Emerging Artists of Ballet BC and New Coast Players come together for Absence; Creation, February 17
Ballet by Jack Campbell and Antony Knight makes its world premiere at Arts Umbrella
Emerging Artists of Ballet BC: Emanuel Dostine, Briana Del Mundo, Pei Lun Lai, and Eduardo Jimenez Cabrera.
Absence; Creation is at Arts Umbrella on February 17 at 4:30 and 7 pm
A NEW BALLET FEATURES fresh new talent across dance and chamber music.
Making its world premiere on February 17, Absence; Creation is by Vancouver-based composer, violinist, artist, and producer Jack Campbell with choreographer, actor, vocalist, composer, and director Antony Knight.
Exploring themes of death as absence and love as creation—and their inseparable relationship—the work features the Emerging Artists of Ballet BC: Briana Del Mundo, Emanuel Dostine, Eduardo Jimenez Cabrera, and Pei Lun Lai.
In an artists statement, Campbell says absence and creation are constantly reflected in the structures of the work, both via movement and music, “with physical elements constantly being removed and introduced, and the same in the score, with a constant state of sonic addition and subtraction being the formal foundation”.
Playing that music live is a new ensemble of star students from the UBC School of Music, called the New Coast Ensemble.
Campbell is a rising young star on the local arts scene who has created and collaborated in Paris, Berlin, London and Amsterdam. He’s commissioned and premiered over 20 works for solo violin by Canadian composers and his compositional projects aim to build bridges between music and visual arts, dance, and theatre. Projects this year include a solo concert tour in Europe, collaborative work on reconciliation through music with artist Debra Sparrow, and the premiere of a newly commissioned song cycle on LGBTQSIA+ identity. Knight is a baritone who’s studied in Opera Performance and Composition at UBC and has performed with UBC Opera. As a composer, his original piece The Protector of the Okanagan was featured in the VSO’s 2022 Jean Coulthard Readings.
Together with the dancers, they'll explore the two critical forces that connect humans across existence—and provide a chance to check out rising voices in music and dance.
Related Articles
Annual program co-presented with Fountains Symposium highlights the work of East and Southeast Asian women, femme, and nonbinary artists
Dreamlike Taiwanese show explores freedom and oppression, the ling zi becoming everything from spiky weapons to shivering life forces all their own
Malcolm Armstrong, Mark Beaty, Meaghan Williams, and Jeff White are gearing up to play four new commissions at the Jericho Arts Centre
With new album The Salish Sea and a “bluegrass concerto” of the same name, the renowned mandolinist and his cohort of virtuoso musicians summon wild elements of the natural world
Featured soloists include soprano Chloe Hurst, mezzo-soprano Emma Parkinson, tenor Colin Ainsworth, and baritone Aaron Durand
Annual tradition presented by Nebula Performances features emerging and established artists singing seasonal favourites
Now in his 80s, the veteran folk and blues artist brings his band the Motivators and a fresh collection of gritty, introspective songs to the BlueShore at CapU
Choral music melds with jazz in achingly beautiful, triple Grammy–winning song cycle
Participating artists bring together everything from martial arts and opera to club music and Arabic melodies
At annual holiday offering, choir performs works by Matthew Whittall, Morten Lauridsen, and Joanna Marsh at Pacific Spirit United Church
Performances at Holy Rosary Cathedral and Sanctuary on 6th serve as a break from the bustle of the holiday season
Artistic director Cassie Luftspring has curated a program of Elektra favourites, new commissions, and pieces with personal meaning
Singer-songwriter has performed with the likes of Steve Earle, B.B. King, Seal, and Al Green
Quartet consists of vocalist-drummer Denzal Sinclaire, Hammond B3 organist Chris Gestrin, tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds, and guitarist Bill Coon
Presented by DanceHouse, Taiwan’s Hung Dance draws on the headpieces of Chinese opera to conjure calligraphy, weapons, and birds in flight
Festive tradition features the choir’s hallmark mix of traditional carols, world premieres, and reimagined winter classics
The local arts and culture scene has bright gifts in store this season, from music by candlelight to wintry ballets
New production comes as a result of the street dancer’s Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award win earlier this year
Performances, workshops, and artist talks are in store as part of Notebook SEASON ♪ 2025
This spin on Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker features a flavoursome assortment of styles, ranging from classical ballet to hip hop
Concert proves a rare opportunity to see the acoustic-guitar master in a full-band setting with the Motivators
Quebecois choreographer Audrey Gaussiran’s work tours to Alliance Française Vancouver’s V-Unframed and the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
Spellbinding concert features the Pacific Baroque Orchestra along with soloists Myriam Leblanc, Cecilia Duarte, Jacob Perry, and Sumner Thompson
Eponymous mandolinist’s band delivers a bluegrass sound that blends original songs with old-time Appalachian music
Performance by acclaimed cello-and-lute duo for Vancouver Recital Society is poised to bring bold energy to landmarks of Baroque music
Event at Heritage Hall features vocalist-violinist Caroline Shaw, vocalist Danni Lee Parpan, percussionist Julia Chien, and pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa
Canadian artists, who both share Mohawk ancestry, write music with truth and soul
Dancers Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo explore the importance of connection and trust
Company looks sharp across opening program of eclectic, full-throttle LILA, mysterious SWAY, and epic BOLERO X

Beloved Mozart work features fantastical characters and a killer Queen of the Night aria