he Bermuda Civic Ballet is celebrating its thirty-fifth birthday this weekend with two gala performances under the stars in the Botanical Gardens.

The programme will open with 'Sweet in the Morning', choreographed by Bermudian Suzette Harvey, founder of United Dance Productions. The three-part work, 'Trio', 'Quartet' and 'Ensemble', will feature Bermudian and overseas dancers performing to Bobby McFerrin's music.

This will be followed by an excerpt from 'Harvest', choreographed by Pascal Rioult and staged by Marianna Tsartolia and Brian Flynn, both of whom are on the faculty of the Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre, and currently teaching modern dance at the Civic's summer school. 'Harvest' pays homage to pre-impressionist painter Jean-Francois Millet, and the people who tend the land. The ballet excerpt portrays a day in a life in the fields, and will feature Bermudian and overseas dancers performing to the music of Dougie MacLean. The featured work (first performed here in 1986 with lead dancers Sophia Cannonier and John Hill) will be 'La Fille Mal Gardée' (The Unchaperoned Daughter) ¿ a story revolving around a widow, Madame Simone, and her daughter Lisette. Lisette has an admirer, Colas, who does not find favour with Mme Simone.

Instead, she prefers Instead she prefers Alain, the son of Papa Thomas, a wealthy vinegrower. Of course, Lisette has no interest in Alain.

The principal roles of Lisette and Colas will be danced by Bethany Keating and Martin Harvey, soloist and first soloist, respectively, with Britain's The Royal Ballet.

Madame Simone will be played by US choreographer and long-time Bermuda friend David Drummond, who is also the choreographer for this production of 'La Fille Mal Gardée.'

In fact, Mr. Drummond has been coming to the Island since the late 1970s ¿ first with the Boston Ballet in 1978, and then from 1979 to choreograph Civic Ballet productions on alternate years. "I love it here," he says. "Bermuda is my second home. I feel like I am coming home to family. I'm almost Bermudian."

He is also delighted to be working with the Royal Ballet dancers.

"I love these two people. They are absolutely marvellous to work with."

Of the show, Mr. Drummond promises "it is going to be fantastic".

"We have some great people doing sets, and the production crew are super."

In fact, he finds the whole creative process of a Civic Ballet production inspiring.

"The whole artistic sense is heightened. People are here to create the art in all its aspects. It is a whole creative process, and everyone who is part of it pitches in. There is a fantastic energy which happens. I get revitalised, and then I take it back home."

Similar impressions are shared by Miss Keating and Mr. Harvey, both of whom have danced here before as members of The Royal Ballet.

"It is very rare to find a group like the Civic Ballet who work so hard for each other," Mr. Harvey says. "Everybody in the family pulls together to put this on, with far less resources than in some places we go to. We travel all over the world with The Royal Ballet, and we see a lot of production teams, but it is rare out there in the big, wide world to find a team which has as much passion as there is here. Any support the Civic gets is a fraction of what anywhere else gets, and yet they do such a lot with it. I call it 'Tireless Passion'."

The visiting dancers have not been put off by the heat and high humidity. Rather, they see it as a "plus" for keeping muscles warm and supple, but do acknowledge that the climate is tiring, and they must remember to keep hydrated.

Miss Keating, who will be dancing the role of Lisette in 'La Fille Mal Gardée' for the first time, says of the character, "She is very sweet, but also has a cheeky side, so it is a lot of fun to play".

A graduate of the Royal Ballet School, she joined the company in 2000 and just five years later was promoted to Soloist. She last appeared here with the Royal Ballet four years ago in a Bermuda Festival production.

Mr. Harvey, a First Soloist with The Royal Ballet, is on his third trip to the Island, having danced with Miss Keating and the company four years ago and again this year, on both occasions in Bermuda Festival productions.

In the context of small theatres, he describes the atmosphere at City Hall - the venue for this year's Royal Ballet production - as "brilliant".

Mr. Harvey will dance the male lead role of Colas in 'La Fille Mal Gardée', which he has also danced in London.

"It is a great character role, with lots of acting and powerful dancing," he says. "Colas 'adores' his mother-in-law in public."

Other visiting dancers are Lorien Slaughter, Stephanie Elstob and Alys Owen, who will be participating in all three works in the programme.

Mr. Slaughter, a graduate of the Royal Ballet School, has been coming to Bermuda for many summers, and has danced with the Civic Ballet on five previous occasions. His Bermudian grandmother was headmistress Mrs. Eileen (Elford) Gladwin and, like his fellow dancers, is particularly pleased to be participating in the 35th anniversary programme.

Miss Elstob's early training included being a Royal Ballet School senior associate in Birmingham, England until the age of 16. She completed her professional training at the Central School of Ballet, since which she has premiered a new ballet at Sadler's Wells Theatre, had a solo piece created for her, and toured with the New English Contemporary Ballet. This is her first appearance in Bermuda.

Welsh-born Alys Owen joined the Swansea Ballet Russe at age 15, where she performed with the Company for two years prior to moving to the Perm Ballet School in Eastern Russia for further studies, after which she rejoined the Swansea Ballet Russe. She too is making her first visit to Bermuda.

Founder, artistic director, teacher, choreographer and dancer Suzette Harvey remains a driving force in the education and promotion of the arts in Bermuda. She is the first Bermudian to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance, and in 2001 was the youngest Bermudian to be awarded the Queen's Certificate and Badge of Honour in recognition of her work in exposing local dancers to professional dance through founding United Dance Productions and the Bermuda Dance Company.

In addition to her own school, Miss Harvey shares her love of and passion for dance through teaching in government and private schools across the Island.

• Performances of 'La Fille Mal Gardee' take place this weekend, August 10 and 11, beginning at 8.30 p.m. Tickets (adults $35, students under 12 $25) are available at City Hall box office daily between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Patrons should enter the Botanical Gardens via Berry Hill Road, where they will be directed to the parking and performance areas.

Page 27: About the Bermuda Civic Ballet