Having established her chops on stages across Canada and Europe, Vancouver choreographer Crystal Pite is something of an international celebrity. First, after beginning her career with Ballet BC in 1990, Pite went on to study under William Forsythe as a member of his groundbreaking Ballet Frankfurt in 1996. Then, as a choreographer, her work in collaboration with companies such as Nederland Dans Theatre I, Cullberg Ballet, and The National Ballet of Canada has earned nods from critics across the globe.
So, it’s only fitting for those accolades to come full circle and land Pite Gold for Best Local Choreographer in Westender’s 2017 reader’s choice awards. The city knows how blessed it is to have her in its artistic back yard, producing ambitious, emotive works with her company, Kidd Pivott, since 2002 – works that keep Vancouver top of mind for dance audiences around the world.
For Pite, who spoke about her philosophy with the Ottawa Citizen this month between international engagements, the creative process comes from a deeply personal connection to the work.
“I always have to feel like I am somehow in [the work] and that it contains some part of me. Otherwise I’m not invested in the way I need to be,” she said. “It has to feel to me that the stakes are high. It needs to have great importance to find the energy to do this work. And I am grateful for any opportunity to share the work with people.”
Collectively, Pite and Kidd Pivott have received a fistful of awards and recognitions, including the Banff Centre’s E. Lee Award (1995), the Bonnie bird North American Choreography Award (2004), and the Isadora Award (2005). In 2013, Pite was appointed Associate Artist at Sadler’s Wells, London.
Kidd Pivott tours nationally and internationally, performing in-demand works such Dark Matters and Lost Action, as well as the 2015 Pan Am Games sensation, Betroffenheit.
“I’m inspired by the things that can’t be measured or understood,” Pite said, in an interview with the National Arts Centre. “What interests me is the human spirit and how we connect to each other.”
Ballet BC’s 2016/2017 season will feature Pite’s critically acclaimed Solo Echo in Program Two, hitting the Queen Elizabeth stage March 16-18. The infamous and ethereal piece (it was inspired by a Mark Strand poem about death) is a testament to Pite as an ambassador for the contemporary movement in Vancouver, and features dancers slipping in and out of the arms of their partners as shadows move under softly falling snow.
