Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/540322
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 JULY 2015 This Week 39 HAVING performed within the ruins of the Royal Opera House in 2006, Ballet d'Europe will return to the recently re- stored Pjazza Teatru Rjal, to perform works choreographed by the company's founder Jean- Charles Gil. Their 2006 performance was very well received, and led crit- ics to express their wish to "see more of Ballet d'Europe in years to come, even a regular fixture if possible" (Sunday Times of Malta). This wish will come true this August, when Ballet d'Europe will perform FOLAVI (2008) and Complicités (2012) – two works for five perform- ers. Complicités explores the richness of enounters, while in FOLAVI, which is a play on words, Gil attempts to give words to dance, to move from dreams to reality, allowing indi- vidual interpretations. Founded in 2003, Ballet d'Europe has been a lead player in the project supported by the European Social Fund 'Stabi- lisation Emploi Danse' (2003- 2006), which has been recom- mended by the European Union as a best practice project. After working as a permanent com- pany for ten years, the com- pany is currently made up of its former dancers who now work independently all over Europe, but who regularly return to work together under the direc- tion of Jean-Charles Gil. Born in Spain, Gil joined the Ballet National of Marseilles at the age of 17. After an interna- tional dancing career of more than twenty years, he started choreographing and founded the Ballet des Jeunes d'Europe in 1999, and the Ballet d'Europe in 2003. Films of his work – Mireille, Mozart's Requiem and Schubert in Love - were also shown on Mezzo. From 2010 up to 2013, he developed a project on the theme of water, H2O – Mémoires de l'Eau, for the Marseille-Provence Euro- pean Capital of Culture (2013). "Contrary to what is too often said or thought; the dance is the result of a complex work and a long time training," writes Jean- Charles Gil. In fact, he consid- ers classical ballet technique as a tool for excellence, which in turn allows dancers to find freedom and space to work with their emotions rather than compose work with copied movements. Respect for diver- sity, the encounter between forms of expression and the na- kedness of emotion are princi- ples which Gil remains loyal to in his choreographies. Ballet d'Europe will be per- forming at Pjazza Teatru Rjal on August 1 and 2 at 21:00. Tickets are available from www.ticketline.com.mt or from Pjazza Teatru Rjal Monday – Friday 10:00 – 19:00 and Saturday 10:00 – 13:00 VOLUNTEER JOIN US DONATE 50 YEARS PROTECTING MALTA'S HERITAGE ADDRESS NAME I would like to join Din l-ArtĦelwa. MEMBERSHIP FORM. Ballet d'Europe back in Valletta