under_score
6th - 8th February 2026
Dear Friends,
Thank you for joining us for Ballet d’Jèrri’s performance of Under_Score. The inspiration for this programme came from a question about what we take with us from the past into the future, and what we owe to our history. It reflects my own curiosity about what we are allowed to challenge as artists, and what must be preserved as sacred, unchanging, as music and dance move through time.
The composers whose music you will hear tonight were all once radical voices, writing music that revolutionized their moment, breaking rules and opening new pathways. We sometimes forget that their work only feels “classical” because history has now settled around it.
By placing this music in conversation with contemporary choreographic voices, I am less interested in preservation than in continuity, in treating these works not as relics to be sealed away, but as living material that can still provoke, challenge, and resonate. If we want to create the classics of tomorrow, we must give artists the freedom to speak honestly and bravely to their present, while staying connected to the deeper reasons we make art; to question; to connect; and to keep evolving together. We can have roots and wings.
I am so grateful to you, our audience, for standing behind us as we try to forge our own new ground.
Warm Regards,
Carolyn Rose Ramsay
– Founding Artistic Director, Ballet d’Jèrri.
The idea for the music of this programme grew out of dance. From that starting point, I wanted to trace a wide arc between the Baroque era and the present day, using dance as a unifying force across different forms, styles, and constellations.
The journey begins with Bach’s English Suite, a sequence of Baroque dances, and continues with music by Beethoven, leading us to Vienna — the city where the true waltz was born. Franz Schubert then takes center stage: his Ländler and noble waltzes form both the origin and the foundation of the waltz tradition later perfected by Johann Strauss.
The program also embraces Russian music. Scriabin’s Waltz, Op. 38 will be heard in its original waltz form — not as one of his final works, but as part of this lineage. Alongside it, we present Vers la flamme (Toward the Flame), a late piano poem that seems to break open musical form itself. The piece evokes the image of a moth — a nocturnal creature irresistibly drawn toward the flame, only to be consumed by it. There is something deeply ecstatic in this music — an ecstasy that the waltz, too, can embody.
Anyone who has experienced a Viennese ball knows this feeling: a night made entirely of waltzes, spinning and turning, where time dissolves into movement.
Romanticism enters the program through Schubert’s Kupelwieser Waltz, a wedding waltz arranged by the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov — and in this sense, love lies at the heart of the music. Love also resonates in the works of Brahms, who, like Beethoven, was a Viennese by choice, and whose music further enriches this journey.
Altogether, the program spans a broad spectrum between Baroque and the present day, guided by dance as it moves through multiple eras — through Romanticism and through Vienna itself. Rémy and I have been living in Vienna for many years, and together with the choreographers and dancers, we hope to bring a touch of Vienna to the stage — blending dance and waltz form, and connecting the great works of classical music with contemporary dance in a vivid and cohesive whole.
We would like to extend our special thanks to:
Christine Jasper
Emerson D’Abbott Doyle
Denise Renouf
Lauren Sanders
The Jersey Opera House Team
For their contributions to staging and presenting this programme.
The Programme
Act I
Choreographer Hannah Joseph
Composer J.S. Bach — English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV808:IV. Sarabande - Les agréments de la même Sarabande, V. Gavotte I - GavotteII (Musette) and VI. Gigue
Performers Tabitha Dombroski, Donovan Délis-McCarthy, Stanley Young, Anna Daly
Anika Vavić, Rémy Ballot
Partita No.2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: IV Gigue
Composer J.S. Bach
Performer Rémy Ballot
Choreographer Tabitha Dombroski
Composer A. Scriabin — Vers La Flamme
Performers Roman Ho Zimballatti,
Donovan Délis-McCarthy
Anika Vavić, Stanley Young
Choreographer Stanley Young
Composer A. Corelli — Violin Sonata in D Minor, Follia, Opus 5 No. 12
Performers Tabitha Dombroski, Layla Bruce
Anika Vavić, Rémy Ballot
Choreographer Noemi Andreotti Coin
Composers L. v. Beethoven — Bagatellen op. 33/5, 6
J.S. Bach — Italian Concerto, 2. movement
Performers Anna Daly, Roman Ho Zimbalatti,
Stanley Young
Anika Vavić
Act II
Choreographer Daniel Davidson
Composer F. Schubert/ V. Silvestrov – Wedding Waltz
Performers Ombline Noyer, Benji Knapper
Anika Vavić
Choreographer Hannah Joseph
Composer J. Brahms – Violin Sonata No.3 in D Minor, Op.108: ll.Adagio
Performers Tabitha Dombroski, Donovan Delis-McCarthy, Stanley Young, Anna Daly, Anika Vavić, Remy Ballot
Violin sonata No.21 in E Minor, K.304 - II. Tempo di minuetto
Composer W.A. Mozart
Performers Rémy Ballot and Anika Vavić
Choreographers Anna Daly, Donovan Delis-McCarthy
Composers Beethoven – 6 écossaises
M. Glinka – Dance from Life of the tsar
A. Scriabin - Waltz a-flat major op 38
L. v. Beethoven – Kreutzer no9 mouvement 1
Performers Roman Ho Zimbalatti, Benji Knapper, Tabitha Dombroski, Layla Bruce, Stanley Young, Ombline Noyer
Rémy Ballot and Anika Vavić
There will be a 20 minute interval between Act I and Act II. The programme should last approximately 2.5 hours in total.
Stage Manager
Estelle Le Brun
Technical
Jersey Opera House
Photos
Rebecca Le Brun
Ballet d'Jèrri
Jersey’s National Ballet
Ballet d’Jèrri is the Channel Islands’ first professional dance company, founded in 2022 by Artistic Director Carolyn Rose Ramsay. The company started rehearsals in the Albert Bartlett potato shed, and despite humble beginnings has always set its sights on achieving greatness. The goal is to create work that both resonates with our island identity and represents us on global dance stages.
With a strong foundation in both classical and contemporary dance, Ballet d’Jèrri develops new works that explore compelling narratives, often drawing inspiration from Jersey’s unique heritage. The company collaborates with internationally renowned choreographers while also nurturing emerging voices, ensuring a dynamic and ever-evolving repertoire.
Beyond performance, Ballet d’Jèrri is deeply invested in outreach and education, bringing dance into schools, care homes, and community spaces. Through workshops, residencies, and collaborative projects, the company strives to make dance an accessible and inspiring art form for all.
As a registered charity, Ballet d’Jèrri relies on the generous support of donors, sponsors, and funding bodies to continue its artistic and community-driven mission. Since its inception, the company has rapidly gained recognition, performing at prestigious venues and festivals across Europe. Whether on stage or in the community, Ballet d’Jèrri remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of contemporary ballet while forging meaningful connections with audiences at home and abroad.