SEND IN THE BALLET-DANCING CLOWNS.

Byline: - Vicki Smith Paluch

When Gradimir Pankov took the reins at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal six years ago, he wanted to wake up a sleepy classical ballet company by infusing it with a good dose of contemporary European choreography.

The 67-year-old artistic director invited his former colleagues at Netherlands Dance Theatre -- Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Ohad Nahrain -- to create exclusive ballets for his new company. He also encouraged talented emerging choreographers.

This week, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal will perform works by two young European choreographers when the company makes its debut at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Friday and Saturday, kicking off the fourth season of Dance at the Music Center.

Dance du soleil?

The works -- ``TooT'' by Dutch choreographer Didy Veldman and ``Noces'' by Flemish choreographer Stijn Celis -- both involve clownlike figures in whiteface and circus makeup, and they both use benchlike set pieces. The dancers are barefooted. The resemblance ends there.

``It is more interesting to have unique contemporary works that belong to us exclusively,'' says Pankov. ``Dance is an evolving art. The choreographers of ``TooT'' and ``Noces'' were trained in classical ballet, but they prefer to express themselves through contemporary movement.''

Veldman's ``TooT'' represents identity, individuality and the relationship of the individual to society. Using Shostakovich's Jazz Suite No. 2 for the circuslike parts, and the haunting music from the Balanescu Quartet for the introverted sections, the 45-minute work is surprising. Eight men and seven women play and cavort, but also display loneliness and despair as only clowns and children can.

Making marry

Following the scenario of Bronislava Nijinska's original ballet about a peasant wedding, Celis' work ``Noces'' expands the wedding from one couple to 12, as if depicting the opposing forces, male and female, through a cubistic prism. The work is set to Igor Stravinsky's score. The choreography is a hybrid of East European folk dancing and raw contemporary movement.

``We wanted to put another point of view about marriage,'' said Pankov.

``Marriage can be a strong connection. It can be with fears. One critic said `Noces' was not about a marriage but a war. I see it as a strong expression of emotion.''

Before being named artistic director at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Pankov was a classical ballet dancer in Yugoslavia and Germany. He then assumed the role of artistic director at Nederlands Dans Theater II, the National Ballet of Finland, the Cullberg Ballet in Sweden and the Ballet du Grand Theatre in Geneva.

When worked with Nederlands Dans Theatre from 1979 to '80, he was working with a remarkable generation of contemporary choreographers: Jiri Kylian, Mat Eks, William Forsthye, Ohad Naharin and Christopher Bruce.

``There was such energy there,'' Pankov recalled. ``Kylian was so musical. Mat Ek was a wonderful dramaturge whose stories were upside down. Bruce was more folkloric. Billy Forsythe took classical ballet and broke it. We all had the same goal: to develop the dance in other ways with a different push.''

LES GRANDS BALLETS CANADIENS DE MONTREAL

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $95 to $25. [phone]. www.ticketmaster.com; www.musiccenter.org/dance.html.

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Photo:

(color) Clownlike whiteface makeup adds a playful dimension to the new works being performed by Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.