by Victor Swoboda Balloons. Hugs. Heartfelt speeches. At Théâtre Maisonneuve on May 25, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal paid homage to 79-year-old Gradimir Pankov following a performance of his last program as artistic director. It marked the end of an 18-year era at Quebec’s largest dance company. The triple bill was characteristically Pankov. Two works by old friend Jirí Kylián were local premieres. First, the sweet folksy Evening Songs (1987) set
by Kaija Pepper Ballet BC’s studio at Scotiabank Dance Centre is large and bright, with a sprung floor and big windows. That’s where artistic director Emily Molnar is rehearsing her dancers in Twenty Eight Thousand Waves by Cayetano Soto. Despite the demands the choreography makes for power, precision and speed, Molnar’s approach is not to
by Hilary Maxwell Seven men stand in a line at the ready. The music is cued, and from his chair at the front of the studio, choreographer Cayetano Soto leans in and directs his gaze toward the dancers. The energy shifts swiftly from focused stillness to an exhilarating surge of power as the men launch