Ballet B.C. announces new dancers, bids adieu to two

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      Ballet B.C. has announced the departure of two of its most high-profile male dancers and the arrival of new talents.

      Connor Gnam and Darren Devaney are leaving the company. There is no word yet where the two are heading.

      Joining the troupe for the 2015-16 season are Indiana native Brett Perry, who graduated from the Juilliard School of Dance and most recently danced with the Trey McIntyre Project in Idaho for six years, and North Carolina-raised Brandon Lee Alley, who trained at the Eastern Randolph High School and is a former member of Hubbard Street 2 and Bodytraffic.

      In addition, Ballet B.C. has brought on new apprentices, two fiery standouts from Arts Umbrella: Vancouver-raised Nicole Ward and Spaniard Albert Galindo, who graduated from the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona before completing the graduate program at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver.

      Returning dancers are Andrew Bartee, Emily Chessa, Livona Ellis, Alexis Fletcher, Scott Fowler, Rachel Meyer, Racheal Prince, Gilbert Small, Peter Smida, Christoph von Riedemann, Kirsten Wicklund, and Tara Williamson, with Zoe Michalik returning as an apprentice.

      Ballet BC launched single-ticket sales today for its 30th anniversary season. The company kicks off November 5 to 7 with a world premiere by Belgian-born Stijn Celis in collaboration with acclaimed Vancouver men's choral ensemble Chor Leoni; the Canadian premiere of Solo Echo by Vancouver star Crystal Pite; and the reprisal of Spaniard Cayetano Soto's moodily hypnoticTwenty Eight Thousand Waves.

      The rest of the season includes a full-length work by Medhi Walerski, the French innovator whose Petite Ceremonie was an audience hit, in March; reprisals of Emily Molnar's 16+ a room and Jorma Elo's I and I am You, as well as the Canadian premiere of Bill by red-hot Tel Aviv-based choreographer Sharon Eyal in May; and Alberta Ballet's The Nutcracker in December. 

      Follow Janet Smith on Twitter @janetsmitharts.

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