Aftermath, so far, of "Love Lies Bleeding": It's been almost two weeks since the conclusion of Alberta Ballet's acclaimed premiere run of artistic director Jean Grand-Maitre's ballet based on the music of Elton John.

So where do things stand now? Alberta Ballet needs two thumbs-up from the famous singer/songwriter to get the $1.1 million show on the national and international road. Will Elton's approval be forthcoming?

Well, things started moving in a positive direction on May 21, 2010, according to choreographer Grand-Maitre. That's when the company received word that Elton's management in London was in the process of convening a meeting with the singer's stakeholders in both England and the United States "to see what the future of the ballet could be," Grand-Maitre says.

"They've said they're looking forward to talking with us." As of May 25, 2010, the artistic director was proofreading his first letter to Elton himself -- a combination thank-you note and report on how well the ballet did, as well as Grand-Maitre's own take on the whole experience -- since the completion of the ballet.

The show represented the "biggest risk I ever took," the choreographer says. "After it was all over, I kind of rested for a week because my nervous system was shot. "There was a lot riding on this one." There still is, financially speaking, even though attendance for the eight performances of Love Lies Bleeding reached 98 per cent capacity at both Jubilees (Edmonton and Calgary) -- compared to "our historic average of 75 per cent," Grand-Maitre says. "They said we outperformed our original sales target by 140 per cent."

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