Joni Mitchell ballet generates buzz

by Erik Floren
Sun Media
February 16, 2007

EDMONTON - Dancing Joni - Alberta Ballet's collaboration with legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell - opens in Edmonton tonight, having already generated huge international buzz.

"The media attention has been something unlike, I think, any Canadian ballet has ever seen," said Jean Grand-Maitre, Alberta Ballet's artistic director.

Grand-Maitre worked with Mitchell to choreograph the ballet to her music, called The Fiddle and The Drum, which made its world premiere in Calgary last weekend.

It's the showpiece in the program of Dancing Joni & Other Works, running tonight and tomorrow evening at the Jube.

"We've had the Guardian and the Sunday Times in England, covering it; the New York Times ran a two-page feature, and I was interviewed live on radio across Ireland," he laughed.

Reviews of the ballet were published across North America and Europe. And all that media attention, as the California-based Mitchell revisits her Albertan roots, helps put the province culturally on the world map, he noted.

"People are excited that Joni Mitchell is coming out with new music, and we have three of her new songs in this ballet."

The unique collaboration came about after Grand-Maitre approached Mitchell a year and half ago.

"I was more interested in having her participate in the collaboration than just giving us the rights to the music. I wanted to know if she would help me sequence songs and create the soundtrack. I know she paints very well, and is a visual artist, so I was going to pitch she design the set," said Grand-Maitre.

Mitchell not only agreed, "she even offered new music, which was beyond my wildest expectation," he added.

In addition, displays of scores of new artwork by Mitchell will be projected above the dancers performing on the stage.

"The projection screens will be sometimes showing very different imagery, and beneath these images will be these beautiful dancers dancing to the rhythms and pulses of the great grooves of Joni's music."

As for the style of The Fiddle and The Drum: "It's a contemporary ballet that has fusion with urban movement, pop and modern dance. It's also neo-classical. It's very physical, very acrobatic and emotional," said Grand-Maitre.

"There's some theatrical moments because her songs are very theatrical, but it's really a ballet that's centred on the themes of environmental issues and the wars going on today."

A writer/singer of songs of warning and protest since the late 1960s, Mitchell remained true to her lifelong themes.

"The ballet will sometimes be provocative in some of its imagery and lyrics, and other times will be celebrating the best of what humanity can create and its beauty," he explained.

Following her induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in Toronto several weeks ago, Mitchell travelled to Calgary to catch the rehearsals for the ballet.

"She stood up and gave the dancers an ovation. She was so happy to see her music performed through contemporary ballet, and to see her visual arts. She loved the idea of these three artforms coming together, the visual arts, her music and dance."

Mitchell could be in Edmonton for the show, although that's "a long shot," said Grand-Maitre. "She may be editing the film (of The Fiddle and The Drum) for television in Calgary, or she may go to Saskatoon to see her parents, who are still alive. We're trying to get her (here), but she has a lot on her plate."

So might the members of this show. If Dancing Joni proves to be a smash success, the show could be in world demand.

"When I became involved in this project, I realized just how international Joni Mitchell was, like Leonard Cohen. And I think if the ballet is successful, and Joni is happy with it as well, I think we may have a chance of touring it extensively."

Tonight's program opens with Balanchine's Serenade.

Dancing Joni & Other Works performs tonight and tomorrow at 8 at the Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster: 451-8000 or www.ticketmaster.ca.