This Friday, July 25, Alberta Ballet is bringing an array of performances to the first ever Ballet performance at the Badlands Amphitheatre.
The evening will feature five different performances, shifting from classical to contemporary styles, all chosen to accentuate the hoodoo filled landscape both through movement and costuming.
Attendees of the event can expect to see the previously debuted dance performances DEA, BOLÉRO, MAHLER and Don Quixote, Act 3. A new production called BEYOND, created by Alberta Ballet’s Artistic Director, Francesco Ventriglia will be debuting for its first time.
Ventriglia says that the line-up for the evening’s performance is a reflection of the dance company itself, stating “Alberta Ballet is a very versatile company. We go from classical to contemporary very easily. So for me it was a great opportunity to show off how incredible our dancers are and how versatile they are.”
Having also arranged the collaboration between Alberta Ballet and the Badlands Amphitheatre, Ventriglia says that performances such as these are a core value for the company.
“Bringing the ballet everywhere in the community is one of our missions. Yes, our home is the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary and Edmonton, but we want to bring the ballet door to door to everyone.”
While the whole company is gearing up for the outdoor performance, possibilities of rain the night of are worrying to the safety of the dancers.
Alexandra Hughes, principal dancer with Alberta Ballet will be dawning the hard-to-miss red costuming of DEA, a piece that so far she has only performed indoors.
Hughes expressed the intricacies behind dancing outdoors and explained the detrimental effects water can have on their footwear.
“The most difficult thing for us is that it [the rain] affects our shoes, especially those of us in pointe shoes. Our shoes do not hold up in wet conditions,” says Hughes.
Despite weather concerns, Hughes is enthusiastic about the performance and is excited to see how the natural backdrop influences her performance.
Tickets for Ballet in the Badlands are on sale now and can be found for purchase on the Alberta Ballet website at www.albertaballet.com.
Alberta Ballet Dancers rehearsing on Tuesday ahead of their Ballet in the Badlands performance this coming Friday.
PHOTOS : EMMA MILLER
