Ballet exchange promotes culture without borders

New international partnership struck between Houston Ballet, Alberta Ballet

Oil and cattle. Ask the average Albertan or Texan about the similarities between the cities of Houston, Edmonton and Calgary, and that will likely be the answer. Probably, they’ll say something about energy-driven economies. Very likely, they’ll mention mammoth rodeos and big cowboy hats.

If Jim Nelson has his way, however, a thriving arts scene with a spectacular ballet would be added to that list.

Nelson, executive director of the Houston Ballet, believes a 2014-15 reciprocal touring agreement between the Alberta Ballet and the Houston Ballet will expand perceptions about what these cities have to offer. The exchange, launched this season with support from production sponsor Enbridge, will see the Alberta Ballet touring in Houston this weekend, and the Houston Ballet performing in Calgary and Edmonton later this spring.

“Any kind of cross-cultural exchange is important for a community,” says Nelson. “You have people in Houston going from thinking Alberta doesn’t have a ballet, to those same people having attended one of the Alberta Ballet’s performances.”

Nelson adds that exchanges like this are much more than one-time tours – they’re enriching, multi-year partnerships. It’s a sentiment echoed by Martin Bragg, executive director of the Alberta Ballet.

“This is the opening salvo in a major new cross-border partnership between Alberta Ballet and Houston Ballet. We’re very optimistic that this is the beginning of an ongoing collaboration,” says Bragg.

It’s a partnership that Bragg believes is profoundly beneficial to Albertans. The Alberta Ballet is the largest arts organization in the province, but it doesn’t have the resources of the Houston ballet, one of the top five ballet companies in the United States.

This weekend, the exchange will kick off on Friday, Jan. 30, Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1 at Houston’s Wortham Theatre Center, as Alberta Ballet performs Love Lies Bleeding to a U.S. Gulf Coast audience.

And from April 30 to May 2 at Calgary’s Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, and on May 8 and 9 at Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Alberta audiences will be treated to the Houston Ballet’s 65-dancer production of La Bayadère: The Temple Dancer.

Taking great art on the road is not an easy or inexpensive proposition. Touring productions cost far more than a ballet company can recoup in ticket sales, so this exchange wouldn’t be possible without the kind of support these two companies have received from Enbridge, says Bragg.

“We want to be a leader on the world stage for the art we create in Alberta. Organizations like Enbridge that recognize that aspiration and that vision are enabling us to realize this goal,” he remarks.

Enbridge has supported the Alberta Ballet as far back as 1996. At the heart of this ongoing assistance is a desire to empower artists to enrich our communities, says D’Arcy Levesque, Vice President, Enterprise Communications, Brand and Community Partners, Enbridge Inc.

“Our quality of life in Calgary is enhanced by a vibrant arts and cultural scene. We take pride in supporting the arts, and promoting and enabling access to international perspectives will enhance our cultural experiences,” says Levesque.