Italy’s most prestigious contemporary dance company brings an energetic mixed program of three acclaimed works, united by the transcendent power of music.
VICTORIA, B.C.—As part of the 2025/26 Season of the World’s Best Dance, Dance Victoria presents CCN/Aterballetto, Italy’s premier contemporary dance company and National Choreographic Centre. The company makes its Western Canadian debut on Feb. 6 + 7, 7:30 pm, at the Royal Theatre.
Dance Victoria’s Executive Director, Gillian Jones, shares: “This is a rare opportunity for North American audiences to see Aterballetto. Dance Victoria is proud to be the Canadian presenter in a very limited touring window, hosting this revered group of artists in a mixed repertoire program that I know will excite and deeply resonate with our audiences.”
Based in Reggio Emilia, CCN/Aterballetto is a hub for creation, experimentation, and connection, and is internationally renowned for its versatility and expressive depth. The company’s full cast of 16 virtuosic dancers will perform a mixed program featuring three contemporary works: Rhapsody in Blue by Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich, a large-scale, joyful ensemble set to George Gershwin’s iconic score one hundred years after its first performance; Solo Echo by Crystal Pite, a poignant meditation on love, loss, and acceptance; and Glory Hall by rising Italian choreographer Diego Tortelli, an ecstatic and rebellious celebration of physicality.
The program offers the unique opportunity to experience Solo Echo by Victoria’s own Pite, performed by one of Europe’s most influential contemporary dance companies. A former member of Ballet BC and William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt, Pite is among Canada’s most acclaimed choreographers, with honours including the 2022 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. Her Vancouver-based company, Kidd Pivot, tours internationally to critical acclaim, including a 2020 Dance Victoria presentation of Revisor.
At the heart of the program is something profoundly universal: music. As the company notes, “The works presented draw on composers whose language transcends cultures, generations, and geographies… Gershwin belongs to a collective imagination far beyond any national or stylistic boundary.” In Solo Echo, Brahms’ music becomes “the emotional engine of the choreography,” inviting audiences to connect instinctively with the arc of human experience unfolding on stage. In this sense, the program is universal “not because it simplifies, but because it speaks a language everyone recognizes: music as emotion, music as memory, music as shared humanity.” This same power drives Glory Hall, where Tortelli’s choreography channels the raw energy of rock and symphonic music into a bold, sensuous celebration of freedom, rebellion, and collective human vitality, bringing the program to an exhilarating close.
Audience members are invited to attend a Pre-show Chat with a company representative at 6:45 pm in the Royal Theatre lobby, facilitated by Dr. Allana Lindgren, Dean of Fine Arts at the University of Victoria. CCN/Aterballetto will also facilitate a free community Masterclass—details coming soon. Dance Victoria’s presentation of CCN/Aterballetto is made possible with generous support from Season Sponsor Derma Spa, Lead Presentation Sponsors Luxe Home Interiors and Andy Stephenson | Sotheby’s Realty, and with public support from the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Government of BC, BC Arts Council, and the CRD Arts Development office.
About CCN/Aterballetto
Born from the historic Aterballetto company (founded in 1977) and becoming the Fondazione Nazionale della Danza in 2003, CCN/Aterballetto was established in 2022 as Italy’s first National Choreographic Centre by the Ministry of Culture. Based in Reggio Emilia, its headquarters are in the Fonderia, a redeveloped early twentieth-century industrial space transformed into a creative hub with studios, workshops, meeting rooms, and offices.
A centre for creativity, hospitality, and contemporary dance, CCN/Aterballetto promotes dance culture as a catalyst for personal and social growth, fostering dialogue within artistic disciplines and society. The company includes 16 full-season dancers, creating new works by leading international choreographers and reviving seminal repertory. Dedicated to accessibility, innovation, and research—including digital technologies—the Centre embraces a plurality of styles. Its productions are presented in major Italian theatres and festivals worldwide.
CCN/Aterballetto
Friday, February 6 + Saturday, February 7, 7:30 pm
Royal Theatre
How to Buy Tickets
Phone: The Royal or McPherson Box Offices at 250-386-6121 or toll free at 1-888-717-6121 Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Royal Theatre is closed 1:00 to 1:30 pm)
Online: DanceVictoria.com
Visit the Royal and McPherson Theatres website for current Box Office details.
SINGLE TICKET PRICES (NON-SUBSCRIBER PRICING)
| Loge | $133.25 |
| Premium | $123.25 |
| A | $102.00 |
| B | $86.00 |
| C | $49.00 |
| D | $34.00 |
Discounted Pay Your Age (ages 12 to 29) and Night Moves (ages 30 to 45) tickets are also available.
About Dance Victoria
Dance Victoria brings the World’s Best Dance to the Royal Theatre and supports the development of new dance for the international stage from our studios in Quadra Village. Dance Victoria is a non-profit charitable society with the mission to cultivate a connection to dance by presenting and supporting diverse local, national, and international artists, and inspiring all communities through the magic of dance. Our vision is that everyone in Greater Victoria can experience the transformative power of world-class dance. DanceVictoria.com
Media Materials
Available upon request.
Media Contact
Anne-Sophie Cournoyer
Marketing Manager, Dance Victoria
[email protected]
250-595-1829