Preview A publication for our donors / Issue No. 54 Spring 2021
Celebrating Karen Kain
Karen Kain. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 2
Celebrating Karen Karen Kain Retires June 30 Our formidable leader, Karen Kain, is set to retire from her role as Artistic Director on June 30, 2021 after an extraordinary international career in dance. I first met Karen in 2013, when the organization was considering my candidacy for the role of Executive Director, succeeding Kevin Garland. I sat in a private dining room at The York Club, nervously awaiting the arrival of a Canadian dance icon. As a young dance student, I watched Karen perform on video tape, and loved her elegance, musicality and grace. I was tall, and so was she, and I had wondered what it would be like to partner her in the big classical ballets. Now, I was to meet her in person and to explore the potential of a different kind of partnership, but one equally thrilling. As we enjoyed our dinner, my nervousness quickly subsided as I soon realized that, while recognized as a cultural icon, Karen Kain is one of the most humble, warm and inspiring human beings I’ve ever encountered. My only regret is that our paths did not cross sooner, as it would have been a joy to be by her side for more than the seven and a half years we’ve had leading The National Ballet of Canada. I am deeply grateful for our professional partnership, and more importantly, for our friendship. Karen’s retirement will follow her announcement of the 2021/22 season, the last she has programmed as Artistic Director, on June 22. As the longest tenured Artistic Director after Founder Celia Franca, the Board of Directors has named Karen Artistic Director Emerita in recognition of her legacy and continuing relationship with the company. While we missed the opportunity to properly and publicly celebrate Karen during the pandemic-shortened 2019/20 season, we will have many opportunities to express our love and thanks, including the highly anticipated world premiere of
Swan Lake, which she is directing and staging. Karen’s entire career with the National Ballet has been rich in community and friendship, not least of all within our donor family. Many of you have championed Karen since the earliest days of her career and continued to support her vision of excellence following her appointment as Artistic Director in 2005. That foundation of trust and belief has always been instrumental for Karen, but never more so than in the past year, amidst so much uncertainty and challenge. During this pandemic, Karen did what she has always done – put the National Ballet first. She delayed her retirement to help see us through, and her love for this company and for all of you will continue to provide “wind in our sails” as we move forward to a bright future. On behalf of all of us, Karen, thank you!
Barry Hughson Executive Director
Barry Hughson and Karen Kain. Photo by Ernesto Di Stefano. The National Ballet of Canada
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Contents Message from Barry Hughson
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Celebrating Karen Kain
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In Your Words: Karen Kain’s Legacy in Dance
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The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra
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Spotlight on Donald K. Johnson, O.C.
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The Azrieli Foundation
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Classics Reimagined for Spotlight Series
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Rebekah Rimsay Celebrates 30 Years
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national.ballet.ca
Preview newsletter is published quarterly by The National Ballet of Canada’s Development Department. Director of Development: Diana Reitberger, CFRE Publisher: John Hart Preview Editor: Caroline Dickie Contributor: Rhea Daniels Art & Design: Carmen Wagner We would love to hear from you. Please send your comments to: preview@national.ballet.ca
Cover: Karen Kain. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 3
Celebrating Artistic Director Karen Kain In celebration of Karen’s final season with The National Ballet of Canada we are proud to share a brief visual portrait of Karen’s extraordinary accomplishments as Artistic Director.
2005 Appointed Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada.
2006
Restages The Sleeping Beauty as the National Ballet’s opening production in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
2011
Partners with the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Christopher Wheeldon.
2009
Celebrates four Dora Mavor Moore Awards with choreographer Crystal Pite for Emergence.
2011
Commissions Alexei Ratmansky to create a new Romeo and Juliet for the company’s 60th anniversary.
2010
Opens The Gretchen Ross Production Centre, a dedicated facility for building, maintaining and storing the company’s sets, lighting and props.
2013
Appoints Guillaume Côté and Robert Binet as Choreographic Associate and appoints Alysa Pires to the same role in 2019.
Guillaume Côté is sponsored through Dancers First by Emmanuelle Gattuso, C.M. and Allan Slaight, C.M. Jillian Vanstone is sponsored through Dancers First by George & Kathy Dembroski. Jenna Savella is sponsored through Dancers First by Elvio & Marlene DelZotto. 4
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2014
2015
Returns the National Ballet to the international stage with successful tours to London, United Kingdom and Washington, D.C.
Tours the National Ballet to Los Angeles and New York City.
2015
Receives a 2015 Dance Magazine Award, presented by Mikhail Baryshnikov in New York City.
2016
Unveils The Karen Kain Studio Wing at The Walter Carsen Centre, which honours her accomplishments as Artistic Director.
2017 Tours the company to Paris, France for the first time in 45 years.
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2018
2018
Unveils Anna Karenina by John Neumeier, a collaboration with Bolshoi Ballet and Hamburg Ballet.
2019
Tours the company to San Francisco, Receives the Queen Elizabeth II Hamburg, Germany and Moscow and Coronation Award from Dame St. Petersburg in Russia. Monica Mason, The Royal Academy of Dance’s highest honour, for her contributions to ballet, the first Canadian to receive the award.
2019
Celebrates 50 glorious years with The National Ballet of Canada.
Alongside Board Chair Cornell Wright and Soaring Chair David Macdonald, announces the successful completion of the Soaring Campaign.
2020
Tours the company to Washington, D.C. to rave reviews.
Naoya Ebe is sponsored through Dancers First by Gretchen Ross. Photos by Aleksandar Antonijevic, Gary Beechey, Alana de Haan, Johan Hallberg-Campbell, Karolina Kuras, Victoria Schwarzl, Cylla von Tiedemann, George Whiteside and Bruce Zinger. Opposite: Karen Kain commemorative stamp: Photo by Andrew Oxenham. Design by Stéphane Huot. 6
2019
2020
Announces MADDADDAM, an original work by Wayne McGregor based on the novels of Margaret Atwood.
2021
Canada Post unveils a stamp in Karen’s honour.
Karen Kain Legacy Fund In recognition of Karen’s unique legacy as a dancer, creative collaborator, arts advocate and leader, The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation has established the Karen Kain Legacy Fund. Gifts to the Legacy Fund will help future artistic directors seize new opportunities and develop visionary ideas while maintaining fiscal balance, hallmarks of Karen’s leadership. Celebrate Karen’s legacy and invest in future artistic creativity by making a charitable gift today.
national.ballet.ca/LegacyFund Thank you to the following donors who have generously made inaugural gifts to launch the Karen Kain Legacy Fund. (As of May 11, 2021) Lisa Balfour Bowen Indra & Rags Davloor Ms. Laura Dinner & Mr. Richard Rooney Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance Linda Haynes & Martin Connell K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation Anna McCowan Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C. Arthur Labatt, O.C. & Sonia Labatt
The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C. Julie & Ted Medland The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation Nancy Pencer Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M. John & Susan Rose The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada One Anonymous Donor
To see more photos from Karen’s glorious 50-year career with The National Ballet of Canada, visit national.ballet.ca/KarenKain. The National Ballet of Canada
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In Your Words: Karen Kain’s Beautiful Legacy in Dance “To Karen Kain, thank you for keeping this beautiful national jewel alive and competitive for all these years! With my fondest memories.” – Vera Vadura
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“Congratulations, Karen! You are a Canadian icon and represent Canada so brilliantly. You make us proud. Thank you for what you have created over the past 50 years to elevate the arts and ballet to new heights. Incredible!” – Christine Zalzal
“I had the joy of watching Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn at the O’Keefe Centre as a child and fell in love with the ballet. I had the added joy of working at the O’Keefe Centre years later as an usher and was happiest during ballet season.” – Siân Raphael
“I can’t tell you how much your work has enriched my cultural life, particularly since Karen Kain took the helm – she will be missed.” – Joan Haberman
“I used to take a book about Karen out of my small town library and sleep with it under my pillow. I was so in love with her as a child!” – Brenda Brady
“I literally gasped the first time I saw Karen dance live, when I saw her come down the stairs in Carmen and flash that red dress. A vision of loveliness, passion and talent.” – Sharlene Arnold
“The most beautiful dancer ever and the loveliest human being. Congratulations, Karen, you make Canada SO proud!” – Debbie McCabe
Heather Ogden is sponsored through Dancers First by Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin. Karen Kain admiring Andy Warhol’s portrait of her (1980). Photo by Doug Griffin. Frank Augustyn and Karen Kain in Afternoon of a Faun (1977). Photo by Barry Gray. Rudolf Nureyev and Karen Kain in Swan Lake (1972). Photo by Anthony Crickmay. Karen Kain and Denys Ganio in Carmen with Ballet Nationale de Marseilles (1970). Photo by Colette Masson. Karen Kain congratulating Heather Ogden after her debut in Anna Karenina (2018). Photo by Karolina Kuras. Opposite: Karen Kain and Rex Harrington in Romeo and Juliet (1992). Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
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The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra By definition, an orchestra is an ensemble, a large group of musicians playing different instruments together. While the type and genre may vary, and solos are common, the true power of any orchestra rests with precisely this quality of togetherness. So, what is an orchestra in the absence of in-person gathering? The COVID-19 pandemic has forced orchestras worldwide to engage with this question and discover new ways
to create and play music together. Last fall, Music Director and Principal Conductor David Briskin worked with the musicians of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra to record a gorgeous rendition of Edward Elgar’s Nimrod from his Enigma Variations. Listening to it, you would never know that each part was recorded alone, in living rooms, home studios and basements on personal devices and computers.
You would never know because the lasting impression it gives is one of harmony – musically and personally, as an expression of solidarity among artists who know their power as a group, who love playing music together. Here, David Briskin shares news of the National Ballet Orchestra as the musicians work to stay connected with one another, their art form and you, our donor family.
Listen to The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra play “Nimrod”: national.ballet.ca/Nimrod
“Donor support has allowed me to keep my skills at a high level, so that I am ready to jump back into performing with the company as soon as it safe to do so.” – Jessie Brooks, Principal Horn
Jessie Brooks. Photo courtesy of the artist.
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A Message from David Briskin As we approach the end of one of the most unusual and challenging seasons in our history, I’ve recently been reflecting not so much on what we lost this past year, but what we’ve gained. Making music when we were physically and at times even geographically distanced was both an enormous challenge and an inspiration. Despite the many obstacles of the past year, we never gave up. During the past year many of our musicians created thank you videos for our donors and even turned out for a mini surprise birthday concert on someone’s front lawn.
I listened to members of our orchestra play a Beethoven string quartet at a backyard porch concert. Still others are playing virtually on a regular basis for homebound seniors via Zoom. When members of our cello, bass and percussion sections came together last December to record David Bontemps’s music for Trase Pa by Kevin A. Ormsby, and 24 string players gathered to record the music for George Balanchine’s Apollo in Prima Studio, it was the first time the orchestra had played together in nine months. Last year’s recording of Elgar’s
Nimrod also shines particularly bright. It serves as a powerful reminder of what we’ve been through together, and how we made music even though we were apart. In the face of separation, isolation and uncertainty, we created an ensemble and a musical community from individuals separated by time and distance, recreating what happens organically and naturally when an orchestra gathers and plays together. Each time I listen to our Nimrod, it fills me with hope and reaffirms my certainty in a vibrant future when we all can gather together once again.
The National Ballet Orchestra is supported by the TD Bank Group Orchestra Fund and by members of the Music Circle. The Music Circle: John & Claudine Bailey, Nani & Austin Beutel, Peter & Eleanor Daniels, Jeanie A. Davis, Indra & Rags Davloor, The Thor E. Eaton and Nicole Eaton Family Charitable Foundation, Mary & Graham Hallward, William & Ruth Herridge, Anne & Charles Morison, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., John & Susan Rose, Gretchen Ross & Donald Ross, O.C., Noreen Taylor, C.M. & David Staines, C.M., O.Ont., and The Mary-Margaret Webb Foundation. Music Director and Principal Conductor David Briskin. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
Watch “Return to the Music,” a video about the orchestra reuniting to film the music for Trase Pa by Kevin A. Ormsby: national.ballet.ca/Return The National Ballet of Canada
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A “Bold Step” that Changed Canada’s Philanthropic Landscape: Spotlight on Donald K. Johnson, O.C. Honourary Board member Don Johnson recently published a book, Lessons Learned on Bay Street: The Sale Begins When the Customer Says NO. While much of the book recounts Don’s successful 50-year career as an investment banker on Bay Street, he devotes a chapter to a project that consumed him for more than a decade: the elimination of capital gains tax for donations of public securities. It all began in 1993, when Jim Pitblado, then Chair of the National Ballet’s Board of Directors, asked Don to join him on the Board. Jim knew that Don’s wife Anna McCowan Johnson was the Artistic Director of the Interplay School of Dance, a ballet academy she founded in 1983,
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and that Don would not hesitate to say yes. Two years later, Jim along with Larry Heisey and Karen Kain, paid Don a visit to ask him to Chair the Bold Steps campaign. As Chair, Don led the joint effort to raise $13 million to create a permanent home for the company – The Walter Carsen Centre for The National Ballet of Canada, which opened in 1996. This campaign became the catalyst for one of Don’s greatest achievements – the elimination of capital gains tax for donations of public securities, a change he campaigned for over a period of 12 years. When the tax was finally removed in 2006, the National Ballet experienced
a significant increase in overall giving, particularly to the Endowment Foundation, which has seen ten times the number of such gifts since. Don’s advocacy resulted in historic change for charitable giving in Canada, opening the door for millions of dollars in gifts of securities for notfor-profit organizations. In fact, it is estimated that since 2006, almost every year, Canadian charities receive more than $1 billion in gifts of securities from individual and corporate donors. Along with Anna, who sadly passed in 2020, Don has been among the National Ballet’s closest and most influential supporters. Together, they established a legacy of giving that encompasses
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everything the company strives for and represents – artistic excellence, community engagement, accessibility, visionary planning and financial security. Don’s ballet journey is one of continued advocacy, not only for the company and the art of ballet, but for the transformative power of giving itself. Don has always been both a leader and a partner in change. He and Anna were among the first to support the National Ballet’s recent Soaring Campaign with a gift of over $1 million, motivating others to do the same. In addition to chairing the Bold Steps Campaign, he later served on the campaign cabinet for the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts to raise the funds for
Canada’s first purpose-built venue for ballet and opera. Don and Anna also made one of the first $1 million gifts to the Karen Kain Legacy Fund, to honour Karen’s 50th Anniversary with the company. Don honoured Anna’s lifetime commitment to dance and, in particular, her passion for arts education, by establishing the Anna McCowan Johnson Dance Accessibility Fund within the National Ballet Endowment Foundation in 2017. The fund supports new and existing community engagement initiatives to share the beauty of dance with young people across Canada. That same year, the Johnsons became Dancers First sponsors of Principal Dancer Svetlana Lunkina.
Don remains a leading advocate for tax incentives that support charitable giving and is now working for a capital gains exemption on gifts made from the proceeds of real estate sales and private company shares. The change would benefit the many hospitals, universities, arts organizations and schools that Don cherishes and would galvanize others to give. One of Don’s favourite mottos is “It can be done”. We are so proud to recognize Don for his unwavering commitment to increase opportunities for charitable giving to benefit all Canadians. Sincerely, Diana Reitberger, CFRE Director of Development
Gifts of Securities By donating securities (publicly listed shares or stocks) directly to The National Ballet of Canada, as opposed to selling them and donating the proceeds, the capital gains tax can be eliminated. This means more impact for the National Ballet and a greater charitable tax credit for you.
Sell securities for cash. Donate after-tax proceeds.
Donate securities directly to the National Ballet
Original Cost of Securities
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
Current Market Value
$5,000.00
$5,000.00
Capital Gain
$4,000.00
$4,000.00
Tax on Capital Gains
$920.00¹
$0.00
Donation Amount After-Tax
$4,080.00 2
$5,000.00
The National Ballet gets $920 more!
Your Charitable Gift Credit
$1,876.00¹
$2,300.00¹
Your charitable tax credit is $424 more!
¹ This assumes a 46% marginal tax rate. For calculating capital gains tax, this rate is applied to 50% of the capital gain. 2
$4,080.00 represents the full value of $5,000.00 minus estimated tax of $920.00.
For more information about making a gift of securities, please contact Lucy White at lwhite@national.ballet.ca or 416 345 9686 x333.
Opposite: Donald K. Johnson, O.C. and Anna McCowan Johnson. Photo by Karolina Kuras. The National Ballet of Canada
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The Azrieli Foundation Supports Digital Infrastructure
A valued partner since 2017, the Azrieli Foundation has recently moved to support the capacity for digital programming at The National Ballet of Canada as part of its Arts Restart strategy, a special response to the effects of COVID-19. We asked Jason van Eyk, Manager of Music Initiatives, to share the Foundation’s giving philosophy at this consequential time for arts and philanthropy. Why did the Azrieli Foundation include music and arts in the category of emergency needs in its COVID-19 response plan? In some ways for very practical reasons. We knew that the arts sector was the first and most severely hit, and that it would also be the slowest to recover. Given our commitment to music, arts and culture, we felt we had to be there. We also recognize the importance of the arts in a time like this. When the pandemic began, it was the arts that provided solace, a place for reflection and moments of joy. People loved sharing videos from dancers, musicians and other artists. That became very important for people’s well-being. What inspires you about the artistic response to the COVID-19 crisis? We have been gob-smacked by the ways in which organizations have completely reimagined themselves by experimenting with
their programming, especially through digital initiatives. The pandemic accelerated ideas that were just notions before, quickly changing how we tell stories. What do you hope to accomplish by supporting digital capture and distribution initiatives at the National Ballet and the Canadian Opera Company? Our core purpose in music and the arts is to support organizations that discover, elevate and amplify creative voices, granting broad access to meaningful arts experiences that exhibit excellence and enrich our quality of life and learning. We had conversations early on about the digital stages program with both organizations and we have been able to make moderate contributions towards the project through our Arts Restart strategy. We’re so pleased that the Department of Canadian Heritage has made a large commitment to the project,
especially in the facilities that these organizations have available to them, which are such great resources in the arts community. The Azrieli Foundation proposes a strategy of support for rebuilding communities in the wake of COVID-19. What role do you see the arts playing in the rebuild phase? In today’s digital world, audiences are global. We hope to have conversations about what it means to be a hybridized organization in terms of delivering live and digital presentations, simultaneously or in tandem, to a wide variety of audiences. We want to encourage organizations to integrate those successful innovations they have made during the pandemic into their operations, and to adopt practices that will allow them to be more sustainable and relevant to more people over the longer term.
Brendan Saye is sponsored through Dancers First by Robin Vaile Robinson. Brendan Saye, Alejandro Álvarez Cadilla and Paolo Santos during the filming of Apollo. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 14
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Classics Reimagined for Spotlight Series This spring, The National Ballet of Canada is presenting newly created dance films of beloved works. Selected by Karen Kain especially for Spotlight Series and shot by acclaimed directors, following strict health protocols, the first
programme features two of George Balanchine’s works: Apollo, directed by Alejandro Álvarez Cadilla, and Tarantella, directed by Paul McNulty. The Sleeping Beauty Variations, with excerpts from Rudolf Nureyev’s celebrated work, directed by Karolina
Kuras, will be released on June 10. These films, released to the public for free, have been a wonderful opportunity for our artists to continue to rehearse, perform and connect with audiences virtually this season.
Lead philanthropic support for Spotlight Series is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund with additional support from The Producers’ Circle. The Producers’ Circle: Gail & Mark Appel, John & Claudine Bailey, Inger Bartlett & Marshal Stearns, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, The Thor E. and Nicole Eaton Family Charitable Foundation, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M., 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 & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Harry & Lillian Seymour Family Foundation, Gerald Sheff & Shanitha Kachan and The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation. Apollo is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada. The Sleeping Beauty is made possible by generous contributions from Margaret Fleck & Jim Fleck, C.C., The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Gretchen Ross and Nancy Pencer & Michael Benjamin. Tina Pereira is sponsored through Dancers First by The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C. Kathryn Hosier is sponsored through Dancers First by Donna Meyers & Doug Richmond. Artists of the Ballet during the filming of The Sleeping Beauty Variations. Back row: Koto Ishihara, Kathryn Hosier, Jaclyn Oakley. Front row: Tirion Law, Miyoko Koyasu and Tina Pereira. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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Celebrating 30 Years with Rebekah Rimsay This season marks the 30th anniversary of Principal Character Artist Rebekah Rimsay. Renowned for her nuanced, dramatic performances, Rebekah joined The National Ballet of Canada as a Corps de Ballet member in 1990 and has performed a range of character and featured roles, including her iconic portrayal of the Stepsister in Cinderella, which James Kudelka created for her in 2004. Rebekah was promoted to Second Soloist in 1995, First Soloist in 1998 and Principal Character Artist in 2012. Congratulations to Rebekah on her remarkable career!
Cinderella (2004).
With Christopher Body in The Four Temperaments (2006).
Jewels (2000).
The Sleeping Beauty (2011).
Rebekah Rimsay. Photos by Karolina Kuras, Cylla von Tiedemann and Bruce Zinger.
The Walter Carsen Centre for The National Ballet of Canada 470 Queens Quay West Toronto, Ontario M5V 3K4 Canada
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