ON STAGE
What: Ballet Victoria鈥檚 Peter Pan
Where: Royal Theatre
When: Friday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 19, 2 p.m.
Tickets: $16-$82 online at rmts.bc.ca, in person at the Royal McPherson box office, or by phone at 250-386-6121
Less than three months after he accepted the position of artistic director with Ballet Victoria in 2007, Paul Destrooper was handed the reins of Peter Pan, the ballet based on the beloved J. M. Barrie novel.
Destrooper has fond memories of the production, though he never felt like he had full control of it.
Peter Pan was his first foray with the company, and mistakes were made, albeit in earnest. That said, whenever he thinks of his maiden voyage with the company, a slight sense of dissatisfaction nags at the former Alberta Ballet star and Oregon Ballet Theatre choreographer.
鈥淚t was my first season, and Peter Pan had already been programmed by the previous artistic director,鈥� Destrooper said. 鈥淚 see the choreography I did 10 years ago and I cringe.鈥�
Now, the Montreal-born former University of Victoria student is taking another run at the beloved children鈥檚 classic with performances at the Royal Theatre on Friday and Saturday. That Peter Pan was Ballet Victoria鈥檚 first-ever production in 2003 has given the new treatment an additional ripple of interest.
鈥淭his one is a completely different ballet. It鈥檚 a completely different company. I was thrilled to do it. The company has grown so much in 10 years, it鈥檚 actually a good measure of how far we鈥檝e gone.鈥�
Ballet Victoria鈥檚 Peter Pan was a Christmas confection when Destrooper handled it in 2007. The version on stage this weekend still has children and families in mind, but, with Destrooper鈥檚 experienced touch, it has been brought into the modern age. 鈥淪ome of the old clich茅s and politically incorrect elements, I鈥檓 completely staying away from that.鈥�
The female characters 鈥� Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, Wendy 鈥� have been made strong and powerful in Destrooper鈥檚 new rendition; Tiger Lily, for example, is no longer portrayed as a savage from Colonial times, as she was in Barrie鈥檚 original. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have that stereotype to it,鈥� Destrooper said.
The only dancer currently with the company who was also in Ballet Victoria鈥檚 2007 production is Andrea Bayne, who played Tinker Bell. Now a principal dancer with the company, Bayne鈥檚 growth as a professional is reflected in Destrooper鈥檚 rejigged version. 鈥淪he has developed into this amazing artist, and her interpretation of Tinker Bell has matured greatly.鈥�
He doesn鈥檛 look at his modern re-telling as rewriting history, even though he has added excerpts of The Pirates of the Caribbean into the production. Changes of pace and self-editing are simply part of the territory for a professional ballet company, he said. 鈥淎s the company develops, and we grow artistically, we are able to build on a production that we have done before, especially in production values.
鈥淓ven in my own work, I am able to see weaknesses that I am able to fix. It鈥檚 a great opportunity for the audience who has enjoyed it in the past, because it is a tradition to have new work as well as established work.
鈥淲e are a repertory company, so we do bring back some repertoire fairly regularly. Next season we are bringing back Frankenstein, but I know that I am going to change quite a few things.鈥�
The quality of material is not the only area in which progress at Ballet Victoria can be assessed. Destrooper said the company鈥檚 reputation in the ballet community in sa国际传媒 speaks for itself. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a different calibre as a professional company from what it was. We started from scratch. Now, we have four productions a season, a company of 14 dancers, with tours across sa国际传媒, Alberta and the U.S.鈥�
