (VAB) first performance of its season, FROST, was a fantastic opening. FROST was a one night only performance on Dec. 6th, held in the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre at the Oak Bay High school.
Andrew Pronger, the principal and head of open division of VAB, said the vision for FROST was to evoke the contrast felt stepping into the warmth of the indoors from the cold outside. One of the pieces was choreographed by Alysa Pires, a former resident choreographer of National Ballet Canada, set to the classic composition, Vivaldi’s “Summer.”
“It’s going to bring the warmth [back] to the stage,” Pronger said.
The program showcased both classical and contemporary choreography, contained solos and large group performances, and highlighted the capabilities of all performing dancers. For someone not well versed in ballet, the physicality and professionalism of the dancers was incredible to see on stage. Even if the technical details escaped me, it was still incredible to see group dances like “Sylvia: Hunters of Artemis” and “Momentum,” where an entire stage of students were in sync with both each other and the music. The choreography was careful to highlight each group out of the whole, often with descending movement, where one group would dance, then the second group, and so on. It was really impressive to see the performances follow each other.
Solo pieces highlighted the performers’ physical prowess through leaps, like in “Le Corsaire,” or holding a difficult pose for an extended period in the “Rose Adagio” from Sleeping Beauty. The solo contemporary pieces, such as “A Quiet Life,” featured more twisting and elaborate choreography, highlighting the dancer’s flexibility and strength.
“I think, ideally, there’s often a sense that ballet is effeminate, but … there’s so many factors that contribute to a ballet dancer, or a performer,” said Pronger “Yes, there’s the delicacy, but there’s also the physicality, and there’s the artist in an actor’s sense that has to come on … there’s so many different elements, and some of these dancers are incredibly fit with what they do and what they bring to the stage, and the strength of some of the partnering is just really quite spectacular.”
While dancing is the focus of the show, other aspects of its production shine just as vibrantly. After watching both a dress rehearsal and the final performance, the lighting on stage’s impact was immense. It added so much to the atmosphere of the pieces, from the peaceful town square in “Coppelia” to the dark shadows of “Herd,” with sudden bursts of red lighting synced to the music for impact. The production team utilized projections, lighting, and music to create the world the dancers inhabit. Small touches, but these design choices did a lot to make the stage accentuate the dances as a whole.
Bleiddyn del Villar Bellis, director of the VAB, explained that the teaching style of the Academy is focused on training their students as a whole person, rather than just a dancer. “First and foremost … the entire team has what’s best for that dancer as a human first, and we never forget that … [it’s] just the right thing to do.”
In the two hours worth of dancing, despite the different styles of music and dance — and a few small mistakes — there was a consistent exuberant energy throughout. It was obvious that all the dancers were putting their all, even in the back row of large dance numbers, it was clear that each performer was an aspiring professional. There’s something really special about seeing professional dance in person; the energy, the excitement, and the skill is palpable across the stage.
“We all love it, I think, and it shows in our performance as well,” said Samantha Martin, a second year in the post-secondary program at VAB. “You can feel the energy of the dancers and the audience so, I think it’s … just love and passion I think, and discipline…. Because if you just love it, but you don’t have discipline, it’s also hard.”
FROST served as a fantastic first chapter to this season of VAB, which is definitely worth keeping eye on for future performances.
