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History of Ballet Creole was founded by Patrick Parson in1990. Ballet Creole comprises both a professional ensemble of dancers and musicians and a School of Performing Arts.
Ballet Creole brings the traditional and contemporary performing arts of the Caribbean and Africa to the stage. They also try to establish a dynamic new artistic tradition in Canada by bringing a fusion of diverse dance and music traditions.
“ ‘I don't try to do fusion, my life is fusion, I am fusion’” quotes Patrick Parson in the article Patrick Parson: Toute Baghai, a little bit of everything by Carol Anderson, found on the Ballet Creole website. “Contemporary dance, he continues, is a dynamic culture, which takes thing and grows them. ‘Fusion’, he says, ‘is essential to growth.’”1
Identity
Parson has experienced a lot of cultural influences when he grew up in Trinidad. African, Chinese, Spanish, and Indian influences through music commonly surrounded him. He describes dance something he always did in his childhood. He uses these experiences in his work by bringing a fusion of diverse dance and music tradition together, similar to the diverse memories he hold of the art forms. His work searches for a new cultural identity, highlighting the glory of diversity in his pieces. But his pieces are always 'rootical', as he says, which means that his pieces are always close to his Afro Caribbean background. He wants to portray the energy and vividness of the Caribbean and contemporary African culture in his pieces. In the article “Black Dance in Toronto” by Paula Citron, Parson also says; “My movements include all the influences I’ve picked up in my journey from Trinidad to Canada, and it’s bursting to speak out”.2
To find out more about Ballet Creole we encourage you to check out the following resources:
1 http://www.Balletcreole.org/about us/ recent media:
2 Word magazine / april 2001, by Sarah B. hood
3 Dance Magazine, Black Dance in Toronto, A new voice in the global village, februari 2001, by Paula Citron
4 Dancers ask: What are we doing? Collective of Black Artists and Ballet Creole, Toronto. National post / may 7, 2001 by Michael Crabb
5 Patrick Parson, Toute Baghai – a little bit of everything, making waves alternates with the long view in this space
6 Harmony in diversity, Ballet Creole, by Lisa Pancino
7 http://www.dancealive.ca/past_events/faculty_2003/patrick_parson.htm
Footnotes
1 Patrick Parson, Toute Baghai – a little bit of everything, making waves alternates with the long view in this space.
(http//www.Balletcreole.org/ about us/ recent media)
2 Dance Magazine, Black Dance in Toronto, A new voice in the global village, februari 2001, by Paula Citron
(http//www. Balletcreole.org/ about us/ recent media)