Ballet Bodies In Motion
May 2022
Ballet Bodies YYC is proud to present its first annual showcase: Ballet Bodies In Motion. The show will introduce five new works created by a dynamic group of choreographers: Paul Chambers, Melanie Batycky, Beth Durnie, Daniela Erewa and Serenella Sol. Each piece will showcase a different style and feature Ballet Bodies YYC dancers.
Ballet Bodies YYC is a non-profit organization dedicated to making ballet more diverse and inclusive while bringing new audiences to classical and contemporary ballet.
Tickets will also be sold at the door. We will accept cash and credit card.
Show Dates
Friday, May 20th 2022
7:00 pm at DJD Theatre
Saturday, May 21st 2022
2:00 pm at DJD Theatre
7:00 pm at DJD Theatre
COVID-19 Protocols
Ballet Bodies YYC will be adhering to Alberta’s Public Health Measures and the DJD Dance Centre’s health protocols.
Community Partners
Dance Artists
Beth Durnie
Camille Mori
Amber Wiens
Rebecca Tingle
Chantelle Marlatt
Sasha Wilde
Hunter Loewen
Sabina Zhetpissova
Emily Izett
Kathryn Lee
Anne Copeland
Tara Blue
Megan Muckle
Serenella Sol
Choreographers
Paul Chambers
Paul graduated from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and went to a 14-year performance career. He performed lead and principal roles with Toronto Dance Theatre, Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, Albert Ballet, Banff Festival Ballet, and the Cleveland San Jose Ballet. His featured roles included: The Prince and Snow Pas de Deux in The Nutcracker; George Balanchine’s Rubies, Allegro Brillante; Jean-Paul Comlin’s Requiem; Rudi van Dantzig’s Four Last Songs; Bengt Jörgen’s Copellia, Romeo and Juliet, as well as collaborative work at Toronto Dance Theatre.
He choreographed Salute to Vienna (2004) for Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, Sofia (2004) for George Brown College Dance, In White Room (Toronto, 2005), and Sofia (reworked, 2007) and for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 (2011) for Corps Bara Dance in Calgary.
Paul began teaching adult ballet in 2004 in Toronto at George Brown College, Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, and as a guest at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. He continues teaching now in Calgary. His philosophy is that dance is a fundamental form of human communication through which everyone can express themselves. His classes emphasize ballet technique to encourage new and seasoned dancers to explore their passions and physicality safely.
Paul has served on expert panels for dance for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts in 2008, 2019, and 2021.
Melanie Henderson Batycky
Melanie Henderson Batycky had a professional dance career that spanned over 17 years. She danced six seasons with The San Francisco Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet as a principal dancer, and The Alberta Ballet where she danced both soloist and principal roles. She also danced as a guest artist with Ballet BC and The San Jose Dance Theater.
Melanie has worked with choreographers such as Chistopher Wheeldon, David Bentley, William Forsyth, Alonzo King, Jorma Elo, and Jean Grand-Maitre amongst others. Her notable roles include, Titania, in Christopher Wheeldons, A Midsummer Night's dream. Leads in George Ballanchines Rubies, Allegro Brilliante, Divertimento number 15; Mikaela in Jean-Grande Maitres Carmen. She was featured in multiple contemporary ballet’s by Alonzo King, and in premieres by Jorma Elo; Blank Snow, Afternoon of a Faun. Her choreographic experience includes ballets for The Wright Studio and The Company Show.
Most recently, Melanie has taught yoga for dancers at The School of Alberta Ballet, as well as acted as an adjudicator for ballet exams at The School of Alberta Ballet, and Alive School of Dance. She is so happy for this opportunity to be creative and expressive through the beautiful dancers at Ballet Bodies YYC.
Daniela Erewa
Daniela Erewa was born and raised in the beautiful city of Monterrey, Mexico. She participated in various national and international classical competitions, such as “Youth American Grand Prix,” obtaining prestigious awards and scholarships to international schools, such as Orlando Ballet School, Kirov School of Dance and Rock School of Dance.
Daniela has training in all styles such as Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Musical Theater. Daniela moved to Vancouver in the spring of 2019 and was able to train with Coastal City Ballet and take classes at Harbour Dance Centre with renowned choreographers and instructors. She has danced and done the background in projects for Netflix, NBC and Disney, working with producer Kenny Ortega, Mandy Moore, and choreographers like Paul Becker, Jill Meyers and Louis Hardsky.
She moved to Calgary in the summer of 2021 and continues her training, learning and creating as a dancer, teacher and choreographer in diverse studios around the city.
Beth Durnie
Beth is originally from Calgary, Alberta and is a graduate of the Arts Umbrella Dance Diploma Program in Vancouver, BC. While an active part of the Vancouver dance scene, Beth had the opportunity to work with various renowned artists and choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Emily Molnar, and Michael Schumacher, amongst others. Beth has also performed internationally with Ballet BC (Romeo + Juliet, Medhi Walerski) and Inverso Productions (Spooky Action, Lesley Telford). This past season Beth danced with Corps Bara Dance Theatre, where she had the opportunity to choreograph and collaborate on a series of dance films. Beth is currently a student of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary and is incredibly excited to return for a second season with Ballet Bodies YYC as a dancer and choreographer.
Serenella Sol
Serenella Sol started dancing ballet at the age three with Gisela Paz de la Rosa Ballet School in Maracaibo, Venezuela. At seventeen, she moved to Canada, where she studied ballet and contemporary in Vancouver and Calgary. While attending university, Serenella took part in summer intensives at the Alicia Alonzo Institute (Spain), Alonzo King Lines Ballet (USA), The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance (USA), SIBA (Salzburg), The Dutch Summer Intensive (Holland) and Blueprint Summer intensive(USA). In 2013, she graduated from the University of Calgary with a B.A in Political Science and a Minor in Dance. She has danced for La Caravan Company (2011), Jeunesse Company (2012), and W&M Physical Theatre (2013-2019) in The Cube, Triangular Theories of Love, Waiting Rooms in Heaven, TIME, and WE SELL.PL. Serenella presented her choreographic work in the Alberta Dance Festival (Dancers’ Studio West), Fluid Festival, Montage and produced and choreographed her own show Coming of Age in 2016 (SeSol Projects). Presently, Serenella is the Artistic Director of Ballet Bodies YYC.
