Q&A With Ethan Colangelo

The National Ballet of Canada’s summer triple bill, Adieu, explores both endings and beginnings. A tribute to Guillaume Côté as he retires from the company, this dynamic four-piece programme presents exciting new work by Canadian choreographers, from Guillaume himself to Jennifer Archibald and newly appointed Choreographic Associate Ethan Colangelo. Ethan’s world premiere marks his first mainstage creation for the National Ballet and follows his duet, fractured, for The Erik Bruhn Prize in 2023. Here, he shares insight into his creative process and inspiration for this highly anticipated debut.

What does your creative process look like and how will this world premiere take the dancers in new or different directions?

I’m so grateful to Hope Muir for giving me the freedom to pursue my creative interests with this work. I definitely lean toward a contemporary language and I’m more interested in how ideas are experienced than just how they can be executed. That means a lot of research and decision-making early on, which then informs the collaborative process in the studio. I like to keep things very open and work with the dancers to explore how an idea or inspiration might be experienced in the body. For my new piece, I’m working with 12 dancers to create something with a high degree of physicality, balancing moments of extreme virtuosity and subtlety. I’m always drawn to contrasts.

Do you have a concept or theme for your new work?

I’m interested in the way extreme and opposing states of being can exist simultaneously, specifically euphoria and anxiety. While working in Madrid, I saw The Garden of Earthly Delights, the famous triptych by Flemish artist Hieronymus Bosch. The painting is packed with bodies in both heavenly and hellish pursuits – some angelic and others brutal – blending joy, eroticism, pain and death. I was struck by the idea that we often register conflicting emotions in our bodies. The chaos of Bosch’s painting felt especially relevant today, in a world of overconsumption and nonstop information. What happens when anxiety creeps into the euphoria of an exciting night out? Or when you’re lying in bed watching the news – your body still, but your mind racing? These are some of the questions I’m asking as the piece takes shape.

What about the music?

I’m collaborating on an original score with composer Ben Waters, a longtime friend and fellow dancer. We met when he was creating a piece for Ballet BC and I was immediately drawn to his music. He’s composed for several of my past works, including fractured. I’ve been doing a residency with him in Montreal, working with a small group of non-company dancers while Ben composes live in the studio. The music will reflect the tension I saw in the Bosch painting, so audiences can expect a mix of extremes, such as open-air vocals and strings clashing with a grungy, mechanical sound.

Is there a unique energy or excitement to a programme dedicated to new work?

I’m so honoured to be on this bill celebrating Guillaume’s retirement. It wasn’t that long ago that I was looking up to him as a dancer and aspiring to his success. I’m also really excited to see what Jennifer creates. There’s something special about presenting a work for the first time – it brings a freshness to the stage and for dancers it’s just a beautiful experience. When you have multiple performances as we do with Adieu, the run also becomes an extension of the creative process, as the piece may continue to evolve from show to show. Guillaume, Jennifer and I are all very different creators and I think that mix of perspectives will make for a dynamic experience.

What are you enjoying most about being a Choreographic Associate?

The opportunity to build a deeper relationship with the dancers. As a freelancer, you work with many different dancers in short, concentrated periods of time. As a Choreographic Associate, I have a home base – a place I can return to. That consistency brings greater depth to the work, as I learn more about the dancers and their nuances and they learn mine, which makes for a richer creative process.

Adieu is onstage May 30 – June 5

Top Photo: Ethan Colangelo. Photo by Felix Bonnevie.