Very early in my radio broadcasting career - I'm talking back in the mid-70s - I was invited to the opening night of one of the National Ballet of Canada performances at the then-named O'Keefe Centre in downtown Toronto. It never was the best place to view a ballet but back then that was all Toronto had for staging large-scale dance and operatic performances.
From that very first night I was hooked. I always found it to be an escape for me, no matter what the programme was. I loved the big classical ballets, of course, but always went with an open mind when a mixed programme of shorter, more contemporary works was being staged.
From there I got to know people at the National Ballet School and often attended student performances at their home base as well to see what the young and up-and-coming talent was doing.
That love affair with the ballet in particular and dance in general lasted well into this century for me, although I must admit I have not been for many years now.
My interest was piqued, however, when news came of a programme of piano music accompanied by meditative dance to be held tonight in Hamilton at the Church of St. John the Evangelist. How appropriate, I thought, an art form incorporating leaping into the mix should be performed on this evening, February 29th...leap year, of course...
The pianist in question is Hamilton-based pianist/composer Robert Bruce and the dance is provided by dancer/choreographer Kate Hilliard. Together they will present the Hamilton premiere of Eternal Spring, comprising gentle and evocative piano music composed by Robert Bruce himself, melded with specially-conceived meditative dance by Hilliard.
In this hectic world full of angst, tension and news headlines attacking us from all directions, a meditative programme for modern times might seem to be just what the doctor ordered. It's largely modelled on the aesthetic value system that existed in Western European art during the period predating our present one, roughly from 1870 to 1910.
A lot changed around the time of the nineteen-teens, not the least of which was the turmoil the world was plunged into with the start of the First World War in 1914. Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring rocked the sensibilities of ballet patrons of the day as well, leaving behind the calmer, quieter aesthetic people had enjoyed up until that time in favour of the more daring and avant-guard works to come later in the last century.
Eternal Spring strives to recreate the more intimate and daydream-y atmosphere in which subtle expressions of beauty are presented as the main content. Think of calming, gently flowing music and dance working in graceful harmony with each other and you have the picture clearly in focus.
Drawing inspiration from neo-classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Belle Epoque and Art Nouveau among others, Eternal Spring transports the audience into a place of serenity. If you want a modern equivalent perhaps yoga or even meditation could provide a basis on which to draw comparisons here, but really the work is highly original in its own right.
A musical balm for the senses amid the furor and clamour of the modern world? Seems like as good a place as any to escape to during a leap year or any other year for that matter...
Eternal Spring will be presented for one night only tonight at 8 pm at The Rock on Locke, the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Hamilton. Doors open at 7:30 and tickets are $25 at the door or $20 in advance using PayPal. There is also a seniors/student rate of $15. Advance tickets can be had by going to www.robertbrucemusic.com.
The Rock on Lock, for the uninitiated, is at 320 Charlton Avenue West in downtown Hamilton.
Enjoy the weekend!
February 29th, 2020.
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