Alberta Ballet in Finland

On May 7, 2001, the Helsinki cultural crowd were treated to a high-level dose of music and dance by the Alberta Ballet.

The Ambassador of Canada to Finland, Mr. Craig MacDonald, formally introduced this leading performing arts group to an audience representing a cross-section of Finnish cultural and business life. The Finnish Minister of Culture, Ms. Suvi Lindén, and the new Chair of the Helsinki Ooppera, Mr. Jokke Leskinen, led a large group of local officials in their praise for the care and quality the company presented the works Jorma Elo, Dominique Dumais and George Balanchine.

The most interesting piece of the evening was certainly the one created by the Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo. The Helsinki audience gave him a powerful applause for the group's rendition of Blank Snow, a highly modern piece with classical overtones.

The returning hero of the evening was the Helsinki-born Artistic Director of the Ballet: Mikko Nissinen. Before a gathering of distinguished guests, his colleague and former director of the Helsinki Ballet Jorma Uotinen, made a touching speech to honor one of Finland's greatest ballet professionals.

By André Noël Chaker