Covenant Premieres at the Banff Centre

Covenant, a choreographic work by Benjamin Hatcher, premiered on July 24th at the Eric Harvie theatre in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

As a recipient of the 2002 Clifford E. Lee Award for Choreography, Hatcher spent six weeks as artist in residence at the Banff Centre working with the Dance Festival's professional dance program to stage this work for 15 dancers under the auspices of the Centre. The Lee Award has been awarded annually since 1978 to an emerging Canadian choreographic talent.

Set to the majestic score "Heaven and Hell" by legendary composer Vangelis, Covenant garnered much media attention and interest from the Canadian dance community. The Calgary Herald stated "The imaginative scope of the piece leaves a lasting impression that bodes well for Hatcher's continuing career."

"I have wanted to create a dance to this music for quite a few years", says Hatcher. "It was just a matter of when the timing would be right."

Covenant was heavily inspired by the completion and opening of the Mount Carmel Terraces at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. "The feeling I wanted to convey was the sense that a very important event in the life of the individuals on the stage was finally coming to fruition. The sense of exaltation and joy after much labor and toil is a result of them all upholding their Covenant and they are rewarded for this achievement."

Hatcher is a rising talent on the Canadian dance scene. After a fruitful career as dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Hatcher is devoting all his energy to choreography. "A work of art is a gift that you offer to the world" he said. "It comes from the inside, from who you are, but then becomes everyone's property, to learn from and to hopefully receive inspiration."

Hatcher will be creating a new work for Ballet Jorgen Canada's 15th anniversary season in Toronto, Canada in 2003.

For more information, please visit www.hatcher.org