Along with “The Butterfly Lovers”
Inspired by the world-renowned concerto – The Butterfly Lovers
International Acclaimed local choreographer Joshua Beamish re-imagined the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet
For most people who are familiar with legendary Chinese love stories, the Butterfly Lovers is simply the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet, only much older in history. Great stories carry great inspirations, and The Butterfly Lovers Concerto – one of the most renowned Chinese concertos in the West – was created because of these stories. In Vancouver, Coastal City Ballet attempts to add another flavour to this beautiful tale with choreography from Vancouver’s own Joshua Beamish, bringing ballet into a new epoch.
Vancouver, a city with a profoundly Asian-inspired cultural atmosphere, has motivated powerful integrations of diversity and multiculturalism in its arts, providing a source of inspiration for many art creators. Co-organized by Ballet Productions Canada Society (BPCS) and Asian-Canadian Special Events Association (ACSEA), LunarFest premieres the new ballet work, The Butterfly Lovers as one of the highlights celebrating Lunar New Year.” ACSEA has always been committed to initiating the interaction between cultures and communities. Vancouver is the perfect city to take that leap,” according to Charlie Wu, Executive Director of ACSEA.” Our community needs more attempts to create a greater possibility of new cultures.” The lead dancers for the work are Thys Armstrong of Dutch descent and Yoko Kanomato of Japanese descent.
Coinciding with the Lunar New Year celebration, Vancouver will also feel the vibe of Valentine’s Day. Presenting on the same stage will be The Love Stories by German choreographer Irene Schneider. The audience can get a taste of the clear contrast in expressing love, between the more explicit methods of Western culture and the more subtle ways of showing affection in the East. The show begins at 7:30 pm on February 16 at The Vancouver Playhouse.
For more ticket information, please check https://lunarfest.org/ or here: https://www.vtixonline.com/event.php?event_id=1111,
There will also be an exclusive pre-performance reception honoring Josh Beamish, to help raise funds for the Ballet Productions Canada Society (BPCS). Ballet Productions Canada Society’s mission is to provide performance opportunities for the emerging young dance artist, and to bring quality dance to a wider audience. https://www.balletproductions.ca
Find a Josh Beamish performance from 2016 here:
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