In an experimental dance company known for pushing its dancers in every repertory direction possible, the first season as a new dancer is surely the hardest.
But, as expected of all the artists chosen for Emily Molnar’s acclaimed company, Kirsten Wicklund’s entry into Ballet BC this season has been nothing but fluid and graceful.
From exploring her classical training en pointe in Fernando Magadan’s romantic “White Act” in November to going toe-to-toe with Ballet BC veterans Gilbert Small and Alexis Fletcher this week in a sculptural work by William Forsythe, there’s only one level to reach for in the the ranks of this contemporary Vancouver company: high.
“The group of dancers is so talented,” says Wicklund, speaking by phone on break from rehearsals, “and our director [Molnar] is constantly pushing us and challenging us in new ways.
“She’s hard on us, of course,” Wicklund adds with a laugh,” but she’s very nurturing and constantly allowing us the space to step outside of what we already know and try to go further.
The Vancouver-born Wicklund came up through the Goh Ballet Academy under Choo Chiat and Lin Yee Goh, going on to tour China in principal roles with Canada’s Youth Ballet Academy, along with receiving scholarships to American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Boston Ballet to name a few. In 2007, she won the artistry award at the Youth America Grand Prix, and was the only Canadian in the top 12 women.
After a time with Washington Ballet, however, the 25-year-old decided it was finally time to come home.
“I loved the direction that [Molnar] was taking the company in, so I sought this opportunity out,” says Wicklund.
And the aforementioned Forsythe piece, one third of Ballet BC’s upcoming program, Trace (March 26-28), is a rare opportunity for the new dancer to prove something to Molnar, as it was Forsythe (then the innovative director of Frankfurt Ballet), who discovered a young Molnar at the National Ballet of Canada brought her to Germany to dance as a soloist in the ‘90s.
Molnar has been quoted as crediting her time under Forsythe, who often challenged her to improvise and interpret within his works, as instrumental in crafting her own identity as a choreographer. And it’s a mindset Molnar is imbuing in her own students.
“The fact that we’re being challenged with something that is really at the root of what she excelled at as a dancer is very exciting,” says Wicklund. “She has so much insight to offer us and I think we’re all just trying to eat up as much information from her during this time as we can.”
Forsythe is renowned for galvanizing ballet – helping, on the heels of visionaries like George Balanchine, to push ballet from classical into the dynamic contemporary art form it has become – and his choreography has been performed by every major dance company in the world.
Ballet BC’s first introduction to Forsythe was company favourite “Herman Schmerman”, an edgy, synchronous exploration of the physicality of dance. For its second, Trace boasts the Canadian premiere of “workwithinwork”, a detailed creation that captures Forsythe’s iconic style of using the body to interpret space. The piece, joined by a world premiere by Italy’s Walter Matteini and a return of Medhi Walerski’s ballroom delirium, “Petite Cérémonie”, is broken down into a quick-moving series of high-intensity solos and duets, fuelled by the duelling violins of Luciano Berio.
“There’s really no room for being complacent in this art form, if you are passionate about what it is and where it’s going,” says Wicklund of the repertoire. “I’ve dreamed of dancing these works, so to actually be coming up on the stage with this rep is really quite special.”
• Ballet BC presents Trace at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from March 26 to 28. Tickets starting from $30 at Ticketmaster.ca.
