For Paul Destrooper, pushing the boundaries of ballet is where he feels most comfortable. This year his company is bringing a production of ballet mixed with Broadway musicals to Max Cameron Theatre.
Destrooper is the artistic director of Ballet Victoria, the company that last year brought Ballet Rocks, a unique blend of ballet and classic rock, to town. He not only created, choreographed and directed Ballet Off Broadway & Other Works, but he also dances in it and runs the business side of the dance company.
“I’m always looking to do different things,” said Destrooper. “That’s one thing that Ballet Victoria does. I get bored easily, so I really go through different types of music that inspire me.”
The show is divided up into two separate parts. The first half of the show includes parts of Marius Petipa’s Raymonda and showcases Destrooper’s dancers’ classical ballet dancing, with what he calls “Hungarian flair.” The first part will also include a contemporary creation by Bruce Monk of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet set to Claude Debussy’s Nuages. The first half will wrap up with dancing to contemporary European folk songs from Jacques Brel.
“It shows off the technique and musicality, but it’s a little more on steroids,” he said. “The legs are higher. The tricks are bigger.”
The second half of the program includes contemporary off Broadway dancing with music from Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Roxanne from Moulin Rouge, songs from the musicals Sweet Charity, Chicago and All That Jazz.
This is the story of a young dancer who arrives in the big city and the fading ballerina who is threatened by her beauty and talent.
Principal dancer, Andrea Bayne, is also taking on an additional role in the production and will sing, On My Own.
“We have a swing number,” said Destrooper. “It’s jazz-type choreography that’s reminiscent of [Bob] Fosse, but the dancers are all on point, doing all these crazy ballet steps.”
Destrooper believes this ballet will challenge anyone who is expecting to see a conventional ballet performance. While there will be parts of the show where dancers will be dancing on their tiptoes with stiff arms, there will also be parts where the dancers will have “a loose jazz feeling” and shift into Michael Jacksonesque moonwalking.
Destrooper would like to show people how ballet has continued to evolve over time. “Just like sports now, people go faster, higher, farther,” he said. “If you look at old footage from the Olympics it’s kind of funny. You look at old ballet and it’s also kind of funny.”
Tickets for adults are $26, for seniors and students $24 and for children under 12 $12. Tickets are available at the Academy Box Office, 7280 Kemano Street, 604.485.9633, or at the theatre on the day of the performance.
