The Joyce Theater to Present Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, 5/24-29

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc. (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is proud to present one of Canada's most popular dance companies, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, from May 24 to 29 at The Joyce Theater. Tickets range in price from $20-$50 and can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org.

Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (BJM) was co-founded in 1972 by Geneviève Salbaing, Eva Von Gencsy, and Eddy Toussaint. Since then, the company has garnered international renown for "jazzing up" classical ballet and capturing audiences with sexy, explosive, and original performances. The company's return engagement at The Joyce Theater, under the artistic direction of Louis Robitaille, will feature a mix-billed program of three works: Rouge by choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, Mono Lisa by choreographer Itzik Galili, and Kosmos by choreographer Andonis Foniadakis.

Rouge, set to original music by The Grand Brothers and influenced by traditional Amerindian music (throat singing, the sound of waves, the rustling wind, the cry of wild geese, rumbling thunder), is a new piece for BJM by Grupo Corpo's Rodrigo Pederneiras and is an ode to resilience, a discreet tribute to Native peoples and their musical and cultural legacy. Underlying the work are themes of confrontation, the clash of cultures, power struggles between the dominant and the dominated, and what it means to belong to a community. Direct, genuine and raw, the dance is performed vigorously, at full throttle. The ensemble dances as a single entity, suggesting by the force of its impact the idea of escape or flight, a human migration. Gathering momentum as they are carried away by the implacable rhythm of the music, the dancers convey drama and strength, a sense of urgency, of pain and separation, surging relentlessly toward a point of crisis until the excess of impulse and tension is exorcised.

Mono Lisa, choreographed by Itzik Galili, is danced to sounds based on the clicking noises of a typewriter. It opens on several rows of spots, casting a bold light on the dark stage, creating the atmosphere of a factory plant. In these bizarre spatial surroundings, led with sounds and visions of iron and steel, a couple of dancers in rust-colored costumes twist and turn, twine and entwine in extraordinary convolutions and rapidity, with the partners always defying gravity. The incredible acrobatics are executed with breathtaking control.

In Kosmos, a new work for BJM, choreographer, Andonis Foniadakis draws his inspiration from the world we live in, the frenetic pace of everyday urban life. His observations were the trigger for creating choreography inspired by the movements of crowds, moments of agitation, and the hustle and bustle of the city. Andonis Foniadakis searches for a counterbalance, bringing beauty to the fore and turning frenetic movement into a dance that brings people together in a joyous, liberating fashion. This is a dance based on clear movement, where a mingling clan of dancers must come to terms with the presence of others. Unlike the restrictions imposed by modern life, it is a moment for reconnecting, for releasing tensions, for coming together and letting go. Once again this work bears the distinctive BJM signature characterized by pure, festive energy, a celebration of humanity - its beauty and its creative force.

Performances of Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal will take place from May 24 to May 29 at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street) according to the following schedule: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday and Friday at 8:00pm; Saturday at 2:00pm & 8:00pm; Sunday at 2:00pm. Tickets range in price from $20-$50 and can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org.

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