Screengrab from 612 Porcelain Ave

By Chris Brown

Online dance series

Alberta Ballet gets gritty at Medicine Hat’s Historic Clay District

Nov 22, 2020 | 9:09 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat’s Historic Clay District had just what Christopher Anderson was looking for when Alberta Ballet wanted to take off the stage and out of the studio.

Anderson, five dancers and a production team spent three days in August at the former Medicine Hat Brick & Tile Factory filming 612 Porcelain Ave, the debut video for a new online film series.

“This factory was the opposite of the (Southern Alberta) Jubilee. You know, mud on the floors, dirt on the walls. It was an abandoned space, a very sort of rustic, vacant sort of rooms,” says Alberta Ballet’s artistic director designate. “That was the most sort of stripped-down, sort of bare-bones location to really bring art into that space and fill it with that energy that we strive to bring to the stage in our performances.”

Anderson said the beauty and grace of dance combined with the industrial roughness of the factory provided an incredible juxtaposition.

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The seven-minute video was released on Wednesday.

Anderson says the film series began as Alberta Ballet looked for ways to share dance and connect it with remarkable locations in the province. The idea of Medalta came from CEO Chris George, who spent some of his childhood in Medicine Hat.

After he visited the space, Anderson was stunned by the different environments within the one facility.

“You could spend weeks there finding interesting aspects of that building,” he said.

If Anderson has his way, Alberta Ballet will return to Medicine Hat in some fashion – when possible – as they try to connect with communities outside Calgary and Edmonton and inspire young dancers.

“When it’s safe to do so we look forward to being able to bring some live in-person performances to the Esplanade as well,” he said. “I think it’s really special when young dancers, and there are lots of young dancers in Medicine Hat, are able to see those professional dancers that are just down the road from them.”