Soulful 2007

Following on from last Aprils amazing opportunity to shoot Ballet Creoles final technical practice, was this year holiday presentation of "Glorious Soulful Messiah" I am blessed with the opportunity to be able to capture some of best dance in all of Toronto. I have to apologize the lateness of this post... This was shot mid December and the day after I was under the weather for several weeks! So this is one of the highlights of my holidays this year.

Conceived six years ago by Patrick Parson, the founding artistic director of Toronto’s Ballet Creole, this presentation is a soul-infused Christmas ballet set to Handel’s Messiah as performed by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Patti Austin, The Boys Choir of Harlem and Al Jarreau on the Grammy-winning album Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, produced by Quincy Jones in 1992. This year’s presentation also includes an encore performance of “Glory,” a work by Ballet Creole associate choreographer Gabby Kamino, danced by Parson with two other performers. “What we try to do with this ballet is keep trying to bring the dancers to new levels,” he says.

All images not noted are copyright by Christopher Cushman and can only be used or re-posted by the artists permission. 2010