Preview | Fall 2022 - Issue 58

A New Season Awaits

to welcome you to my first full season as

and

my

National Ballet of Canada.

have chosen for 2022/23 focuses on the company’s

with

work

and introduces us to

creators of our time.

Centre,

with a sense of

are

feel that after the challenges

has begun.

We open this autumn with the company premiere of The Collective Agreement, a first collaboration with the esteemed choreographer Alonzo King. Alonzo has been an influential figure in dance for decades, running his own company for over 40 years and advancing physical language through his distinctive choreographic voice. With this premiere, we introduce Alonzo’s work to a wider Canadian audience and open the door to additional collaborations down the line. The Collective Agreement leads an exciting mixed programme featuring the mainstage debut of Vanesa G. R. Montoya’s Crepuscular and the return of Kenneth MacMillan’s poetic Concerto after an absence of more than 30 years.

Autumn also marks the longawaited world premiere of Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM, his visionary adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s acclaimed novel trilogy. This is Wayne’s first new creation for the National Ballet and the only co-production with The Royal Ballet to premiere in Canada, giving it enduring ties to this country – visually, thematically and creatively.

I am proud to share that in my inaugural season the National Ballet is returning to the stage with a full complement of artists, a full calendar of mainstage performances in Toronto and an invitation from New York City Center that will mark our return to the international stage. These are some of the many ways that your generosity as donors continues to help us rebuild from the pandemic and look to the future with confidence. I can’t wait for you to experience the impact of your commitment in the brilliant performances to come. Thank you so much for being part of The National Ballet of Canada.

Hope Muir. Photo by Christopher Wahl.

Warmly, Hope Muir Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director

Meet Our New Dancers

The National Ballet of Canada is proud to welcome 15 new Corps de Ballet members and eight new RBC Apprentices to the 2022/23 dancer roster, realizing Hope Muir’s ambition to restore the company to its pre-pandemic size in her first full season as Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director.

This season’s programming is intentional in the inclusion of ensemble works that feature the full company in both classical and contemporary repertoire. Making up more than half of the dancer roster, a committed Corps de Ballet is the cornerstone of any large ballet company and essential to the success of the repertoire and artist development.

The Corps de Ballet benefits from a dedicated donor group called Esprit de Corps, whose members follow the artistic development of the dancers.

Corps de Ballet members. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

Ross Allen

Born: Steubenville, Ohio

Isabelle Bratt

Born: Toronto, Ontario

Emerson Dayton

Born: Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

Nina Gentes

Born: Buffalo, New York

Albjon Gjorllaku

Born: London, England

Josh Hall

Born: Syracuse, New York

To learn more about the contribution and benefits of Esprit de Corps, please contact Joanna Ivey, Associate Director, Major Gifts: jivey@national.ballet.ca.

Sophie Lee

Born: Seoul, South Korea

Keaton Leier

Born: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Arielle Miralles

Born: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Emma Ouellet

Born: London, Ontario

McKhayla Pettingill

Born: Chandler, Arizona

David Preciado

Born: Los Angeles, California

Arianna

Born: Fasano (Brindisi), Italy

Konstantin

Born: Donetsk, Ukraine

Christopher Waters

Born: Vancouver, British Columbia

Designing

Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM is the first of The National Ballet of Canada’s co-productions with The Royal Ballet to be choreographed and built mainly in Canada, reflecting McGregor’s established relationship with this company and Margaret Atwood’s iconic status as a Canadian writer.

The National Ballet’s production and wardrobe teams have been collaborating with McGregor’s creative team to simulate Atwood’s post-apocalyptic world, while incorporating visual references to Canada and the city of Toronto.

Barney Bayliss, Director of Production, is working with Mark Treharne of the UK design firm We Not I on the sets.

“We returned to the design in September 2021 after more than a year of interruptions due to the pandemic,” says Bayliss. “We saw a final design presentation early in 2022 and we’ve been consulting with the creative team over Zoom to bring it to life.”

Bayliss shares that the set design is minimalist across the ballet’s three acts, featuring “simple shapes” and video projections

by Filmmaker Ravi Deepres. Highlights include footage shot at the Expo 67 site in Montréal and a striking architectural scan of the Toronto skyline. “All of the designers are interested in architecture, typography and graphic design,” says Bayliss.

“The final show will reflect that.”

Most of the scenery is being built and stored at The Gretchen Ross Production Centre in Toronto, apart from a large set piece for Act I – a fiberglass egg with a metal frame that has been outsourced to a company in England specializing in such structures.

The costumes for MADDADDAM are also being constructed inhouse, by the National Ballet’s wardrobe team in consultation with Costume Designer Gareth Pugh. “Gareth is a fashion designer and has a very different approach to his design process,” says Wardrobe Supervisor Stacy Dimitropoulos. “Where some designers begin the communication process with a sketch, Gareth’s approach is to build prototypes and have a tangible item to begin the conversation.”

The question of how to define Atwood’s imaginative characters and character groups has been integral to the costume design, with Pugh choosing distinct fabrics or looks to serve as cues. “We were all very curious to see how Gareth and Wayne would approach the Crakers,” says Dimitropoulos, citing a key character group from the novels. “Atwood’s description of the Crakers is very visual. I can’t share all the details, but Gareth’s approach to the costume and how he defines them visually is very effective and communicates the essence of who the Crakers are.”

Video projections are part of the costume design, as they are with the sets, and Dimitropoulos notes that certain video elements will be reflected in a fabric commissioned specifically for one of the characters. This layered, cutting-edge approach to the design of MADDADDAM is consistent with Atwood’s speculative fiction, which defies genre or conventional boundaries of form and balances scientific precision with imagination, experimentalism and fun.

Photo credit: Ravi Deepres / We Not I

Lead philanthropic support for MADDADDAM is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, The Gail Hutchison Fund, Rosamond Ivey, Tim & Frances Price, Gretchen & Donald Ross, O.C. and The Producers’ Circle.

The Producers’ Circle: Gail & Mark Appel, John & Claudine Bailey, Inger Bartlett & Marshal Stearns, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Jerry & Joan Lozinski, The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Harry & Lillian Seymour Family Foundation and The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation.

Harrison James is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White. Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry & Joan Lozinski.

Top: Koto Ishihara and Harrison James in rehearsal for MADDADDAM. Bottom left: Siphesihle November and Jason Ferro with Artists of the Ballet in rehearsal for MADDADDAM. Bottom right: Wayne McGregor. Photos by Christopher Wahl.

The Collective Agreement: A Conversation with Alonzo King

What drew you to the art of dance and why did you choose to pursue choreography?

My mother was a dancer and her movement, for me, was awe-inspiring. When she moved, I would say that she was in the music and not on the music. She looked different to everyone else and the way that she manipulated time, it was like she was immersed in it. She would teach me things,

so it was a form of intimacy, which I adored. When I moved, I would submerge and the outer world would diminish. The idea of choreography came because when I was moving, I had this intimate personal language that I was already playing in.

You founded your own company, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, in 1982. What has been your vision or ambition for your company in terms of its impact on dance?

In dance you can pose, or you can become. You can do or you can be. If you look at the world now, people don’t want falseness – in their food, in the environment, in their relationships with others or with themselves. There is an unspoken revolution where people don’t want nonsense anymore. How do we live life? How do we make our choices? How do we develop a consciousness that is expansive but also moral? That’s the work. And that’s the work of us all as human beings. At the highest level, it’s the surrender of the ego into the universal idea. It’s scary but amazing to lose the little self within the big self.

What can you tell us about the meaning or themes of The Collective Agreement ?

We begin life with “me” – myself, what I want, my likes and dislikes. With maturity and experience we evolve into “we,” the collective. With even more maturity, depth, expansion and experience we emerge into the “oneness.” We are all connected. In The Collective Agreement there’s the idea of good faith, that we’re here to help each other, that we’re in this together.

The music was composed by Jason Moran, who is a frequent collaborator of yours. How does his music inform your choreography?

Jason is a MacArthur Genius Award-winner. He’s brilliant. Working with him was like finding the partner that I had wanted for a long time. The dancers play their own instruments, in the body, heart and mind, and Jason’s music enriches that. It is a wonderful, auspicious moment when you have someone who is going to build a world with you from the very beginning.

This fall, The National Ballet of Canada will perform Alonzo King’s

The Collective Agreement, a first acquisition from the influential Founder and Artistic Director of Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco. Here, King discusses his career in dance and the inspiration for this dynamic short work.

James Sofranko and Myles Thatcher of San Francisco Ballet in The Collective Agreement. Photo by Erik Tomasson. Alonzo King. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Alonzo King, Ben Rudisin and Tina Pereira in rehearsal for The Collective Agreement. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Tina Pereira is sponsored through Dancers First by The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C. Ben Rudisin is sponsored through Dancers First by Sylvie Allard & Brian O’Keefe.

“Alonzo has a nurturing, almost spiritual approach that challenges dancers both mentally and physically. Having now witnessed Alonzo’s process with our artists I have seen this approach manifested as he works to unearth the humanity in each step, each phrase.”

– Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director

Concerto Returns

There is a unique connection to Canada in Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto, enshrined in the second of the ballet’s three movements. MacMillan created the elegiac pas de deux for Canadian dancer Lynn Seymour at Deutsche Oper Ballet in 1966, having been moved by the sight of her elegant warmup, which the ballet incorporates. The pas de deux is a register of MacMillan’s long professional relationship with Seymour, for whom he created several leading roles, and his ambition for Concerto as an abstract work that delights in pure dance.

In November, The National Ballet of Canada will restage Concerto for the first time since 1990, introducing a new generation of dancers to the musicality and precision of MacMillan’s choreography. The central pas

de deux is bracketed by two movements featuring a large ensemble, reflecting MacMillan’s intent to display the Corps de Ballet.

At the National Ballet, Concerto’s ensemble work is an opportunity for nearly the entire company to perform together in its first full post-pandemic season.

Choreographically, Concerto animates the lightness and clarity of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, op. 102. Guided by the music, the ballet’s three movements shift in mood from exuberant to ethereal, with solo piano overlaying the orchestra.

“Composed for his son Maxim’s first appearance with an orchestra on his 19th birthday, Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto is a departure from the more probing and complex works associated

with the great 20th century Russian composer,” says Music Director and Principal Conductor David Briskin. “Some may recognize the sublime and contemplative second movement as the opening music of John Neumeier’s ballet

The Seagull The two outer movements, however, exude youthful vitality and cheeky playfulness throughout.”

No mention can be made of Concerto without a note on the minimal, brightly coloured costumes designed by Jürgen Rose, which resonate with the vibrancy and abstraction of the whole. In the absence of sets, the costumes are the only visual accoutrement in a ballet devoted to music and movement so glorious they stand alone.

Lauren Cuthbertson and Reece Clarke of The Royal Ballet in Concerto Photo by Tristram Kenton.

Mainstage Debut: Crepuscular

In advance of The National Ballet of Canada’s November performances of Crepuscular, we asked the creator –Montréal-based dancer and choreographer Vanesa G.R. Montoya – to share her insight on the piece’s evolution, from a commission for the virtual season in 2021 to this fall’s mainstage debut.

details, make some improvements and even expand it a bit.

You created Crepuscular during pandemic lockdowns. Revisiting the ballet now, does it feel particular to that time, or has it taken on new meaning?

to navigate the situation so that I didn’t feel too restricted. I tried to avoid large periods of contact and close partnering with several dancers at the same time, but in the end I was able to work on several sections with lots of intricate partnering and contact while also following the safety guidelines.

Crepuscular has gone through several iterations with the National Ballet. What can you tell us about its evolution?

Many of the changes to Crepuscular were linked to the challenges we faced during the worst times of the pandemic. At first, I had the incredible honour to be invited to create something for the National Ballet’s virtual season. Luckily, as time went by (and after several lockdowns), restrictions eased and the company was able to hold some performances outdoors. I was presented with the opportunity to adapt the ballet to be performed live as part of Sharing the Stage in 2021.

After the summer performances I received the wonderful news that the company wanted to add Crepuscular to their repertoire and present it the following season on the mainstage. I could not be more thrilled or grateful for this opportunity!

The inspiration for Crepuscular and its ideas have remained constant, but the ballet has also been evolving, growing and maturing. Revisiting it has given me room to explore the movement on a deeper level and to focus on the

The inspiration for this piece is based on all the different emotions that can surface when we face the unknown – fear, anxiety, pain, loneliness, curiosity, excitement, love, frustration, spiritual connection, hope, inner peace, dreaming and so on. Also, the need for human connection or to isolate and seek introspection. These feelings are present for all of us at different points in our lives, but for many people they intensified during the pandemic. However, I think it can be interpreted beyond that situation.

Even though Crepuscular was created during the pandemic when public health restrictions were limiting our usual way of functioning in the studio, somehow I was able

What have you been doing since you first created Crepuscular ? What has your return to in-person performance and choreography been like?

After creating Crepuscular, life at work picked up really fast!

I am still a very active dancer myself, so I was able to return to full duties as Principal Dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, where I just restaged my biggest creation for the company so far, From the Sun to the Moon. As an artist, it feels great to be back onstage doing what we love so deeply with no reservations or limitations. It is a breath of fresh air!

Lead philanthropic support for Crepuscular is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund and The Producers’ Circle. Tene Ward is sponsored through Dancers First by Michelle & Duncan Sinclair. Tene Ward and Scott McKenzie in Crepuscular. Vanesa G. R. Montoya in rehearsal with Scott McKenzie and Tirion Law. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

Celebrating Excellence and Supporting Our Artistic Vision for Generations to Come

critical role they play in realizing the artistic aspirations of The National Ballet of Canada.

In 1990, when Jim Pitblado was the Chair of the Board of Directors, he recognized that the company needed to develop a strategy to cover approximately 10% of the budget that was not accounted for by ticket sales, fundraising and government grants. He surmised that the best possible solution was to have a strong Endowment that could provide this added support.

of $100 million in 2021/22 before the impact of current market volatility. We owe a giant debt to David for his outstanding leadership and to all the members of the Endowment Foundation Board for their invaluable contribution to this success. This year,, the Endowment will contribute $3.845 million toward the $38.5 million operating budget of the company.

There is much to celebrate as we enter the new performance year, and I can’t think of a more fitting way to kick off the season than by shining the spotlight on our volunteers and donors and the

The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation came to be in 1996 and Jim served as the first Chair. In 2004, David Macdonald took the helm, and over the course of his 18-year tenure to date,the Endowment grew to a high

There are many ways individuals can support the Endowment, but the number one avenue is leaving a gift in their will. In 1994/95, the National Ballet formed the Ballet Horizon Circle to acknowledge individuals who had left a legacy to the company – we started with 22 members that first year. Then, in 2006, the programme was renamed the Celia Franca

Jim Pitblado, Don Johnson and David Macdonald.

Photo by Bruce Zinger.

Society and we had the pleasure of announcing this name change at the premiere of Veronica Tennant’s brilliant documentary film on her life – Celia Franca: Tour de Force – with Celia in attendance.

Fast forward to 2021/22, when we undertook the 70 for 70 Campaign to celebrate the company’s 70th Anniversary and to encourage more of our members and subscribers to consider including the National Ballet in their will. I would like to thank the dedicated members of the Celia Franca Society Ambassador Committee, chaired by Marcia McClung. Over the 13-month campaign, the Celia Franca Society Ambassador Committee inspired 92 individuals from across the country to arrange a gift in their estate plans, cementing a rich and vibrant future for the National Ballet.

The Celia Franca Society now has 300 members!

On October 5, the success of this campaign was recognized

by The Canadian Association of Gift Planners GTA Chapter with the inaugural Excellence in Legacy Giving Award. Throughout the National Ballet’s history, the company has been fortunate to have the support of visionary leaders, volunteers and philanthropists, and this award represents all their efforts and dedication.

At the same event, Donald K. Johnson received the Donor Distinction Award for his tremendous contributions not only to the National Ballet, but also the UHN Foundation, the Ivey School and the United Way among many others. We were pleased to partner on his nomination with our colleagues from these institutions.

When I started working at the National Ballet in 2005, Jim Pitblado began encouraging me to invest in building a Legacy Giving program and over the past 17 years, we have had many gifted staff members who

In Memoriam: Jocelyn Terell Allen

supported the Celia Franca Society’s growth. Six years ago, I hired Richard Lefebvre as our first fulltime dedicated legacy staff member. He and his team will continue to strive to provide our supporters with opportunities to create meaningful legacies, ensuring that the National Ballet will thrive for future generations.

In the next issue of Preview, we will shine the spotlight on the 40th Anniversary of the Patrons’ Council and recognize the extraordinary volunteer leaders who have made such a significant contribution to the life of the company.

Lastly, I would like to thank each and every donor who has stood by the company over 71 years. With your support, The National Ballet of Canada is now considered to be one of the finest ballet companies in the world. Bravo!

Diana Reitberger, CFRE Director of Development

The National Ballet of Canada mourns the loss of former dancer Jocelyn Terell Allen, who died peacefully on September 11, 2022 at the age of 83. Terell was one of Betty Oliphant’s first students when Oliphant had a studio on Sherbourne Street in Toronto. She joined the National ballet in 1956 and became Principal Dancer in 1963, dancing roles such as Odette in Celia Franca’s Swan Lake and Queen of the Wilis in Giselle

After a back injury ended her performing career in 1964, she studied English Literature at York University and the University of Toronto. Terell was a major donor to The National Ballet of Canada and served on the Boards of Canada’s National Ballet School, The Dancer Transition Resource Centre and Peggy Baker Dance Projects. Her book, Early Days, Early Dancers (2020), documents the first decade of the National Ballet with a focus on the dancers of the 1950s.

Jocelyn Terell Allen.

Medcan Focuses on Dancer Wellness

The Dancer Wellness Programme, led by Director Marla Pichler, relies on the specialties of 16 consulting physicians and in-house therapists to maintain our artists’ health and wellness. Medcan has been a long-time partner of The National Ballet of Canada, providing services that support a comprehensive wellness programme. We are grateful for their continued dedication to the health of our dancers.

What makes Medcan a good fit for The National Ballet of Canada?

We share similar values and we both see the importance of keeping physically healthy to be able to perform optimally. While the National Ballet works tirelessly to ensure that their dancers are in the best possible shape to perform, Medcan's offerings ensure that individuals are in optimal health in their everyday lives. We are proud that many of the dancers within the National Ballet trust in us for their health and wellness needs and hope to continue to help them achieve optimal health for many years to come.

What do you hope your sponsorship will achieve?

Medcan's sponsorship is a great way to reach likeminded individuals who may benefit from our products and services. Those involved with the National Ballet tend to have a similar interest regarding health and wellness and we hope to be able to inform others about what we have to offer. In addition, we want to showcase our love for ballet and our commitment towards the dancers.

Arielle Miralles in rehearsal for Crepuscular

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Dancer Q&A: Spencer Hack

What are you looking forward to this fall?

I’m really excited about MADDADDAM. I’m a fan of Wayne McGregor’s work as well as the work of the collaborators he’s brought on board for the production. There aren’t too many ballets based on contemporary literature, so I’m curious to see how he’s been inspired by the themes of Margaret Atwood’s novels and how those themes translate to dance. As a dancer, creations are always exciting to be a part of and I’m sure this will be no exception.

Do you have any professional or personal goals for the season ahead?

My goal for the season ahead is to simply enjoy it. Sometimes I realize that I focus so intensely on dancing well that I forget to think about enjoying it. It’s easy to become discouraged and overwhelmed when I’m struggling with certain steps, or when I feel completely exhausted, but I’m doing my best to remember that no matter how hard things get, I love to dance and I feel so lucky to get to do it every day.

What inspires you these days and keeps you motivated?

I’m motivated and inspired by my friends and colleagues who I work with. This company is full of amazing artists and people. Especially during our run of Swan Lake last June, I was so inspired by the whole company coming together to put on a massive, new production. There was so much care for each other and so much support throughout the creation process and during the run of shows. That experience made it clear to me that dancing with people you care about is one of my favourite things about being a dancer.

Spencer Hack in rehearsal for The Collective Agreement

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Crystal Pite: Angels’ Atlas Feature Documentary

The National Ballet of Canada is proud to present a feature-length documentary featuring Crystal Pite’s highly regarded 2020 ballet Angels' Atlas. The film, the first to be commissioned by the company, follows Pite and the artists of the National Ballet as they return to the stage following the pandemic shutdown, complete with candid interviews and rehearsal footage. Building toward an emotional opening night, the film’s centrepiece is a cinematic capture of Angels’ Atlas in its entirety. The film, which had its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival and its Toronto premiere at Fall For Dance North this fall, will air on the documentary Channel on Sunday, November 13 at 8:00 pm.

cbc.ca/documentarychannel

Crystal Pite: Angels’ Atlas is presented by The National Ballet of Canada with generous support from Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney and Sandra Pitblado, C.M. and Jim Pitblado, C.M. with additional support from The Azrieli Foundation and The Canada Council for the Arts.

The Walter Carsen Centre for The National Ballet of Canada 470 Queens Quay West Toronto, Ontario M5V 3K4 Canada

Audience and Donor Services 416 (1 866) 345 9595

national.ballet.ca

The National Ballet of Canada is a registered charity. Charitable Registration Number 11905 1449 RR0001

Crystal Pite in rehearsal for Angels' Atlas. Photo by Karolina Kuras.