Handmaid’s Tale on ballet stage for Albertans

The Handmaid’s Tale is not the typical fairy tale ballet that you may expect to see, but a production is preparing to hit the stage in Alberta.

“I had to first obtain permission from her to make a ballet based on her novel,” said dance choreographer Lila York.

The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and it’s a story known for its dystopian world where women are forced to carry babies for commanders, and rape and public executions are part of daily life.

York had the idea to make the story into a ballet.

A dystopian world comes to the ballet stage in 'The Handmaid's Tale'

The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel written in the eighties and more recently a popular television series now Albertan’s have a chance to see the story on the ballet stage.

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“I read the book when it was first published, and it had stayed with me, it was so powerful for me, it stayed with me, and I long long had this idea to create a ballet based on that novel … very risky venture for a ballet company since it’s not Cinderella or sleeping beauty. It’s not a fairy tale,” said York.

York proposed her idea of the Handmaid’s ballet to every ballet company in Canada until the royal Winnipeg ballet said yes.

This is the third time the ballet has been performed in the country and the first time it’s coming to Alberta.

Alanna Mcadie is a principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg ballet and is dancing in the current production.

“Well, there is sort of two sections and one of them provides a little bit of like relief like comedic almost relief for the audience because it’s so heavy. So, I enjoy being able to make the audience just laugh and lighten the mood a little bit,” Mcadie said.

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The handmaid’s tale is also a hit TV series and the recent repeal of Roe V. Wade in the United States has brought women’s reproductive rights to the forefront with many comparisons to the handmaid’s tale.

“It was very relevant when Margaret Atwood wrote the novel in the 80’s and I feel that when Lila first created the ballet, she kind of saw some things starting to shift in the political climate, so now I feel yeah I feel it’s the right time to be sharing this ballet,”