French dancer, choreographer, and director Medhi Walerski took the helm of Ballet BC in 2020 after a renowned career as a dancer with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), where he simultaneously cultivated his choreographic voice. His works are precise and show the classicism of his training, but also the inventiveness characteristic of NDT’s vast repertoire. Walerski spoke to ICONS not only about his work as a choreographer, but also about his role as artistic director and the importance of repertory. His work Blink of an Eye premieres at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater this month at New York City Center.

Dance ICONS: How did your journey in dance start?

Medhi Walerski: I began dancing very young in Normandy, guided by teachers who really inspired me to take on this journey. They nurtured my curiosity for all forms of dance and encouraged me to follow this path. At age 14, I moved to the Conservatoire Superieur in Paris, where my world opened up. I didn't join the Conservatoire as a classical ballet dancer; I entered as a contemporary dancer—but after a year, I shifted into the classical division. I still dreamed of joining the Paris Opera Ballet, so I passed the audition, got in, and spent a short time there.

Everything changed the day I saw Nederlands Dans Theater on stage. I immediately thought, this is where I belong. I auditioned for NDT, joined shortly after, and it became my artistic home. There, I discovered extraordinary collaborators and choreographers who expanded my sense of possibility. NDT is where I really found the freedom to explore my artistry and to create. Although I had choreographed small pieces in school, it was there that I truly found the space to explore the act of creation.

ICONS: You started to choreograph while still dancing for Netherlands Dans Theater. What inspired this shift?

MW: Every season, NDT offered a platform called Workshop, where dancers could create their own work. That opportunity sparked something in me. I started making pieces with colleagues, and after a few of them, I was invited to create for the Summer Intensive, then for NDT 2, and eventually for the main company, NDT 1. I have been very lucky.

I was surrounded daily by visionary artists, and creating felt like a natural extension of being in that environment. I had ideas I needed to express, and dance became the language that allowed me to articulate those ideas with purpose and clarity.

ICONS: From where do you draw inspiration for your choreographic works?

MW: Inspiration comes from many places, of course. It usually starts with an image, a question, a moment unfolding in the world. I would say that music has always been a profound source of inspiration, too. It's something that constantly drives my creativity over and over again. I’ve collaborated closely with a European composer, and while distance makes that harder now, the dialogue between movement and music still anchors much of my work.

The dancers themselves are a major inspiration, if not the biggest! I’m energized by curiosity, generosity, and the willingness to dive deep, all qualities I’m fortunate to find in the dancers I work with every day at Ballet BC. Earlier in my career, when at NDT, I would arrive with material fully generated; now I’m drawn to improvisation and the unexpected. I’m fascinated by what emerges when we discover the work together, and I'm so much more excited about what they come up with than what I create for myself.

ICONS: How does your role as artistic director impact your choreographic process?

MW: Stepping into the role of artistic director was a big shift. I suddenly had to learn how to lead an organization: to plan multiple seasons, support artists, manage the budget, fundraise, and think strategically about the company’s long-term path. I do create new works and bring back existing repertoire, which is comforting because these are works that lived a life already. Creating is only one part of my responsibility.

I still choreograph when the need or spark arises, and I’m grateful that Ballet BC’s board gives me the freedom to decide when to step into that role. But my primary focus is on cultivating and nurturing an environment where many voices can thrive. I’m passionate about offering opportunities to other choreographers and shaping a repertory rich in diversity and different visions. Some seasons, that means I create; others, like this current one, I focus on remounting existing works of mine and supporting guest artists.

ICONS: When you remount a work on a new dancer, do you want it to be exactly like it was in the premiere cast or do you modify it?  

MW: I am often drawn to recreating parts of the piece. The work evolves because the people performing it are different. I love seeing how my work transforms depending on who embodies it. I revisit the concept, refine the composition, and adjust details -- not to change the essence, but to allow the work to live in the present moment.

Dance is a living art form. I honor the piece’s origins, the circumstances that shaped its birth, but I also embrace who the new dancers are. Today’s generation has extraordinary physical abilities and artistry, and that opens up new possibilities. The essence is the driving force, and I like to stay close to that for sure; the core of the work remains, but the choreography must breathe and evolve.

ICONS: Could you tell us about your work Blink of an Eye, which you’re currently setting on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater?

MW: Blink of an Eye was the second piece I created for NDT 1. Before that time, I was seeking distance from my heritage, trying to define my voice outside of classical roots. With this work, I did the opposite—I embraced my past. It felt almost like a legacy piece. This was a conscious choice, and so I went into just the discovery of what that meant.

The work explores the fragile boundary between presence and absence, between movement and stillness. It’s deeply connected to the music, which shapes the emotional landscape and the architecture of the choreography. It lives in the space between classical structure and the freedom to let that structure dissolve. It is virtuosic. Setting it on the Ailey dancers is incredibly inspiring. They bring a richness and expansiveness that allows the work to open in new ways.

ICONS: As a director and a curator, what do you look for in other choreographers to bring to work with your dancers?

MW: I’m drawn to artists with a strong choreographic identity, creators with a clear and distinct language. I value collaboration, openness, and dialogue, but I also admire choreographers whose vision is so clear that they guide the dancers on a transformative journey.

For me, a strong repertory balances masters of this art form, established choreographers who have built meaningful relationships with our artists through past collaborations, with emerging talents who are shaping the future and simply need space to grow.

I appreciate artists who take risks and challenge audiences. Our home audience in Vancouver is incredibly receptive; they come ready to engage, to question, to be surprised. I enjoy choreographers who shake things up and expand the conversation around contemporary dance.

ICONS: Do you have any new choreographic projects you can share with us?

MW: There’s a really exciting momentum right now. Ballet BC recently toured Michigan and Virginia with Silent Tides and Pieces of Tomorrow, and we just presented SWAY in Vancouver, a work I originally created for NDT 2 and have now brought into our repertoire.

I also have a few existing works being presented by companies I’ve never worked with before, which I’m especially excited about. On top of that, there are some out-of-the-box choreographic collaborations on the horizon. It’s all very energizing and inspiring.

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MORE ABOUT MEDHI WALERSKI AND BALLET BC CAN BE FOUND HERE (https://balletbc.com/)

PHOTOGRAPHY:

© Marcus Eriksson, photo portrait of Medhi Walerski

© Millissa Martin © Michael Slobodian © Four Eyes Portraits, artists of Ballet BC in repertory works

VIDEO TRAILER: Blink of an Eye, choreography by Medhi Walerski:

VIDEO TRAILER: SWAY, choreography by Medhi Walerski:

INTERVIEW'S CREATIVE TEAM ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

Interviewer: Charles Scheland

Executive Content Editor: Camilla Acquista

Executive Assistant: Charles Scheland

Founding and Executive Director: Vladimir Angelov

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