They are the company's 12 dancers, a wildly energetic troupe of different origins, shapes and sizes. Their credo is simple: "We are jazz in all its forms."

Artistic director Louis Robitaille said: "Jazz is the freedom to allow strong personalities to express themselves freely. These dancers are very special and emotional. They dance with soul."

Beijing-based fans of contemporary ballet and jazz should treat themselves to this Friday's performance by the company at Beijing Exhibition Hall Theatre, especially if they missed Maurice Bejart and his "Ballet for Life" last month.

Few words could be better applied to Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal than "explore," "play" and "transform". The company was founded in the 1970s, an era that saw the rise of new forms of expression - rock ballet, modern dance and ballet jazz. It grew out of those years of effervescence and artistic liberty.

Combining the techniques of classical ballet, modern dance and jazz, it has won over the world with a style that fuses the elegance and grace of ballet with the rhythm and emotion of jazz.

Dance critic Ou Jianping said: "Jazz music is noted for its diversity of sound and improvisational style. Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal takes inspiration from that style and adapts it to dance."

The performance will start with "Pendulum," choreographed by Crystal Pite to the music of Alex Tsisserev.

The second dance, "Ghosts," is choreographed by James Kudelka to Beatles songs such as "Penny Lane" and "Here Comes the Sun."

This will be followed by the company's signature work "Circle Songs," choreographed by Shawn Hounsell in 1998.

Seven dancers perform this work. They begin to the sound of a heartbeat, then to breathing, and occasionally silence. Hypnotic music by Bobby McFerrin begins to play as six dancers sit in a circle around a central figure.

The dancers begin by walking and waiting, their heads down. Their backs are rounded throughout and they perform low jumps or spin on their knees.

Hounsell also gives multiple lives to the simplest of props - black T-shirts. He transforms them into restraints, weapons, and banners.

The fourth programme is "Entre-deux" ( "The space between") by Dominique Dumais. It displays this choreographer's considerable talent for constructing as yet unresolved pas de deux.

It features couples in four relationships - violent, romantic, playful and sizzling. Where the first couple shows the influence of classical ballet, the second is jerky and quirky. Next is a moody contradiction of togetherness and distance.

(China Daily December 6, 2001)