Madame Butterfly - compagnie invite des GBCM - Houston Ballet
Invit des Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral,
LE Houston Ballet prsente
Madame Butterfly de Stanton Welch
la Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier de la Place des Arts
les 1er, 2 et 3 mai 2008 20 h
Montral, le 26 mars 2008 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral accueillent en mai prochain le Houston Ballet, l'une des meilleures compagnies de ballet aux tats-Unis. Aprs avoir conquis le public montralais avec Giselle en avril 2006, la troupe revient dans la mtropole pour offrir la dchirante histoire de Madame Butterfly, dans une version chorgraphie par le directeur artistique du Houston Ballet, Stanton Welch. Unique compagnie invite au cours de la prochaine saison, le Houston Ballet saura en mouvoir plus d'un avec cette grande uvre lyrique, porte par la musique de Puccini. Cette invitation s'inscrit dans une entente de rciprocit qui permettra aux Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral de se prsenter dans la srie de danse du Houston Ballet, en novembre 2008.
mouvante, magnifiquement danse par la compagnie sur la somptueuse musique de Puccini, cette Madame Butterfly constitue l'un des plus beaux ballets de Welch. (Houston Press, 2007)
HOUSTON BALLET
Cinquime plus grande compagnie de ballet aux tats-Unis, le Houston Ballet se produit en Europe, en Asie, au Canada et dans de nombreuses villes amricaines. Ses origines remontent 1955, anne o les membres fondateurs de la Houston Ballet Foundation caressaient le rve de mettre sur pied une compagnie de ballet et une cole de danse dans leur ville. Si l'cole la Houston Ballet Academy voyait le jour la mme anne, il faudra attendre 1969 pour que soit fonde la compagnie de ballet. Celle-ci sera alors place sous la direction de Nina Popova, ancienne danseuse des Ballets russes de Monte-Carlo et de l'American Ballet Theatre. Aujourd'hui, la troupe texane regroupe plus d'une cinquantaine d'blouissants danseurs, dont plusieurs ont remport des mdailles d'or ou d'argent lors de comptitions de danse internationales. L'une des premires choses qui frappe dans cette compagnie, c'est la technique sans failles, non seulement des danseurs principaux, mais de tous les danseurs. (Dance Europe, Londres)
MADAME BUTTERFLY
Premier ballet intgral chorgraphi par Stanton Welch, Madame Butterfly fut cr pour l'Australian Ballet en 1995. Conu alors que Welch n'a que 24 ans, Madame Butterfly n'en constitue pas moins l'uvre laquelle il est aujourd'hui le plus identifi. Inspir par l'opra de Puccini, ce ballet en deux actes relate la tragique histoire de la belle geisha Cio-Cio-San, passionnment amoureuse d'un officier de marine amricain, le cynique Pinkerton, au point de renoncer aux conventions sociales et de renier sa famille pour lui. Ce sacrifice lui cotera ultimement la vie. Le ballet brille notamment par le superbe pas de deux qui clt le premier acte, o le couple clbre sa nuit de noces. La musique fut arrange par John Lanchbery (1923-2003), chef d'orchestre britannique qui a galement sign les arrangements musicaux de six autres productions du Houston Ballet. Madame Butterfly de Stanton Welch figure au rpertoire du Houston Ballet, du National Ballet, du Royal New Zealand Ballet, de l'Atlanta Ballet et du Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
l'instar de Romo et Juliette, Madame Butterfly est une histoire d'amour merveilleuse et clbre, affirme le chorgraphe. Lorsque j'ai commenc m'intresser la chorgraphie, je travaillais comme figurant pour l'Australian Opera. Quand mon pre me raccompagnait la maison, je le pressais de questions sur les diffrents opras, la recherche de l'histoire qui me semblerait la mieux adapte au ballet. Il me parlait avec passion et avec force dtails de l'amour fatal de Cio-Cio-San pour Pinkerton. Cette histoire allait me passionner mon tour.
STANTON WELCH
N Melbourne de parents danseurs, Stanton Welch a t form la San Francisco Ballet School. Il se joint ensuite l'Australian Ballet o il est promu au rang de soliste. En 1990, il ralise sa premire uvre pour la compagnie et, en 1995, il est nomm chorgraphe rsident de l'Australian Ballet. Chorgraphe parmi les plus en vue de sa gnration, Welch a cr des uvres pour, entre autres, le Houston Ballet, le San Francisco Ballet, l'American Ballet Theatre, l'Australian Ballet, le Birmingham Royal Ballet et le Royal Danish Ballet. Trs actif sur la scne internationale, Welch reoit des commandes des plus prestigieuses compagnies au monde. Arriv la barre du Houston Ballet en juillet 2003, il a su insuffler nergie, dynamisme et vision renouvele la compagnie texane. Il a notamment enrichi son rpertoire par des uvres d'minents chorgraphes et attir Houston les meilleurs entraneurs et matres de ballet pour travailler avec les danseurs. Pour le Houston Ballet, il a chorgraphi Indigo (1999), Bruiser (2000), Tales of Texas (2004), Blindness (2004), Bolero (2004), Nosotros (2005), Brigade (2006) et Le lac des cygnes (2006).
Laissez-vous toucher par la tragique histoire de Madame Butterfly, telle que raconte par Stanton Welch et par les magnifiques danseurs du Houston Ballet, les 1er, 2 et 3 mai 2008 20 h la Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier de la Place des Arts. Billets en vente la Place des Arts, 514-842-2112 / www.pda.qc.ca.
Des causeries animes auront lieu au Piano Nobile de la Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier avant toutes les reprsentations, de 19 h 19 h 30.
POUR NE RIEN MANQUER, OFFREZ-VOUS UN ABONNEMENT !
Pour des renseignements sur les diffrente formules d'abonnement des Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral, les forfaits de groupe et les privilges exceptionnels qui leur sont rattachs, le grand public est invit tlphoner au 514-849-0269 ou consulter le site www.grandsballets.com. Le site offre galement des renseignements sur les autres spectacles, la compagnie et les danseurs.
-30-
As a guest of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral
Houston Ballet presents
Madame Butterfly by Stanton Welch
At Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts
May 1, 2 and 3, 2008, at 8 p.m.
Montral, March 26 , 2008 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral will once again welcome the Houston Ballet, one of the best ballet companies in the United States, this coming May. Having won Montrealers' hearts with Giselle in April 2006, the troupe is returning to the city to perform the wrenching story of Madame Butterfly, in a version choreographed by the Houston Ballet's Artistic Director, Stanton Welch. As the sole guest company of Les Grands' coming season, the Houston Ballet will touch audiences with this major lyrical work, carried by the music of Puccini. This guest visit is part of an exchange agreement which in turn will have Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral performing in the Houston Ballet's dance series in November 2008.
"Poignant, beautifully danced by the company to a lush Puccini score, this Madame Butterfly is definitely one of the finest story ballets by Welch." (Houston Press, 2007).
HOUSTON BALLET
The Houston Ballet is the U.S.'s fifth-biggest ballet company, and performs in Europe, Asia, Canada and numerous American cities. Its origins date back to 1955, when the founding members of the Houston Ballet Foundation dreamt of creating a ballet company and a dance school in their home city. While the schoolthe Houston Ballet Academywas born that same year, it was not until 1969 that the ballet company saw the light of day. It was placed under the direction of Nina Popova, former dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo and the American Ballet Theatre. Today, the Texan troupe brings together 54 incredible dancers, many of whom have won gold and silver medals at international dance competitions.
"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, London).
MADAME BUTTERFLY
Madame Butterfly, the first full ballet to be choreographed by Stanton Welch, was premiered by the Australian Ballet in 1995. Mr. Welch created Madame Butterfly at the tender age of 24, and it remains the work with which he is most often identified. Inspired by Puccini's opera, the two-act ballet relates the tragic story of the beautiful geisha Cio-Cio-San, who falls passionately in love with the cynical American navy officer Pinkerton, defying the rules of society and renouncing her family. Her sacrifice ultimately costs her her life. The high point of the piece is a pas de deux with Pinkerton and Cio-Cio-San, which celebrates their marriage and closes Act I. The music is arranged by John Lanchbery (1923-2003), the British conductor who also created musical arrangements for six other Houston Ballet productions. Mr. Welch's Madame Butterfly holds a place in the repertories of the Houston Ballet, the National Ballet, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the Atlanta Ballet and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
"Madame Butterfly is a wonderful and famous love story, along the lines of Romeo and Juliet," says Mr. Welch. "When I first became interested in choreography I was working as an extra with the Australian Opera. While my father drove me home, I would quiz him on various opera stories, searching for the one most suited for ballet. The one he spoke about most passionately, and in the most detail, is the story of Cio-Cio-San and her fatal love for Pinkerton. It was later to become my passion, too."
STANTON WELCH
Born in Melbourne to dancer parents, Stanton Welch trained at the San Francisco Ballet School. He then joined the Australian Ballet, where he was promoted to the rank of soloist. In 1990, he choreographed his first work for the company, and in 1995 he was appointed choreographer-in-residence. As one of the highest-profile choreographers of his generation, Mr. Welch has created works for the Houston Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the Australian Ballet, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch is highly active on the international scene, with commissions from numerous prestigious companies around the world.
When he arrived at the Houston Ballet in July 2003, Mr. Welch suffused the Texan company with his energy, renewed vision and dynamic approach. Among other things, he enriched its repertoire with works from eminent choreographers and attracted the best instructors and ballet masters to Houston to work with the dancers. For the Houston Ballet, he choreographed Indigo (1999), Bruiser (2000), Tales of Texas (2004), Blindness (2004), Bolero (2004), Nosotros (2005), Brigade (2006), and Swan Lake (2006).
Let yourself be moved by the tragic story of Madame Butterfly as told by Stanton Welch and the magnificent dancers of the Houston Ballet, on May 1, 2 and 3, 2008, at 8 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts.
There will be talks on Madame Butterfly prior to every show, from 7 to 7:30 p.m. in the Piano Nobile of Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
SUBSCRIBE SO THAT YOU DON'T MISS ANYTHING!
For information on the various ways in which you can subscribe to the Les Grands Ballets Canadiens program, on group packages and on the special privileges that accompany them, members of the public should phone 514-849-0269 or visit our website at www.grandsballets.com. The site also provides information on other shows, the company and its dancers.
- 30 -
posted by Wah Keung Chan at
3:54 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<$I18N$LinksToThisPost>:
Create a Link
<< Home