Preview A publication for our donors / Issue No. 50 Winter 2020
Greta Hodgkinson Says Farewell
Portrait photograph by Aleksandar Antonijevic.
Welcome to the Winter Season It has long been my ambition as Artistic Director to create a place on the world stage for The National Ballet of Canada, not only on tour, but also as a recognized destination for high calibre work. The winter season reflects this goal, with an exciting offering of ballets from our recent repertoire, a new acquisition, a n d a m u c h - a n t i c i p a te d wo r l d premiere from Crystal Pite. Cr ystal works with incredible insight and generosity to create pieces that are both visually compelling and emotionally ver y p owe r f ul. S he lef t a n in de lib le impression on the company when s h e c re ate d Em e r g e n c e fo r u s in 20 0 9, and we a re thrille d to be collaborating with her again a s s h e c o n t i n u e s to m a ke h e r mark as a choreographer of distinction worldwide. Chroma is an exhilarating short ballet, full of the dynamic, physical choreography for which Wayne McGregor is known. This is a perfect time to re engage with Wayne’s aesthetic, as we look ahead to collaborating with him on a brand new full-length work in partnership with Margaret At wood, set to premiere in 2020/21.
Karen Kain. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 2
The winter season also fe a tu r e s a n ew a c q u i s i ti o n fo r the National Ballet, Sir Frederick A s h to n’s g o r g e o u s M a r g u e r i t e a nd A r m a nd, which he create d for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in 1963. Greta Hodgkinson h a s c h o s e n t h i s wo r k to m a r k he r retirement from the role of Principal Dancer after an inspirational career with the National Ballet, a n d I c a n n o t t h i n k of a b e t te r showcase for her talents. F i n a l l y, w e g i v e y o u A l e x e i Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet, one of the first new full-length ballets of my tenure as Artistic Director. A glorious adaptation with exquisite dancing, it has fast become a staple of our repertoire, and I am so pleased to share it with you again. Thank you for contributing to another exciting season of dance.
Karen Kain, C.C. Artistic Director
A Visionary Leader: Karen Kain Expands the Repertoire K a r e n K a i n h a s i m p a c te d a ll areas of The National Ballet of Canada during her tenure as Artistic Director, with none more evident than the quality and scope of the repertoire. With the help of donors and the Soaring Campaign that raised over $44 million specifically for new productions, Karen has commissioned or acquired 59 works since her appointment in 20 05, introducing bold contemporary works and sumptuous full-length classics by today’s leading choreographers. Invitations to tour have followed, and there has never been greater demand to see or collaborate with the National Ballet than there is right now. The company’s strengthened international standing is testament to Karen’s vision, tenacity and planning, and forms par t of her legacy as Artistic Director. E xpanding the reper toire has had the intended effect of sparking new interest in the National Ballet and, with it, the chance to tour i n te r n a t i o n a l l y. U n d e r K a r e n’s leadership, the company has toured to New York Cit y, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Paris, London, Hamburg and, for the first time ever, to Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2018, earning high praise throughout.
Svetlana Lunkina and Evan McKie in Chroma. Photo by Karolina Kuras. The National Ballet of Canada
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Contents
Chroma Chroma was the first work Karen acquired from the acclaimed B r itish chore o gr aphe r Way ne M c G r e g o r, g i v i n g C a n a d a a n unforgettable introduction to his h i g h l y p hy s i c a l a e s t h e t i c. T h e body assumes a level of sculptural beauty in Chroma, where it appears without visual interruption against a stark white background designed by John Pawson. In this setting, the body becomes “chroma” or “freedom from white,” and it intersects with other aesthetic variables such as space, light and proportion. Created in 2006 and first performed by the National Ballet i n 2010 , C h r o m a c o m b i n e s o r i g i n a l m u s i c by J o by Ta l b o t
with orchestrations of songs by indie rock duo The White Stripes for a multi-layered experience of contemporary art. Acquisitions of ten mark a first step in forging longstanding creative par tnerships with choreographers, and this has cer tainly been the case with Wayne McGregor. Karen followed the success of Chroma by a c q u i r i n g G e n u s i n 2 017, a n d McGregor will return to the National Ballet with a new production i n N ove m b e r 20 20 , c r e a te d i n collaboration with Canadian author Margaret Atwood, based on her Maddaddam Trilogy.
Message from the Artistic Director Karen Kain Expands the Repertoire World Premiere: Crystal Pite Dancer Spotlight: Greta Hodgkinson The Sleeping Beauty on Tour Corps Q & A: Jimmy Coleman Message from the Director of Development Donor Profile: Nancy Pencer CreativAction YOU dance Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires Maria Seletskaja Dancer Wellness Events / In Brief 2020/21 Season
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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 Art & Design: Carmen Wagner We would love to hear from you. Please send your comments to: preview@national.ballet.ca Svetlana Lunkina is sponsored through Dancers First by Anna McCowan Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C. The National Ballet of Canada
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Cover: Greta Hodgkinson. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.
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Romeo and Juliet Karen commissioned a new Romeo and Juliet to open the company’s 60th anniversary season in 2011, initiating the company’s first original partnership with Alexei Ratmansky, whose Russian Seasons she acquired earlier that year. Ratmansky is Artist-in-Residence at American Ballet Theatre, and a master at combining classical, contemporary and folk dance elements. His Romeo and Juliet is alive with the colour and character of 16th century Verona, where the famous young love r s tr y to circumve nt their feuding families. A gorgeous
production with sets and costumes by the Tony Award-winning designer of The Lion King, Richard Hudson, Romeo and Juliet garnered international attention on its world premiere and toured successfully to New York City, Los Angeles and, af ter a 26 year absence for the company, to London, England in 2013. Karen went on to acquire two parts of Ratmansky’s famous S h o s t a ko v i c h Tr i l o g y i n 2 015 , his Symphony #9 and his Piano Concerto #1, which the company revived last fall.
Lead philanthropic support for Romeo and Juliet is provided by Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., with additional generous support from Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, an anonymous friend of the National Ballet and Walter Carsen, O.C.
Guillaume Côté is sponsored through Dancers First by Emmanuelle Gattuso, C.M. and Allan Slaight, C.M. Guillaume Côté and Elena Lobsanova in Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
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Swan Lake This season features one of the most significant world premieres o f K a r e n ’s c a r e e r a s A r t i s t i c Director, her very own Swan Lake, choreographed in the manner of Erik Bruhn. Timed to coincide with Karen’s 50th anniversary with the National Ballet, this exciting new staging is being built by an all-star creative team, including renowned designer Gabriela Týlešová. Karen’s adaptation rediscovers the romance and psychological power of Swan Lake as Prince Siegfried and Odette fall in love in the shadow of Rothbart’s curse. The story unfolds in a timeless, fairy-tale space full of beauty and menace, with stylized palace gardens and a quiet lakeside where Odette must exist as a swan by day and a woman by night, until a declaration of true love breaks the spell. Swan Lake is an enormous undertaking for the company and an important milestone in Karen’s career. With this world premiere, she becomes the fourth Artistic Director of the N ationa l Ba llet to s t age h e r ow n S wa n L a k e, f o l l ow i n g C e l i a Fr a n c a , E r i k B r u h n a n d James Kudelka.
Lead philanthropic support for Swan Lake is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, with generous underwriting from Richard M. Ivey, C.C., an anonymous friend of the National Ballet, Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M., Q.C., The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Nancy Pencer, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Gretchen Ross & Donald Ross, O.C., Anne-Marie Canning, Anna McCowan Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Tim & Frances Price, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M. and Aaron & Heather Regent. Additional support provided by The Producers’ Circle. Hannah Fischer is sponsored through Dancers First by an anonymous donor. Hannah Fischer. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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World Premiere: Crystal Pite Olivier Award-winning choreographer Crystal Pite returns to Toronto in March 2020 with a brand new work for The National Ballet of Canada. This highly anticipated world premiere comes at the height of Pite’s career, as she earns international recognition for ambitious work that merges abstraction with an almost lyrical responsiveness to the human experience. Pite created her first work for the National Ballet, Emergence, in 2009, immersing the company in a subterranean world of twitching, insect-like creatures and sinister ensembles. With her new production, Pite hopes to go even further, mingling classical elements with the freedom and sweep of contemporary dance. “I had a great time working here ten years ago on Emergence,” she says. “I love the company and it’s interesting to see how it has changed in the time since. I feel in many ways they’ve ga ine d c omplexit y a nd depth in their dancing and they’re more fluent in the contemporar y vocabulary, so it’s really satisfying to do things that will stretch a little further in that direction.” Pite says the impetus for her new work came from the experiments her par tner and set designer Jay Taylor has done to develop a system for manipulating light on a s u r f a c e. “ To g e th e r w i th To m Visser, our lighting designer, Jay has been discovering and experimenting with a myriad of ways to deliver reflective light to a sur face.
It’s analog and made of the simplest materials, but what it delivers is this incredibly rich thing – a magnificent surface that is a morphing, shifting w a l l o f l i g h t . I t ’s b e e n r e a l l y inspiring to think about how to dance with that.” Pite’s choreographic process is intensely collaborative. She respects the dancers deeply and encourages them to find new parameters and motives for movement. “Usually when I walk into the studio I feel afraid,” she says. “I’m always full of doubt and, on certain days, terror of having to get up and think in front of people and not know in front of people. But I draw a lot of strength and courage from the people in the room and once I get started I just kind of lean into them and let them guide me and inspire me.” Ensemble work is a distinctive f e a t u r e o f P i te’s a e s t h e t i c . Emergence used every dancer in the company regardless of rank, and Pite’s new work will do the same, freeing her to experiment with pattern and space and to explore what she calls “colossal ideas” from the standpoint of the collective – as part of being human. “When I was a little kid, my uncle a nd my dad t a lke d to me a lot about the cosmos and I remember h av i n g t h e s e m o m e n t s w h e n I could kind of perceive how tiny I was. They encouraged me to think about these great unanswerable questions that I didn’t and still don’t have the capacity to understand.
The feeling of leaning into those questions – questions about love and death and infinity – makes me feel very alive. Somehow working with that sur face of light, which is so chaotic and beautiful and unpredictable, reminds me of that feeling, of being small, of not knowing, and the thrill of that.” Pite explains that the mercurial a n d e p h e m e r a l q u a li t y of li g h t playing across a sur face struck h e r a s a n a l o g o u s to th e a r t of c ho re o g r a p hy, a n a r t fo r m s he describes as “always in a state of disappearing.” “There is a quote by the writer and critic Max Wyman that I really love. He says dance ‘is an art form that simultaneously defines and defies the ephemerality of existence. We have nothing but the body, and soon enough we will not even have the body. But it is that physicality that speaks so eloquently about the implications of mortality, and at the same time voices our defiance.’” “Our lives and our dances are always built in relationship to time and, by extension, mortality,” Pite continues. “I would like for this creation to put something on stage that looks like that. I want to see if I can speak about our ephemerality and at the same time voice our d e f i a n c e . I ’m t r y i n g t o m a k e something that evokes a fierce pulse of life. And then I’ll let the ephemeral part take care of itself.”
Support for the World Premiere by Crystal Pite is generously provided by An Anonymous Donor, Rosamond Ivey, The Producers’ Circle, The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada and The Gail Hutchison Fund. 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., Lynda & Jonas Prince, The Harry & Lillian Seymour Family Foundation, Gerald Sheff & Shanitha Kachan and The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation. Crystal Pite in rehearsal. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 6
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Dancer Spotlight: Greta Hodgkinson “I’m proud of all I’ve accomplished at The National Ballet of Canada,” s ay s G r e t a H o d g k i n s o n of h e r remarkable 30 -year career. “I’m incredibly grateful for all the opportunities I’ve received. Even though s aying goodbye will be bittersweet, I have every reason to celebrate and enjoy my final year as Principal Dancer.” Greta will give her farewell per formances in Marguerite and Armand during the company premiere of the renowned work, February 29 – March 7. Born in Rhode Island and trained at Festival Ballet of Rhode Island and Canada’s National Ballet School, Greta joined the National Ballet in 1990 at age 16. “I remember being s o e age r the n a nd showing up an hour early before class in order to warm up. I still do,” she says, laughing. “Everything was so new – the schedule, the repertoire to learn and my colleagues – but it was all so stimulating. I was happy to have a full-time job as a dancer, to be challenged and to be exhausted at the end of each day.” Eve n a t th a t yo u n g a g e, s h e s ays, s he k new the wo r k ethic and dedication that was required of her. “I’ve always been driven,” she says. “There are no short cuts in this profession, only slow and s te a d y wo r k .” A n d th o u g h s h e was confident in her ability, she tried to absorb as much as she could from her colleagues in the company. Her efforts paid off, with the oppor tunit y to pe r for m the principal role of Diamond Lady in The Sleeping Beauty in her first year. “From the beginning,” Greta says, “I felt like the National Ballet was the right place for me.” Identified early on for her precise and musical technique, Greta
Greta Hodgkinson. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic. 8
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has per formed ever y role in the classical canon. “I was extremely fortunate to start dancing full-length works early and to dance them steadily throughout my career.” Greta is celebrated for roles such as Giselle, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and for creating the role of Odette/Odile in James Kudelka’s Swan Lake in 1999. Greta is equally known for her versatility and physical power in contemporary work. “The strength and te chnique re quire d for the classical repertoire are great points to jump of f to explore dif ferent ways of moving,” she says. “By creating new work, I learned new co-ordinations, pathways, port de bras and opposition, for example. All
of which informed and improved my classical work as well.” G r e t a’s r e s u m e fe a tu r e s collaborations with the choreographic innovators of the l a s t t h i r t y y e a r s : G l e n Te t l e y, J i ř í Ky l i á n , W i l l i a m F o r s y t h e , James Kudelka, Alexei Ratmansky, C h r i s to p h e r W h e e l d o n, Way n e McGregor and Cr ystal Pite. “ Wor k ing with the se ma ste r s i n f o r m e d m y w o r k s o m u c h ,” Greta says. “And these incredible oppor tunities opened doors and possibilities for me. As a result, I had the benefit to travel and work with so many new people – partners, coaches and choreographers all around the world. I wanted to be open to many influences and learn
as much as I could.” While enjoying international opportunities, Greta also knew she wanted to have roots in a company where she could always feel both grounded and challenged. “With a home base like I’ve had, I knew I would have people I could trust and who know me best. I’ve worked with Principal Artistic Coach Magdalena Popa for my whole career. She gives me tough love and support, as well as a critical eye. Both she and my husband, Etienne Lavigne, are honest with me. That kind of consistent, ex te r nal, obje c tive pe r spe c tive is invaluable.” Greta says she still has the same passion and drive as always, but also admires how “smooth, seamless and
Clockwise from top left: With Former Principal Dancer Rex Harrington in The Four Seasons (1997). Photo by Andrew Oxenham. Giselle (1996). Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann. With Former Principal Dancer Aleksandar Antonijevic in Swan Lake (2003). Photo by Andrew Oxenham. The National Ballet of Canada
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“She is a fearless, exquisitely musical dancer – and one of the most technically proficient artists I have known. She excels in the most classical of ballets and the most contemporary. Her contribution to this company cannot be understated. It has been a pleasure to watch her wonderful career.” - Karen Kain
graceful Karen Kain’s retirement was” and hopes to accomplish the same. With a season that includes Giselle, Petite Mort and Marguerite and Armand, “I couldn’t ask for a better year than this to end with,” she says. “I still feel like I’m in the right place for me,” Greta says of the National Ballet. “I feel a deep loyalty to the company, and it has shown me great loyalty as well.” “I’m so proud of the productions we do and how the dancers look,” she says. Over the last several years, Greta has been coaching the National Ballet’s dancers in various productions. She also travelled to The Bolshoi Ballet to help set Romeo and Juliet by Alexei Ratmansky. “I enjoy passing down what I know and what I’ve experienced, whether that’s the intentions of movement I’ve learned from choreographers or my understanding of ballets that are tr a d i ti o n s i n th i s c o m p a ny. A n important part of ballet is this sharing of first-hand knowledge and I feel a responsibility to give back. It was helpful for me as a dancer to look up to and work with such people. I wish to continue that tradition.”
From top: In rehearsal for A Month in the Country (2014). Photo by Bruce Zinger. Onegin (2011). Photo by Sian Richards. Other Dances (2011). Photo by Bruce Zinger. 10
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Greta on Marguerite and Armand “Marguerite and Armand contains all the elements that have been predominant in my career: classical t e c h n i q u e , c h a r a c t e r- d r i v e n , incredible music, a tragic story full of drama and sweeping, romantic pas de deux,” Greta says. “All of these are condensed in a 40-minute gem of a piece.” A wo r k o f b a l l e t l e g e n d , S i r Frederick Ashton created Marguerite and Armand in 1963 to celebrate the partnership of Margot Fonteyn a n d R u d o l f N u r e y e v. F o n t e y n and Nureyev performed it for the last time in 1977, then the ballet was retired during their lifetimes. It was revived in 2003 and performed by select dancers. “Given its history,” Greta says, “I’m honoured to have this opportunity to perform it.” She relays how she had been in discussions with Karen Kain about performing it for several years, though not necessarily as a piece to retire with. “Once we talked about saying farewell, it was a logical choice. I wanted to do a new role and the work epitomizes everything I love about ballet.” Greta says she loves Ashton’s works. “His choreography is difficult, detailed, musical and expressive and his ballets, like La Fille mal gardée, are so well-crafted in their concise structure and story-telling.” Most inspiring to Greta is the ability to explore rich and complex characters, like those in A Month in the Country. Set to an orchestral arrangement of Fr a nz L i s z t ’s B mino r p ia no sonata, the stor y of Marguerite and Armand is based on La Dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas about a Parisian cour tesan who reminisces about a love affair as she is dying from tuberculosis – a role that demands both great technique and dramatic expression.
Greta’s Performances in Marguerite and Armand Saturday, February 29, 7:30 pm Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 pm Thursday, March 5, 7:30 pm Friday, March 6, 7:30 pm Saturday, March 7, 7:30 pm • Onstage Celebration “Ashton leaves room for the artist to tr a n s i ti o n f r o m o n e th o u g ht to another, to process and respond o r a c t a n d r e a c t ,” s ay s G r e t a . “T here’s a lot of time to inve st emotion in the character and to build drama through the relationships
between characters. Guillaume Côté and I learned the choreography over t wo we e ks in th e s u m m e r, b u t we’re anxious to get back into the studio to delve into the characters and relationships.”
Greta Hodgkinson and Guillaume Côté in rehearsal for Marguerite and Armand. Photo by Karolina Kuras. The National Ballet of Canada
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The Sleeping Beauty Tours Internationally The National Ballet of Canada’s sumptuous production of The Sleeping Beauty returned to international touring in 2019/20 with an appearance in January at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., where the company also presented a contemporary programme. The Sleeping Beauty requires the full participation of the company’s production team. In addition to directing local crews on how to set up and execute the show, the production team must organize, pack and send every element from the show to the new location. “Between wardrobe, props, scenery, dancers’ boxes, lighting, wigs and shoes, there will be hundreds of crates,” says Barney Bayliss, Interim Director of Production. “For the appearance in Washington, we used eight 53
foot trailers to transport everything. When we go abroad, we have to ship by sea, and the containers take three to four weeks to arrive.” Tour ing is pa r t of the unique history of The Sleeping Beauty at the National Ballet. The company was still very young when Rudolf Nureyev arrived to set his gorgeous adaptation of Petipa’s classical work in 1972. Opulent, dramatic and filled with unforgettable dancing, here was classical ballet at its finest. Suddenly, The National Ballet of Canada and its artists – including a young Karen Kain – were propelled to new heights of acclaim, aided by Nureyev’s reputation. With the suppor t of generous donors and friends, the company set out across North America in 1972/73, stopping in major cities in Canada and throughout the United States, star ting with T he Music Hall in
Philadelphia. Over the course of that season, the National Ballet performed The Sleeping Beauty an incredible 52 times on tour, visiting all manne r of venue s, from the San Francisco Ope ra House to Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City a n d – fo r a de b u t e ng ag e me nt lasting more than a month – at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In 1978, The Sleeping Beaut y made its fir st European appearance at the Jahrhunderthalle in Frank fur t, Germany with Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn in the leading roles. The Sleeping Beauty still holds a special place in th e c o m p a ny r e p e r to i r e to d ay, with Karen choosing it to open the inaugural season at Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in 2006.
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.
Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
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Corps Q & A: Jimmy Coleman What first inspired you to dance? I g r ew u p i n a n e nv i r o n m e n t o f d a n c e b e c a u s e my p a r e n t s were professional dancers, so it was always part of my life. What drew me to ballet specifically was the tur ning, big jumps and the physicality it can bring. You also trained at San Francisco Ballet School? When I graduated af ter Grade 12, I knew I wasn’t ready to enter a company so I applied to San Francisco. The change took me out of my comfort zone. As a result, I learned and grew a lot working with new people and a dif ferent approach to training. I needed to catch up to the other boys and improved my overall technique and learned to just go for things more. What did you learn through your time as an Apprentice and performing in YOU dance? At first I was intimidated coming into my first company and being so young. But with time and getting
to k n ow t h e p e o p l e, I b e c a m e m o r e c o m fo r t a b l e a n d s e c u r e. T h e p r o g r a m m e i s c h a ll e n g i n g but it encourages and suppor ts young dancers. In my second year, I sustained a tear in my patella tendon, so I needed to take time to heal properly. The biggest lesson was how long it took to come back mentally from the injury – I still held back on big jumps and landing on that knee. It took a while before I could dance again without thinking about it. W h a t d o yo u a p p r e c i a te m o s t about the company? I love the people I work with and the people we get to meet. The company’s dancers are all friendly and straightforward. We work well together and communicate easily, which creates a family atmosphere. This makes for an open, giving and comfortable environment.
What are you most looking forward to in the Winter Season? The new Cr ystal Pite work. I sometimes get caught up just in watching her move because it’s so incredible. She’s amazing to work with because she’s very humble, down to ear th and knows what she wants. I love her material but it’s a longer process for me to get her unique movement quality into my body. It re quires more time and figuring out how to use my body and its dynamics in a much different way. How does dance inspire you now? Over the past year I have found a love for training and the process of reaching a personal goal. Knowing how much work I put, both in the gym and in the studio, it’s more satisfying and great to showcase it on stage. When I perform, I try to enjoy the moment, be present and have fun. It’s such a short career, it’s impor tant to enjoy and take everything in.
Born: Toronto, Ontario Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School in California Joined: 2015 Corps de Ballet since: 2017
Jimmy Coleman. Photo by Karolina Kuras. The National Ballet of Canada
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A Letter from the Director of Development
Inspiring a Legacy of Philanthropy Karen Kain has been a formidable leader of The National Ballet of Canada since 2005, paving the way for historic opportunities creatively and within our diverse audience and dance communities. With support from our donors, she has aspired to new heights of artistic excellence, expanded the repertoire, reinstated international touring and secured a healthy endowment for the future, all while making the National Ballet more accessible through community engagement initiatives. It is an honour to recognize her achievements as Artistic Director and, with them, the vital role of donors in the company’s success. Several of the company’s most significant philanthropic acts have occurred during Karen’s leadership, anchored in par t by the Soaring Campaign, which galvanized donors to give over $104 million in the largest single fundraising campaign in our history.
Many of you continue to has its world premiere this supp or t our a r tistic le ade r ship s e a s o n . P r e s e n t a t i o n s o f t h i s w i t h d o n a t i o n s t o T h e K a r e n c a l i b r e – a d e f i n i n g fe a tu r e o f Kain Le gacy Fund, e stablishe d Ka re n’s le ade r ship – c ould not i n K a r e n ’s 5 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y. happen without you. Thank you With a goal of $10 million, this so much for supporting Karen and f u n d h o n o u r s K a r e n ’s l e g a c y the entire company with so much and protects the interests of future passion, commitment and grace. a r tistic dire c tor s with a strong f ina ncia l ba s e fo r b oth a r tis tic creativity and financial resilience. Over $6 million has been raised to date. This winter’s offering of dance Diana Reitberger, CFRE shows how versatile the company Director of Development has become and how routinely we are now able to present new work. With vital donor contributions to the creation and touring of Alexei Ratmansky’s stunning Romeo and Juliet, it is now an e stablishe d classic within our reper toire. The same can be said for C r y s t a l P i te’s E m e r g e n c e, t h e success of which inspired a second collaboration, which
To make a gift to the Karen Kain Legacy Fund, please contact me at dreitberger@national.ballet.ca
Karen Kain and Hannah Fischer. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 14
Donor Profile: Nancy Pencer Nancy Pencer has been a friend and donor to The National Ballet of Canada for more than 25 years. As a subscriber, patron, major donor and member of the Board of Directors, she has helped facilitate several milestone opportunities. Nancy was the first board member to stand and confirm Karen as Artistic Director in June, 20 0 5. S he s he d s o me tears with Karen when she gave her acceptance speech. On the occasion of Karen becoming Artistic Director, Nancy c h a l l e n g e d b o a r d m e m b e r s to match her donation. Her influence prompted the Board to contribute an impressive $250,000 in less than two weeks. The following year, Nancy helped f u n d t h e r e s to r a t i o n o f R u d o l f Nu reyev’s T he S l e e p i ng B e au t y to open the National Ballet’s first season at the new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. On three separate occasions, Nancy hosted a collection of fundraising dinners which enabled the National Ballet to bring Petrouchka, Onegin and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the s t a g e. N a n cy ’s g e n e r o s i t y h a s flourished in the interim. She led the campaign for the Karen Kain Studio Wing in advance of Karen’s 10th anniversary as Artistic Director. In 2008, she established The Nancy Pencer Fund to help finance exciting new productions and international tours. In 2009, Nancy sponsored First Soloist Tanya Howard through the Dancers First programme, taking an active interest in her life and career. Nancy has since invested i n K a r e n’s n ew s t a g i n g o f Swan Lake, set to premiere in June 2020, and in the Karen Kain Legacy Fund within The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation, w h i c h w ill a ll ow f u tu r e a r ti s ti c directors to pursue their dreams with confidence. Nancy Pencer. Photo by Karolina Kuras. The National Ballet of Canada
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CreativAction Supports Canadian Dance Karen Kain has demonstrated her support for Canadian choreographic talent throughout he r te nure a s A r tistic D ire c tor. She created the position of Choreographic Associate for three stylistically diverse Canadian artists and, in 2018/19, she oversaw the launch of CreativAction, an innovative programme designed to share the National Ballet’s resources with independent choreographers in Canada. Choreographic Associate Robert Binet serves as Creative Producer
of CreativAction, which features three areas: The Choreographic Workshop, micro-commissioning of small works from local dancemakers and Open Space. “CreativAction is essential to our work as a leading dance organization in Canada,” Robe r t says. “Our goals are to support the local dance community by sharing our resources, to develop in-house chore ographic tale nt, and to build new pathways into creating ballet for artists who are interested in collaborating with us.”
Choreographic Workshop
works that are flexible enough to be presented in a variety of contexts. As with the Choreographic Workshop, the micro-commissions are flexible, allowing Rober t to identif y oppor tunities within the N ationa l Ba llet ’s s c he dule a nd activities when dancers can take on a new collaborative project. Robe r t ’s vision is to “se ek out creative challenges that will enrich our dancers and expose them to new choreographers and styles. For independent choreographers, they have access to the best ba llet da nc e r s in the c ountr y.”
The Choreographic Workshop is an established programme at the National Ballet, available to company artists and independent choreographers through an open application process. The participants work with appointed mentors such a s Pe g g y Ba ke r, H e i di S tr au s s and L aurence Lemieux, leading c onte mp or a r y chore o gr aphe r s.
Micro-Commissions Through the micro-commissioning programme, Rober t invites choreographers to create small-scale
Open Space Open Space responds to the scarcity and high cost of studio space for independent choreographer s by of fering the company studios for one or two week periods for free. A selection committee accepts applications from ar tists acros s genres and disciplines, considering projects at all stages, from movement research, through preparing a work for performance to revising an existing wo r k . In 2019/20, O p e n S p a c e is expected to welcome over 25 choreographers and their teams for an estimated 1,200 combined hours of studio time.
To gethe r, the thre e fac ets of CreativAction are deepening the N a t i o n a l B a l l e t ’s i n v o l v e m e n t i n C a n a d a’s d a n c e s c e n e a n d increasing accessibility for equityseeking artists and organizations. “It is thrilling,” Robert says, “to already see in the first year the impact these programs are having on our dancers’ creative development and our connection with dance artists across the city.” Top: Robert Binet. Bottom: Sonia Rodriguez at Union Station’s Fall for Dance performance. Photos by Spring Morris. 16
The National Ballet of Canada
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“Open Space was such a valuable experience for my project. I realized so much of my work has been small because of the spaces independent artists can afford. With one week of larger space it was striking to see how full and explosive the movement became, making me really consider how tied our art is to the spaces we work in.” - Emma Kerson
The National Ballet of Canada’s CreativAction programme is made possible by the generous support of Robyn McCallum & Stephen Delaney. Naoya Ebe is sponsored through Dancers First by Gretchen Ross. Elena Lobsanova and Naoya Ebe in Grey Verses. Photo by Alana de Haan. 17
YOU dance Reaches New Audiences The National Ballet targets 50 schools in 31 neighbourhood improvement areas YOU dance, the large st Community Engagement initiative at The National Ballet of Canada, has grown significantly under Karen Ka in’s le ade r ship. D e signe d to introduce students in grades four to six to the world of dance, YOU dance offers free workshops and performances to create a learning experience for young people, teachers and dancers alike. I n h o n o u r o f K a r e n’s 5 0 t h anniversar y in 2019/20, the YOU dance programme aspires to reach 50 schools in the Greater Toronto Area’s 31 neighbourhood improvement areas, as identified b y t h e C i t y o f To r o n t o . YO U dance will also stream live for the sixth time to students throughout C a n a d a . F i n a l l y, t h e p o p u l a r YOU dance residency will reach a n e ntire ly new au die nc e ba s e when it moves to York University in April, 2020.
“Over four years, our YOU dance Residency in Regent Park brought so many people together,” says Lisa Robinson, Manager, Education and Community Engagement. “The experience taught us that giving youth access and opportunities to engage with professional ar tists and to be part of something they thought might not be accessible to them is so important. Students and community members were able to engage with dance, the company and one another repeatedly over our time there, and those relationships we re stre ngthe ne d a s a re sult. We’re looking forward to building new connections in York region this spring as YOU dance continues to grow.” The residency format of fers young people a chance to engage more deeply with dance beginning with workshops over one month leading up to the company’s week
in residence. Students participate in creative workshops with Artist Educ ator A nne ma r ie Cab r i a nd per form original work they have developed themselves. Following live performances by the Apprentice dance r s of the National Ballet, students are encouraged to ask questions and join in moderated discussions. In this setting, dance becomes the springboard for creativity, self-awareness, joy and a sense of belonging. “Seeing the utter surprise and delight in the students’ eyes as they begin to enjoy the bliss and power of thinking and moving to music with their peers is so rewarding,” says Annemarie. “Those moments are the t r u e m e a s u r e o f YO U d a n c e’s success and the ultimate reward for what we do.”
The National Ballet of Canada’s Education and Community Engagement programmes are generously supported by the Anna McCowan Johnson Dance Accessibility Fund at The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation. YOU dance is supported by Ballet Club Relevé, J.P. Bickell Foundation, Maxine Goldberg, the Steve and Sally Stavro Foundation, Beth & Brent Wilson, The Woodbridge Company, and One Anonymous Donor. The National Ballet of Canada’s Relaxed Performances and the accompanying Visual Guide are made possible through the generous support of an Anonymous Lady.
Opposite: Apprentices Thomas Leprohon and Albjon Gjorllaku and Audience at a YOU dance relaxed performance. Audience at a YOU dance relaxed performance. Photos by Alana de Haan. 18
The National Ballet of Canada
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“The performance of our students during last evening’s event was exceptional. They really shone and the pride they exuded for their accomplishments was beyond words.” - Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public School 19
In Conversation with Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires This season, Victoria-born Alysa Pires joins Robert Binet and Guillaume Côté as Choreographic Associate for The National Ballet of Canada. Her appointment follows an extended collaboration with the c ompa ny throu gh T he Choreographic Workshop – now par t of CreativAction – that saw her create In Between, a dynamic short work that Karen Kain included in the gala reper toire for 2018. Alysa created a second work, The Other Side, for the 2019 Competition for the Erik Bruhn Prize. How did the Choreographic Workshop impact your career? My experience with the National Ballet’s Choreographic Workshop wa s a c omplete ga me cha nge r for me. Not only was it invaluable in translating my contemporar y movement vocabulary onto more classical dancers, participating in the Workshop was the catalyst for many other career opportunities that followed, both inside the company and out.
dance, this seal of approval from Karen and the company has already been monumental in helping me make connections in the greater ballet community. What have you found most beneficial so far? O ther than collaborating with the incredible dancers of the National Ballet, being in-house has allowed me to observe some of the world’s greatest choreographers, répétiteurs, and ballet masters. At the end of last season, I spent nearly every day in the studio for two weeks watching rehearsals with William Forsythe. One of the highlights of this season has been obser ving Crystal Pite during the creation of her new work. What projects are you working on right now? My first ballet for the company as Choreographic Associate was a short piece for YOU dance titled Frenzied Order. This work for five dancers was performed for nearly
2,500 students over two weeks as well as for an incredible audience at the Rela xe d Pe r for mance. Among them was 16-year-old artist Aiden Lee who painted a gorgeous painting in response, which he then donated to the company and now hangs at the Walter Carsen Centre! The Apprentice dancers will perform Frenzied Order for YOU dance again this spring and in London, England for a very exciting opportunity with The Royal Ballet. Although I spend as much time as I can at the National Ballet, I still work as a freelance choreographer in both the contemporary and ballet worlds. I recently made a new work for R yer son Univer sit y’s Dance Program and I spent two weeks a t N e w Yo r k C i t y B a l l e t ’s Choreographic Institute. My main focus right now is preparing for my f i r s t f u l l - l e n g t h c o m m i s s i o n, a contemporar y adaptation of Macbeth for Ballet Kelowna that premieres May 1, 2020.
What does the role of Choreographic Associate entail? Karen created the role of Choreographic Associate to foster Canadian voices in ballet. I am deeply honoured to be the third A s s o c i a te a p p o i n te d by K a r e n and to join the company during this milestone year. Though Rob, Guillaume and I all have different roles and responsibilities, the title is essentially a commitment to us, our work, and our development as choreographers. Not only will my position at the National Ballet allow me to develop and refine my voice as a choreographer, the backing of one of the best companies in the world is so significant for me in terms of expanding my career within the ballet world. Coming from contemporary Back row, left to right: Nina Gentes, Alysa Pires, Aiden Lee, Manager of Education and Community Engagement Lisa Robinson, Arielle Miralles. Front row, left to right: Shelby Tzung, Daina Zolty and Sophie Lee. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 20
Former Ballet Dancer Maria Seletskaja Appointed Conductor-in-Residence The National Ballet of Canada has named Maria Seletskaja Conductor-in-Residence, a twoyear appointment and the first of its kind in the company’s history. She brings a wealth of musical talent to the role, along with a unique and valuable perspective – Maria is an accomplished former dancer with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Staatsballett Berlin, Zürich Ballet and Estonian National Ballet. “ M a r i a’s e x p e r i e n c e a s a n i n te r n a ti o n a l s o l o i s t c o m b i n e d with her ongoing training as a conductor has prepared her well for what will be an exciting next step in her professional development,” says David Briskin, Music Director and Principal Conductor of The National Ballet of Canada. “We are delighted to be part of her journey.” D u r i n g h e r 15 y e a r s a s a dancer on the international stage, Ma r ia c ontinue d he r studie s in m u s i c a n d , b y 2 013 , s h e w a s ready to star t conducting piano r e h e a r s a l s a t t h e R oya l B a l l e t
of Fl a n d e r s . M a r i a h a s b e e n a full-time conductor since 2016, and has since made successful debuts with Stuttgar t Ballet, The Georgian National Ballet and The Moravian Philharmonic. As Conductor-in-Residence at the National Ballet, Maria will undertake several responsibilities under David Briskin’s supervision. These include observing, conducting and reviewing assigned rehearsals and performances, and shadowing David at select meetings and events. Maria will also act as a cover conductor for per formances in Toronto and on to u r. In N ove m b e r 2019, M a r ia c o n du c te d T h e N a ti o n a l B a ll e t of Ca n a d a O r c h e s tr a a t s e l e c t performances of George B a l a n c h i n e’s C h a c o n n e a n d H a r a l d L a n d e r ’s Et u d e s, a l o n g with ever y per formance of Jiř í Ky liá n’s Petite M o r t. M a r ia will continue to work closely with David to advance her development as an conductor through the 2020/21 season.
Maria Seletskaja. Photos by Nicha Rodboon.
The National Ballet of Canada
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The National Ballet Delivers Pioneering Health Treatments for Dancers
Marla Pichler, Director of Dancer Wellness, coordinates a team of specialists who deliver holistic, individualize d me dic al ca re for the a r tists. He r aim is to make treatme nt ef fe c tive, acce s sible and convenient. Where possible, medical clinics are offered on site at the Walter Carsen Centre, where the dancer s train and rehear se each day. Marla encourages the company’s Wellness team to stay on the cutting edge of new treatments and research. Dr Ogilvie-Harris is the company’s O r thop e dic S urge on. Re a lizing that professional ballet dancers have a higher rate of early onset of osteoarthritis, he is now offering nStride injections as a relatively new treatment for those dancers who are symptomatic. “Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis characterized by wear and tear of the body’s weight-bearing joints,” explains Marla. “In healthy joints, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones is firm yet malleable. This unique design helps to lubricate and cushion the joint. Normal cartilage
has the ability to change shape when compressed, but cartilage affected by osteoarthritis has an excess of inflammatory proteins which causes the cartilage to become stiff and lose its elasticity. Over time, there is destruction of the cartilage cells, the shock absorbing quality decreases, and the bones in the weight bearing joint approximate each other and begin to rub.”
Treating Osteoarthritis There have been significant gains in new and established treatments for osteoarthritis in recent years, including c or tisone, hyaluronic a c i d a n d p l a t e l e t- r i c h p l a s m a (PRP) injections. For dancers with a r t h r i ti c j o i n t s o r i n j u r y, t h e s e injections can help to reduce pain and inflammation, improve mobility and even slow arthritic progression, often replacing the need for surgery. nStride is an “autologous protein injection.” It involves using antiinflammatory proteins to prevent the breakdown of cartilage cells as well as adding growth factors that could stimulate cartilage cell regrowth.
PRP, which has been used for a few years at the National Ballet, involves taking a small sample of blood from the dancer, spinning the blood in a centrifuge to separate the platelets, and then injecting them into the affected joint. nStride takes this process one step further. The platelets from the PRP are mixed with tiny glass beads which break the cells down and allow the fluid inside to be extracted. The protein-rich liquid is then further separated out and only the active biologics are injected back into the osteoarthritic joint. nS tr i de is a re lative l y s imp le procedure performed in the doctor’s office. Currently, assessments and treatments for our dancers are done by D r Ogilvie - Harris at Toronto Western Hospital. Dancers are able to walk immediately afterward and r e q u i r e o n l y a f e w we e k s r e s t following the procedure. “The most recent studies show that the positive effects of nStride can last up to one year,” says Marla. “That is good news for both dancers and health care providers.”
The National Ballet of Canada’s Dancer Wellness Programme is generously supported by The McLean Foundation, Tim & Frances Price, Lynda Prince, Janis Rotman, Mr. George R. Sutherland, The Estate of Lawrence Schafer and The Horst Dantz & Don Quick Dancer Wellness Fund. Meghan Pugh is sponsored through Dancers First by Cornell Wright & Sarah McEvoy. Meghan Pugh. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 22
The National Ballet of Canada
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In Brief In Memoriam: Richard M. Ivey, C.C. The National Ballet of Canada lost a cherished friend with the p a s s i n g of R i c h a r d M . Ivey o n December 28, 2019. Mr. Ivey first saw The National Ballet of Canada perform in London, Ontario and later became a subscriber with his late wife Beryl when they moved to Toronto. Over the past decade, Mr. Ivey became an important supporter of new productions, beginning with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which premiered in London, UK and then appeared during the company’s 2010/11 season. This was followed by his involvement with a second Christopher Wheeldon work, The Winter’s Tale. Last season, Mr. Ivey funded A nna Kar enina and this season lent his support to Karen Kain’s new Swan Lake. These new creations have delighted audiences in Canada and abroad, inspired our dancers and advanced our art form.
Upcoming Events Dress Rehearsal: Chroma & Marguerite and Armand Friday, February 28, 2020 | 8:00 pm Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Patrons’ Council Ballet Dinner March 4, 2020 | 5:30 pm Class on Stage March 7, 2020 | 10:30 am Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Friends’ Corps Backstage Tour: Romeo and Juliet Saturday, March 14, 2020 | 10:00 am
An inspired philanthropist, Mr. Ivey will be dearly missed by the National Ballet community. The National Ballet of Canada will dedicate a performance of Swan Lake in June to his memory.
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Dress Rehearsal: Romeo and Juliet On Tour Thursday, April 2, 2020 | 2:00 pm National Arts Centre, Ottawa Income Tax and Estate Tax Reduction Presentation Thursday, April 2, 2:30 pm St. Andrew’s Church Kids’ Movement Workshop Sunday, April 19, 2020 | 10:30 am Walter Carsen Centre The Agony & The Ecstasy Presented by Dancers First Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 7:00 pm Walter Carsen Centre
Please RSVP > Via ‘My Account’ at national.ballet.ca
Dance Collection Danse Gala
> By phone: 416 (1 866) 345 9595
Dance Collection Danse’s gala event, celebrating inductees to its Hall of Fame, at The Globe and Mail Centre takes place on Sunday, March 29. This year’s inductees include the National Ballet’s former Artistic Director James Kudelka, former dancer
> By email: friendscorps@national.ballet.ca
Michael Greyeyes, philanthropists Gretchen and Donald Ross, as well as Mavis Staines, Ar tistic Director of Canada’s National Ballet School, and other dance luminaries and trailblazers. Visit dcdhalloffame.com for tickets and more information.
or the Patron Hotline or patrons@national.ballet.ca or turnout@national.ballet.ca
Top: Richard Ivey with Christopher Wheeldon and Karen Kain (2015). Photo by Gary Beechey. Gretchen Ross and Donald Ross. Photo by Christina Gapic.
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2020/21 Season Announced Subscriptions Now On Sale GUEST COMPANY
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