Place to be: Park Spoor Noord. The official launch of Junior Ballet Antwerp, or JBA for short, took place with considerable support. It is a pre-professional dance company for young talented dancers between 17 and 21 years old, linked to the Koninklijke Balletschool Antwerpen.
None other than the talented Alain Honorez, former principal of Ballet Vlaanderen, is the driving force behind this initiative. He is in good company as choreographer David Dawson accepted the role of artistic godfather. Honorez is a creative workaholic who does not let his talent and experience go unused. After his brilliant dancing career at Ballet Vlaanderen, he continues to make great strides, first as a freelance dancer, teacher and photographer, and now as artistic coordinator he is putting his shoulder to the wheel for this new project that had to be started from scratch. Variety brings oxygen to a career. Over the past eighteen months, possibilities have been explored and exploratory discussions held. Gradually the project took shape. Once the matrix was clearly and sharply outlined, the locomotive began to roll with participatory formats from both international stars and local artists. A master's program that combines theory and practice, craftsmanship and commitment, tradition and experiment, an interdisciplinary experience. The presented program sounds ambitious and promising.
World premiere
This formula already exists in other countries and bridges the gap between high-quality dance training and the professional world. For Belgium it is a world premiere. It is not an unnecessary luxury, but rather a necessity. Dancers nowadays must be able to handle many different styles: a spicy cocktail ranging from pure classical, neoclassical, contemporary to modern. Moreover, the demands and expectations of choreographers are becoming increasingly stringent. Boundaries are constantly being pushed. Only dancers at a high level can meet those demands. How does the school deal with that diversity? JBA offers ambitious young dancers, who already master classical ballet technique at a high level, a new comprehensive two-year program. The aim is to draw out the maximum artistic potential from the students and provide them with technical expertise. In other words, a total project. JBA wants to be an incubator and experimental space for emerging young talent. This paves the way for versatile dancers.
Starting blocks
After the framework was outlined, auditions followed. These were announced worldwide via a new website, social media and dance magazines. Three hundred and fifty young people felt called upon. Sixty candidates were selected in two rounds. Ultimately, nineteen applications from different parts of the world were accepted: Australia, America, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France, England and also Belgium, including three dancers from the Koninklijke Balletschool itself. What awaits them? The combination of a continuity of workshops and targeted stage experience. For the 2019/2020 season, workshops are planned based on the repertoire of David Dawson, William Forsythe, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Christian Spuck, Jean-Christophe Maillot and Mauro Bigonzetti. All choreographers who have something specific to offer and will enormously enrich the dancers' spirits. It is often the personal assistants of these choreographers who will work with the dancers over the course of one or two intensive weeks. A dancer can only grow and come into his own on stage. The crowning piece of the program for next year is a gala performance on Saturday 22/02/2020 at the Opera of Antwerpen with a choreography to 'The Four Seasons', not by Vivaldi, but 'Seasons 4.0' by German-British composer Max Richter, an influential voice in post-minimalist composition and in the meeting of contemporary classical and alternative popular music styles since the beginning of this century. A choice that is entirely in line with the project. Four young choreographers with different visions and diverse work will provide the interpretation: Juanjo Arques with 'Spring'; Altea Nuñez with 'Summer'; Graig Davidson with 'Autumn' and Mauro De Candia brings 'Winter' into view. Furthermore, the entire population of the ballet school will perform and provide the overture with the choreography 'Bolero', which was presented to the audience at the Graduation Gala of the Ballet School last year and incidentally received a Golden Label from Klassiek Centraal.
A strong team
Nadia Deferm, artistic director of KBA, gave Alain Honorez a free hand and supports him with advice and action. Alain Honorez is assisted by his life partner Altea Nuñez. Two artists with strong profiles. She too danced at Ballet Vlaanderen and developed a special affinity with choreography there. In recent years she has made a name for herself nationally and internationally as a choreographer with her evocative visual language.
During the presentation of Junior Ballet Antwerp, the audience was treated to her most recent creation.
Preview
13 male dancers from the KBA gave their best in the choreography 'YU' Japanese for courage, set to music by John Williams from the film 'Memoires of a Geisha' and music by Juno Reactor from the film 'Matrix Reloaded', in which different styles merged. In their swirling long black skirts, the young dancers were a model of Oriental grace and virility. A choreography in every conceivable variation from turbulent to cautious. In a play of creating and bridging distance. With subtle variations in their movements, the dancers can discover a new awareness of space, themselves and each other in synchronous and unexpected movements. Beautiful, refined and powerful and fleeting images evoked in me visions of manly samurai. An impressive vital performance.
On their own wings
For now this is a private initiative. Initial discussions regarding subsidies have been held but all ministers, including those of Culture, must keep their purse strings tight. But that did not stop Alain Honorez. It will probably work out but for now JBA is a paying programme. The cost is € 5,000 per student per year. With this income and the injection from the school for the start-up, he has to make the entire initiative work. They are also looking for private sponsors who are inclined towards the project. Who feels called upon?
- WHAT: performance of brand new initiative 'Junior Ballet Antwerp'
- WHEN: Sunday 16 June 2019
- WHERE: Park Spoor Noord, Antwerpen
- PHOTOS: © Nicha Rodboon[gallery columns="5" ids="eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,8779,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ=="]