When it comes to an artistic challenge, imagine the sorcery it takes to weave together ancient folklore, 19th-century ballet traditions and even a touch of Hollywood magic into one seamless spectacle. That’s exactly what Ballet Victoria’s artistic director Paul Destrooper is conjuring in his newest full-length creation: Aladdin [https://www.balletvictoria.ca/aladdin-2025/]. “It’s a show that has everything in it – beauty, drama, humour, brilliant dancing,” says Destrooper, who’s leveraging the magic of Disney and the enduring pull of the Aladdin story to draw audiences into a world of wonder. “Anything that Disney has done is already going to be the general vernacular of knowledge. From there, of course, we’re doing something completely original and new.” Described by Ballet Victoria as “fierce dancing,” the spectacle places bravura front and centre. Destrooper’s choreography demands technical fearlessness, intensity and playfulness. The score casts a wide net, spanning the opulence of 19th-century ballet and the sweep of contemporary cinema. Audiences will hear the fire of Saint-Saëns and Borodin, the lyrical grace of Minkus, Rimsky-Korsakov and even parts of Hans Zimmer’s Dune soundtrack. The combination gives the production a rich musical texture that is at once familiar and fresh. The ballet’s playfulness is no accident. Destrooper points to Disney’s Aladdin – and especially Robin Williams’s legendary turn as the Genie – as inspiration for the comic energy he wants on stage. “The humour was absolutely brilliant, right?" Destrooper says. “He basically ad-libbed that whole part when they were making the movie. So I think that aligns well with the sense of humour that I like to have in my production.” Visually, Aladdin will stretch Ballet Victoria’s stagecraft. Projection artistry by Jason King provides a shifting backdrop that expands the world of the piece, while the set design builds an immersive stage environment. Costumes inspired by the richness of Arabian folklore heighten the sense of mystery and magic, transporting audiences straight into the pages of One Thousand and One Nights. Yet even with the colour and spectacle, Destrooper aims to never lose sight of balance. The result is a production that honours ballet’s heritage while boldly updating it. With bravura movement, contemporary flair and flashes of humour, Aladdin promises to be more than a fairy-tale ballet. It’s an adventure in dance and storytelling that invites audiences to believe, if only for an evening, in a little magic. Performances run Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Royal Theatre. Learn more at balletvictoria.ca/aladdin-2025 [https://www.balletvictoria.ca/aladdin-2025/], and for tickets, visit rmts.bc.ca [https://www.rmts.bc.ca/production-detail-pages/2025-royal-theatre/aladdin/].
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