From Crystal Pite to The Nutcracker, Ballet BC announces landmark 2024-25 Season
Five world premieres, an international tour, and the return of repertoire favourites will see the company on stages across Canada and in Los Angeles
Ballet BC. Photo by Marcus Eriksson
BALLET BC HAS JUST ANNOUNCED the lineup for its 2024-25 season, and it ranges from bold world premieres to striking familiar favourites.
Kicking off the season from November 7 to 9 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, in a program called DAWN, is the large-scale Frontier by world-renowned choreographer Crystal Pite. The in-demand Vancouver-based artist’s work shares the bill with the world premiere of a piece by French choreographer Pierre Pontvianne and the return of Heart Drive by Imre and Marne van Opstal, a Dutch creative duo of siblings.
ZENITH takes place March 6 to 8, 2025, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and features two world premieres: one by Spanish choreographer Fernando Hernando Magadan, a former professional gymnast; and one by Bogota-born, Montreal-based Andrea Peña, the second recipient of the Ballet BC Emily Molnar Emerging Choreographer Award. Also on the bill is the return of PASSING by Sweden’s Johan Inger.
DUSK runs from May 8 to 10, 2025, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and features another two world premieres. Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, a sought-after choreographic duo based in New York City, will make their debut work for Ballet BC, while Ballet BC’s own artistic director Medhi Walerski also contributes a new piece. Woke Up Blind by Germany’s Marco Goecke makes a highly anticipated return.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet makes a comeback with expanded programming of its iconic Nutcracker. Vancouver’s only professional production of the beloved ballet will run November 23 and 24 at Surrey’s Bell Performing Arts Centre, for the first time, and December 13 to 15 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The holiday favourite features choreography by Nina Menon, Galina Yordanova, and RWB artistic staff, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Take Form, on September 6 and 7 at the BMO Theatre Centre, is entirely dancer-led, giving Ballet BC artists the chance to delve into all aspects of production and hone their choreographic skills in an intimate offering.
Ballet BC will also tour large ensemble works, including Pite’s Frontier, Shahar Binyamini’s 50-dancer BOLERO X, and Walerski’s Chamber, with stops in Montreal, Ottawa, Victoria, and Los Angeles.
The company continues to offer its popular MOVE adult classes and series in dance, Pilates, and yoga at its studios on Granville Island as well as in-school outreach and engagement programs throughout the Lower Mainland.
This fall also sees the return of Ballet BC Annex, a collaboration with Arts Umbrella and Modus Operandi that tours regionally, bringing professional performances and workshops to schools across the province. Ballet BC Annex will perform a premiere by Canadian-born Chinese-Sri Lankan choreographer Zachary Seto, Micaela Taylor’s Volo, and Walerski’s SWAY.
Subscriptions to Queen Elizabeth Theatre performances are on sale now, as are single tickets for the Nutcracker performances. Single tickets for all QET performances go on sale on June 19. 
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