The Stolen Show [xspectacle] full-length version by Crystal Pite was created during her triennial residence in Montréal for [bjm_danse] in coproduction with the Banff Centre for the Arts and the Centre National des Arts for the Festival Danse Canada in Ottawa. On original partitions composed by Owen Belton, the “The Stolen Show” trilogy is a real sketchbook on movement as well as being a parody of arts and entertainment. The perfectly controlled improvisations given by the fourteen talented artist-performers of the Quebec company blend in with the choreographical derision.
The first part of this trilogy Short Works: 24 has been highly acclaimed by critics and the public since its premiere in 2001. Helped by her loyal collaborator, the composer Owen Belton, Pite choreographed two dozen fragments, each lasting a minute. Although each fragment is a whole in itself, Short Works: 24 really takes off when the series is presented integrally. These fragments, which are non-narrative structures, guided exclusively by the music and the movement, reflect all the inherent humour and emotion of human nature.
Building on this success, Crystal Pite completes this first part of the trilogy with a second and third parts xspectacle and The Stolen Show, which is the name of the work as a whole. Fascinated by the enigma that sets the arts against entertainment and which brands this dance company, highly appreciated by the public, Pite decided to investigate the two facets of this polarity by signing a highly sincere and spirited theatrical work, It is up to the spectators to decide what they see… questioning, a standpoint, a tribute or a parody.

Source : Programme de salle Maison de la Danse

In a choreographic career spanning three decades, Crystal Pite has  created more than 50 works for companies such as The Paris Opera Ballet,  The Royal Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada. She is an  Associate Artist at three institutions: Nederlands Dans Theater,  Sadler’s Wells, London, and Canada’s National Arts Centre. She holds an  honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University and is a  Member of the Order of Canada.

In 2002, she formed her company Kidd Pivot in Vancouver. Kidd Pivot tours internationally with works such as Betroffenheit and Revisor, both co-created with playwright Jonathon Young, as well as The Tempest Replica, Dark Matters, Lost Action, and The You Show.

Pite’s many awards include the Benois de la Danse for her creation The Seasons’ Canon  (2016) at the Paris Opera Ballet, the Governor General of Canada’s  Performing Arts Award: Mentorship Program (2008), and the Grand Prix de  la danse de Montréal (2018). She is the recipient of three Sir Laurence  Olivier awards for creations with Kidd Pivot and The Royal Ballet.

More Information : kiddpivot.org

Emerging from a collaboration between Geneviève Salbaing,  Eva Von Genscy and Eddy Toussaint in 1972, BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de  Montréal – is a repertory company that creates, produces and presents  contemporary dance performances based on the technique, rigour and  aesthetics of classical ballet. Its work consistently appears on local,  national and international stages.

The company offers its artists high-level professional  ballet training and gives internationally renowned choreographers the  freedom to develop their artistic process in keeping with BJM’s  identity. In doing so, the company is able to create an exclusive  repertoire that is accessible to all. As a leading ambassador of Quebec  dance across the globe, BJM is synonymous with flawless execution. Its  distinctive style is at once artistic, sexy, explosive, original and  accessible.

Since being named artistic director in 1998, Louis  Robitaille has reoriented the company toward audiences open to new  choreographic forms. He has linked BJM with rising names in the world of  contemporary dance, such as Crystal Pite, Aszure Barton and others. The  company also regularly collaborates with internationally renowned  choreographers, including Mauro Bigonzetti, Andonis Foniadakis, Itzik  Galili, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Barak Marshall, Benjamin Millepied,  Rodrigo Pederneiras, Ihsan Rustem and Cayetano Soto. In recent years,  the company’s artistic direction has favoured multidisciplinary  creations that blend ballet with other artistic disciplines such as  theatre, video and music.

Every piece created for BJM remains faithful to an  aesthetic exerting a positive influence. With accessibility and quality  as its key values, the company has managed to incorporate enjoyment into  creations that are strong, expressive and demanding. The distinctive  personality and high calibre of its performers ensure the company’s  sustained success and reputation. Through its many productions,  performances and educational activities, BJM is able to encourage  discovery, stimulate imagination and democratize dance, all while  sharing with local and international audiences its deep passion for this  discipline. Having presented more than 2,000 performances for over 2  million fans in 67 countries, BJM is a true ambassador of Canadian dance  and artistic vitality across the globe.

In 2016, BJM and its artistic director were awarded the  Rideau Hommage prize in recognition of the company’s reputation and  continued presence on the Québec stage.

In 2017, BJM proudly celebrated 45 years of history, ballet, touring and meeting audiences.

Source: Ballet Jazz Montréal

More information: http://www.bjmdanse.ca