FLASH #22 - THE INTENSITY OF AUDITIONS
26/11/2024
26/11/2024
It’s that time of the year again at JBA: not Christmas (although that’s just around the corner) but the heightened sense of excitement and urgency which our second year graduates are starting to feel: the time for them to test their wings and leave the JBA nest is close by. They are, together with their coaches, teachers and directors in the midst of preparing their portfolios which they will soon be sending out to many dance companies in Europe and beyond. As the new year approaches, these companies will be on the look out for new talent to fill vacancies in their ranks; they send out notices - online or in print - of who and what they need in the season to come, and the dancers search diligently to find the most suitable to their talents.
08/11/2024
When reflecting on James Ensor’s considerable and extremely varied oeuvre, a painting which springs first to mind is one which takes pride of place in the KMSKA collection. THE INTRIGUE captures a group of what seem to be happy carnival revelers. However behind the exaggerated, even grotesque expressions, the artist has suggested - with satyrical intent -, a far less innocent atmosphere. These are not faces staring out at us, they are a set of colorful and intriguing masks caricaturing the persons wearing them.
14/10/2024
Still so vivid, it seems like only yesterday that we were immersed in the music, the movement and the emotion of 5! Yet the golden days of August are passing swiftly by and our new season has started! A season in which we welcome many new faces to be introduced to you soon as well as our unique and diverse 24/25 program which we have in store for you.
13/09/2024
Still so vivid, it seems like only yesterday that we were immersed in the music, the movement and the emotion of 5! Yet the golden days of August are passing swiftly by and our new season has started! A season in which we welcome many new faces to be introduced to you soon as well as our unique and diverse 24/25 program which we have in store for you.
13/08/2024
It’s that time of year again; everyone is looking forward to the summer - holidays mean time to rest, to catch up with family and friends. As for dancers - it’s time to recharge batteries which in their case, means giving bodies a much-needed recuperation period. This goes naturally for teachers and coaches as well - for these busy people it’s not only physical but mental respite that will be the order of the day!
04/07/2024
JBA’s jubilee year finished on a high, or should one say like the pop and fizz of celebratory champagne. Each season the company goes from strength to strength - of course with each success comes a question: Can we do better? And yes, they can and yes, they did!
24/05/2024
In two weeks time, JBA’s festive program 5! moves out of the studio and onto the stage of hetpaleis in Antwerp. The anticipation is high for what is sure to be a firecracker of an evening- we hope many of you will be there to help us celebrate as we whirl you back in recent time with a nostalgic glimpse at JBA’s notable successes during the past five years.
29/04/2024
In the previous Flash#14, we ended on a positive note: that however many hurdles JBA faces - seeking recognition at home, balancing finances etc. - yet the troupe’s artistic spiral is consistently upward. This was after the enormous success of its recent production JAMES and before JBA set off for Geneva to participate in the International Junior Dance Festival.
21/03/2024
While JBA’s upward spiral continues at a satisfying rate - overcoming seemingly unsurmountable obstacles while enjoying well-deserved successes - the upcoming 5th anniversary of its initiation leads us to pauze and reflect: what have we recently achieved? Is it what we expected?
19/02/2024
In just 4 weeks time, as the James Ensor celebratory year gears up for its official start, JBA’s highly anticipated production of JAMES will premiere, a performance taking place in the Antwerp Opera on 24 & 25 February. In the JBA studio, the fascinating process behind the ballet itself is revealing as if from the mists of time, a three-dimensional portrait of the man himself and his oeuvre.
05/01/2024
For JBA’s artistic director Alain Honorez, ’five’ may very well be the deciding number in his trajectory: as he turns 45, and his young company reaches a milestone (about to celebrate with a special anniversary performance entitled 5!), Alain is casting his eye back on the first five years since the launch of Junior Ballet Antwerp, something which even he finds hard to believe.
05/12/2023
The dance piece YU stands for COURAGE and will most certainly be written into the DNA of JBA; courage is namely the fuel which drives this young troupe forward and literally keeps it alive.
06/11/2023
International World Ballet Day will be celebrated this year on November 1st so it’s very timely that this JBA Flash will be dedicated to our new dancers, who are joining us from countries all over the world: we can count no less than 11 nationalities amongst them!
16/10/2023
All at JBA - leaders, team & dancers both new and previous, are back and refreshed after the summer break, ready to dive into what promises to be an exciting season; one of festivities, special events and surprises.
09/08/2023
The road to becoming a professional dancer is long, arduous and precarious; many feel the call but few actually make it.
24/07/2023
With satisfaction we can look back on a super-productive time during which our second generation of dancers was able to stretch their wings and grow into the artists they have become today.
08/05/2023
A new dance company will have a head start in the stakes for success if they possess a talented house choreographer, and JBA has just such a one in Altea Nuñez.
27/03/2023
Perhaps you were one of the many who delighted in watching JBA’s recent enchanting and totally original production of CINDERELLA. But very few people realize what intense preparation went into bringing this ballet to life, the concentration demanded on perfecting each detail until it all dovetailed together seamlessly. Even though all the artists involved were specialists in their field, some more so than others, yet it was a unique undertaking in every respect.
06/02/2023
Rustem’s BOLERO will be performed by JBA at the end of April, in a brand new, Spanish flavored triple bill: SIGNATURES. There is a subtlety about just why this is and to discover more you will need to attend! Let’s just say, we ourselves are greatly looking forward to presenting it to you, our audience.
05/01/2023
So much preparation has gone into the making of CINDERELLA and every detail called on the expertise of such dedicated people.