Dance Consortium Presents BALLET BRITISH COLUMBIA at the Lowry

Dance Consortium, a group of 19 large-scale venues with a shared passion for bringing the best international contemporary dance to the UK, presents Ballet British Columbia at The Lowry on Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 March as part of the company's very first UK tour.

Making their North West debut, Ballet British Columbia was founded in 1986 and has been under the artistic directorship of Emily Molnar since 2009. Molnar was recently appointed to the Order of Canada for her artistic leadership of the company and its contribution to advancing contemporary dance in Canada.

Emily Molnar, Artistic Director of Ballet British Columbia, said: "As ambassadors for dance, Ballet British Columbia is proud to represent Canada's flourishing creative industry by touring the UK with an evening of works by three distinct female voices in contemporary dance. Following highly acclaimed tours throughout North America, we are honoured to be bringing this diverse evening of ideas and expression to a broad audience in the UK, one of the leading markets in international dance. As I approach my 10th anniversary as Artistic Director of Ballet BC, I cannot imagine a more special way to celebrate the accomplishments of this uniquely talented group of artists. We look forward to building a deeper conversation with UK audiences through our performances, workshops, master classes and artist talks."

At The Lowry, Ballet British Columbia and its 18-strong dancer-workforce will present work by three of the world's most celebrated female choreographers: 16 + a room by Emily Molnar; Solo Echo by the globally renowned choreographer Crystal Pite; and Bill by Tel Aviv-based Sharon Eyal.

Molnar's 16 + a room is inspired by the work of Virginia Woolf, Jeanette Winterson and Emily Dickinson. Sparked with explosive, fast-paced choreography that pushes the dancers to their athletic and technical limits, 16 + a room displays Molnar's unique choreographic language through a complex study of time, transition and stillness.

16+ a room received its world premiere for Ballet British Columbia in October 2013. Music is arranged and composed by Dirk P. Haubrich. Lighting design is by Jordan Tuinman with lighting direction by James Proudfoot and costumes by Kate Burrows.

Vancouver-born Crystal Pite is a former dancer with Ballet British Columbia. Pite made her choreographic debut with the company in 1990 with Between the Bliss and Me. The success of the work allowed Pite to create additional pieces for Ballet British Columbia and since then she has created over 40 works for some of the world's top dance companies.

Inspired by two sonatas for cello and piano by Brahms and the poem 'Lines for Winter' by Mark Strand, Pite's Solo Echo portrays a man coming to terms with himself at the end of his life as the choreographer explores recurring themes of acceptance and loss.

Solo Echo received its world premiere in February 2012 (Nederlands Dans Theater) and its Canadian premiere in November 2015 (Ballet British Columbia). Lighting design is by Tom Visser, set design by Jay Gower Taylor and costume designs by Crystal Pite and Joke Visser.

A Sadler's Wells' Associate Artist, Pite has won a number of prestigious awards including two Oliviers for Polaris in 2015 and Betroffenheit in 2017.

The final piece of the evening is Bill by Tel Aviv-based choreographer Sharon Eyal. Dancers showcase their extraordinary skills in synchronised ensemble sections and solos in the work created by Eyal with her long-time collaborators Gai Behar and Ori Lichtik.

Bill received its world premiere in May 2010 (Batsheva Dance Company) and its Canadian premiere in May 2016 (Ballet British Columbia). Original music and soundtrack design is by Ori Lichtik, lighting design is by Omer Sheizaf and costume design by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar. Eyal was born in Jerusalem launched L-E-V with Gai Behar in 2013.

Dance Consortium receives investment as a national portfolio organisation of Arts Council England. Ballet British Columbia is supported by Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council and Y.P Heung Foundation.

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