In these fractious times of intense division, Ballet Victoria is bringing together the magic of Mendelssohn and the music of Bridgerton to explore what still unites us: connection, emotion, relationships and the joy of finding something new.
Ballet Victoria’s is a three-part performance, featuring the famous classic set to music by Felix Mendelssohn, alongside bold contemporary pieces – including Threads of Connection, a neoclassical ballet set to orchestral interpretations of modern pop music made famous through the hit series Bridgerton.
The program opens with a remount of selected works set to the music of Jacques Brel – poetic, character-driven pieces that blend humour and heart, offering vignettes of human experience drawn from Belgian folk traditions.
Threads of Connection, created by Artist in Residence Andrea Bayne, explores the emotional intersections of love, loss and rivalry. “I feel now more than ever, we need to honour the fact that our experiences – and the people we meet – shape who we are. That’s what this piece is about,” Bayne explains.
Bayne was inspired by how composer Kris Bowers’ score for Bridgerton has helped create new demand among young people to pursue orchestral instruments – aiming to attract a new audience to ballet.
“There are moments that feel almost like club dancing – fun, unexpected and full of energy.”
Bayne’s choreography explores connections between people, she says. “It’s like when you’re at a party or on a dance floor and you see two people across the room. One is watching the other, maybe thinking about going over. There’s a pause, a hesitation, and then maybe someone else steps in. That’s what I’m choreographing – that moment. The tension, the missed connection, the decision not to move. I’m interested in those threads.”
“There are moments that feel almost like club dancing – fun, unexpected and full of energy,” Artistic Director Paul Destrooper adds. “You could see the dancers (in rehearsal) light up, like, really, we’re doing this? Yes – you get to do that!”
While Threads of Connection dives into the emotional complexity of modern relationships, Destrooper’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream brings Shakespeare’s enchanted forest to life through mischief, misunderstanding and magic.
“It’s very Shakespearean in the way that you can see how other people can affect relationships, and also how different people, through miscommunication, create confusion... It’s only through a very open communication that you can actually truly understand each other,” Destrooper says.
Set to Felix Mendelssohn’s luminous score, this ballet captures both the humour and the chaos of romance gone sideways. Destrooper leans into the absurdity of mistaken identities and magical interventions to animate a world where even a donkey can steal the heart of a fairy queen.
Performances run Friday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 17 at 2 p.m. at the Royal Theatre in Victoria.
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