Preview A publication for our donors / Issue No. 56 Winter 2022
Welcome
Hope
A Warm Welcome I have received nothing less than a warm welcome from The National Ballet of Canada and its incredible community of donors and volunteers. Your dedication to the company nurtures an environment of creativity where artists can work and perform at their best, earning the National Ballet an esteemed reputation on the world stage. I had the opportunity to meet Joan and Jerry Lozinski last fall to hear firsthand about their connection to the dancers, their passion for the company and their philanthropic strategy. I am proud to serve as the first Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director, a named position endowed by this visionary and generous couple. I feel their passion, encouragement and respect represent the qualities and values that unite the National Ballet’s donor community. In November and December, I also had the pleasure of joining you in the audience and experiencing the elation of a return to live performance. I was inspired by the talent, commitment and drive of every member of the company. While it was unfortunate that the run of The Nutcracker ended prematurely, we are accustomed to change and the need to be flexible at this stage of the pandemic, and your steadfastness as donors is helping us weather the storm.
As we start the new year, the mood in the studios is one of optimism and tenacity. It’s gratifying for me to be present in class and rehearsals with the dancers and get to know them even better. We are all looking forward to gathering with you in person once
again to celebrate an artform that moves us all profoundly.
as donors, audience members and friends. We continue to move forward safely and with great care to ensure we can share the beauty, power and joy of dance with you. There is so much to look forward to as our winter repertoire includes brilliant new work from two company artists, Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires and Principal Dancer Siphesihle November. We will also celebrate Principal Dancers Sonia
Rodriguez and Jillian Vanstone, both acclaimed senior artists who will retire in March. It is an honour to share their powerful farewell performances with the audiences they love.
Hope Muir Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director
Looking Ahead There is much to celebrate this winter as Hope Muir officially assumes artistic leadership of the company, bringing her warmth, creativity and deep understanding of company life to the dancers at a significant moment. In these uncertain times, it has been inspiring to build our new partnership and look to the future. I join Hope in expressing my gratitude for your unwavering support
Barry Hughson Executive Director
Barry Hughson and Hope Muir. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 2
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Fall & Holiday Seasons: By the Numbers Thanks to your generosity as donors, The National Ballet of Canada was able to bring thousands of people together through the power of live performance before theatres closed in December 2021. Here are some of the highlights of the season to date:
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dancers and Apprentices who remain fully employed
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performances of Serenade and Angels' Atlas
14,097 2,185 audience members for Serenade & Angels' Atlas
healthcare workers attended a special performance of Serenade & Angels' Atlas
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Contents Message from Barry Hughson and Hope Muir
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The Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director
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Sonia Rodriguez Retires with A Streetcar Named Desire
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Jillian Vanstone Takes Her Final Bow in After the Rain
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Siphesihle November Makes His Choreographic Debut
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Two Exciting Debuts for Alysa Pires
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Looking Ahead: The World Premiere of MADDADDAM
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Dreaming Together: Nicola Wealth
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In Celebration of The Volunteer Committee: A Message from Diana Reitberger
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Ballet 365
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national.ballet.ca
performances of The Nutcracker
Share the Magic tickets
20,730 64 new legacy donors for our 70 for 70 Campaign
audience members for The Nutcracker
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
64% towards our $2.5 million fundraising goal for Patrons' Council, Friends' Corps and Turnout
Artists of the Ballet in Angels' Atlas. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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Contributor: Rhea Daniels Art & Design: Carmen Wagner We would love to hear from you. Please send your comments to: preview@national.ballet.ca
Cover: Hope Muir. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 3
“Joan and Jerry have been so important for the creative life of the National Ballet and their transformational gift sends a strong message of support for its artistic leadership and future excellence. I find that incredibly inspiring and encouraging.” – Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director
The Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director The role of Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada has been endowed for the first time in the company's history thanks to a landmark gift from Joan and Jerry Lozinski. Their generosity ensures that the National Ballet will have secure funding for its most influential, forward-facing role and will continue to attract exceptional leaders and visionaries. The role is now
called Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director. The Lozinskis have an extensive legacy of support for Canadian arts and culture and they have always inspired others to give. They have championed the National Ballet for nearly four decades, beginning in 1983 with their membership in the Patrons’ Council. In 2006, their leadership gift of $1 million to the
Endowment Foundation planted the seed for the Soaring Campaign, the largest fundraising initiative in the company’s history. That first investment, followed by their matching gift to close the campaign, inspired 890 donors to give $104 million to build the company’s artistic capital and Endowment. Jerry found a role model in the National Ballet’s great patron, Walter
Joan and Jerry Lozinski and Hope Muir. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 4
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Carsen, who, like Jerry, deepened his involvement with the company over time. Jerry has served on the Board of Directors, the Endowment Foundation Board, and as Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee and is currently on the Honourary Board. He and Joan both joined Walter on the Bold Steps Campaign to secure
The Walter Carsen Centre and it was on Jerry’s advice that a similar dream was realized in 2010 with the purchase of The Gretchen Ross Production Centre. The Jerry and Joan Lozinski Carpentry Workshop is housed within the production centre, where all of the company’s productions are built and stored. The
“As we’ve become more involved with the National Ballet, we have enjoyed a powerful feeling of engagement that comes from knowing we belong to something important. We wanted to make a gift that would allow the company to realize its artistic goals and continue to inspire audiences with the power of dance for generations to come.” – Joan and Jerry Lozinski
“Joan and Jerry Lozinski have been champions of the National Ballet’s Endowment Foundation for two decades. Their transformational gift will endow the leading artistic role within the company and be a fitting legacy to celebrate their commitment to the company for almost four decades.”
Lozinskis are also founding members of The Producers’ Circle, which helps to bring exciting new work to the stage. Joan and Jerry are passionate about ballet and the dancers who give so much to their art. They are Dancers First sponsors of Principal Dancer Siphesihle November and they support dancers throughout the trajectory of their careers by supporting Canada’s National Ballet School and the Dancer Transition Resource Centre, among other organizations. In 2018, Dance Collection Danse inducted the Lozinskis into the Encore! Dance Hall of Fame to recognize their contribution to the dance community. With the Lozinskis’ most recent gift, the National Ballet becomes the only performing arts organization in Canada with an endowed Artistic Director and one of few ballet companies in North America with this distinction. The partnership is a fitting testament to Joan and Jerry’s longstanding contribution to the company and advances their wish to leave a powerful legacy for future generations of ballet lovers.
– David Macdonald, Chair, The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation
Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry & Joan Lozinski. Joan Lozinski, Siphesihle November and Jerry Lozinski. Photo by Bruce Zinger. Siphesihle November. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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Sonia Rodriguez Retires with A Streetcar Named Desire
Backstage at A Streetcar Named Desire (2017).
With Former Principal Dancer Zdenek Konvalina in The Seagull (2008).
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With Former Principal Dancer Francesco Gabriele Frola in Marguerite and Armand (2020).
Blanche DuBois, the vulnerable southern belle in Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire, is polarizing and ambiguous in the way great characters often are, as she skitters between loneliness, need, manipulation and delusion. Blanche’s complexity and contradictions make her fascinating to explore and actors have long coveted the opportunity to delve inside her experience, leading to myriad interpretations for stage and screen. John Neumeier’s choreographic adaptation of Streetcar holds Blanche at its centre, refracting everything through her shifting psychology. When Principal Dancer Sonia Rodriguez first performed the role in 2017, she found a character whose intensity and nuances satisfied her artistic curiosity, and she earned the Rolex Dancers First Award for her portrayal. “Streetcar was one of those things that came into our repertoire at just the right time,” Sonia says. “You need a certain maturity as a person and an artist to tackle the complexities of the role. I had an incredible time discovering Blanche. Revisiting the role gives me the chance to develop it even more.” Rodriguez will retire as Principal Dancer from The National Ballet of Canada this March after a career spanning 32 years, three Artistic Directors and numerous international choreographers who have mined her talent, giving her unforgettable creative experiences. In the ballets of John Neumeier – The Seagull, Nijinsky, Streetcar and Anna Karenina – Rodriguez found a unique platform for her dramatic and technical range. “I love doing John’s ballets because they’re so intellectually layered and fulfilling. Every step has so much meaning and emotional intent and he challenges you to find that meaning for yourself. There’s something really freeing about discovering where you can take these characters instead of playing them one set way. It’s rewarding for the audience as well because every dancer brings something different to the role.” Rodriguez has another reason for choosing Streetcar for her farewell and it reflects the commitment and desire to collaborate that have
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With Former First Soloist Keichii Hirano in Nijinsky (2014).
distinguished her career. “I always knew that I wanted to retire with a piece that involved as many dancers as possible – a full length ballet with a large cast. Being part of this family has been so important to me throughout the years and I feel so inspired and challenged by my peers that I wanted them to be onstage with me to share in this moment.” Blanche promises to give full showing to Rodriguez’s sublime talent, as a fearless dancer who inhabits the stage so entirely that her technique almost disappears. Ever the actor, she transcends the considerable physical demands of her performances to effect a transformation. “Sonia is a brilliant artist, a
With Guillaume Côté in Giselle (2013).
passionate dance actor and a consummate professional,” says Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain. “It’s been my great pleasure to witness her illustrious career, first as a colleague and fellow dancer and then as her Artistic Director. Her contribution to the National Ballet is beyond measure and we wish her joy and fulfillment in everything she chooses to do next.” Rodriguez’s accomplishments are deeply felt by the audiences, colleagues and collaborators who admire her and she is retiring with a sense of gratitude and peace in the artistry she has honed. “I’ve been blessed with a really long career and I’ve experienced more than I could ever have imagined
Manon (2014).
or dreamed of. I’m at a point now where I can still do the work that I want without compromising and it seems right to go while I’m still feeling my best onstage. As you get older you have a better understanding of who you are, and you learn to appreciate your weaknesses and use them as strengths. You also dance more for yourself and not only to please others. There’s something really beautiful about that. I don’t think you can ever truly walk away from being a dancer, but I’m excited to discover new things and ways of moving, and to do it for myself. I’m happy and in a good place.”
“Sonia is a uniquely versatile artist who brings a great depth and range to each role that she embodies. Without question, she is one of the most fascinating dancers in the history of the National Ballet and a constant source of interest and beauty onstage.” – Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director Cinderella (2013).
Sonia Rodriguez gives her final performances in John Neumeier’s A Streetcar Named Desire on March 2, 4 and 5. A Streetcar Named Desire is made possible by the generous support of The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation and The Producers’ Circle. Photos by Aleksandar Antonijevic, Karolina Kuras, Cylla von Tiedemann and Christopher Wahl. The National Ballet of Canada
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Jillian Vanstone Takes Her Final Bow in After the Rain
With Naoya Ebe in Giselle (2012).
With Harrison James in The Dream (2018).
Photos by Aleksandar Antonijevic, Karolina Kuras, Cylla von Tiedemann and Bruce Zinger. 8
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Principal Dancer Jillian Vanstone will bring her gorgeous 22-year performance career to a close this winter with Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain, acquired specifically for her farewell. Wheeldon launched a pivotal moment in Vanstone’s career in 2011 when he selected her for the title role in the North American premiere of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, leading to her immediate promotion to Principal Dancer. That experience, and the close working relationship Vanstone now enjoys with Wheeldon, makes her final choice of repertoire especially poignant. “I knew that I wanted to dance a ballet by Christopher for my retirement because dancing his work and being in the studio with him and his wonderful associate Jackie Barrett have been some of the best times of my career,” says Vanstone. “His movement style made sense to me from the beginning and I love the incredible musicality, creativity and emotion of his ballets. He has always pushed me to do more than I thought I could and because of this he brought out the best in me. I am forever grateful.” After the Rain is quietly profound, a world away from the stagecraft and comic brilliance of Alice. It was the last work that Wheeldon created for Jock Soto of New York City Ballet
before Soto retired in 2005 and it has the sense of an ending – or letting go – at its core. Wendy Whelan, with whom Soto created the final pas de deux, reprised After the Rain as part of her own retirement performances from New York City Ballet in 2014. The ballet’s two parts are set to the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, with the first featuring three couples and the second a single couple that returns to perform a serene pas de deux to Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel. This pas de deux, which is often performed as a standalone piece, evokes tenderness and loss in an intimate physical conversation, with the dancers mirroring and melting into one another as gently as rain. There are no sets, no pointe shoes and only the simplest of costumes, leaving nothing to distract from the work’s emotional heart. “Jillian is an extraordinary artist who has made a lasting contribution to The National Ballet of Canada, her colleagues and the audiences who have cherished her performances for 22 years,” says Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director. “After the Rain is a meaningful choice for her final performances and will serve the emotion of the occasion perfectly.” Vanstone shines in a range of classical and contemporary repertoire. She is utterly pristine as
With Former Principal Dancer Aleksandar Antonijevic in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (2011).
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Princess Aurora, warm and generous as the Sugar Plum Fairy and heartbreaking as Giselle. She has also been a wonderful example of hard work and commitment for her fellow artists, offering beautiful, consistent and committed performances with a level of humility and humanness that have always made her rewarding to work with. Reflecting on her career and plans for the future, Vanstone describes finding joy and fulfillment in the kind of detailed, collaborative work that has been exemplary of her time at the National Ballet: “When I look back on my career, I realize that most of my greatest experiences have been while engaging in the creative process with committed and curious people. I am looking forward to upcoming opportunities to immerse myself in a diverse range of creative processes, on and off stage.” Vanstone will be missed on both sides of the footlights, by artists and audiences alike, and we wish her the best for her next adventures. Jillian Vanstone gives her final performance in After the Rain on March 13 partnered by Principal Dancer Harrison James. Jillian Vanstone is sponsored through Dancers First by George & Kathy Dembroski.
With Former First Soloist Patrick Lavoie in The Four Seasons (2013).
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Siphesihle November Makes His Choreographic Debut Principal Dancer Siphesihle (Siphe) November is presenting his first creation for The National Ballet of Canada's main stage, On Solid Ground, an uplifting piece for nine dancers that will premiere in March. Siphe often shares his choreography on social media and he has created new work for the company’s YOU dance programme and Fall for Dance North 2021, where he performed alongside his brother Mthuthuzeli. Below, Siphe shares some of the details of his upcoming premiere. This is your first main stage work for The National Ballet of Canada. How did it come about? A year ago, Karen Kain called to ask if I would be interested in choreographing a piece for the March season and obviously I jumped at the opportunity. I took a lot of time to think about what I wanted to create from the moment of saying “yes” to when we started in the studio. It really came down to the simple idea of exploring what it means to find joy in dance and how we translate the joy and internal self-awareness and self-exploration of the body and spirit as a dancer. Sometimes you get glimpses of these elements when you’re watching dance. You get so caught in the spirit of it that you forget about what it looks like or who’s dancing. I was thinking a lot about how to translate that into choreography. Dance is a life language, so how do we put that on stage for people to understand and take from it what they want?
poem in the middle of it. The voice just hit me. It talks about love and humanity. The other song is Lesa Wandi, which is an African hymn, and the woman singing it, Choolwe Muntanga, has an angelic voice. Hearing it brought me back home and to why I dance and how I can marry music and dance and what that feels like. What kind of movement will we see? This work is very uncluttered. When we strip away complexities of movement and we strip away the dressing on the steps, we get to the true essence of what the movement is. It allows us to understand the spirit of it rather than the look of it. I wanted to keep things simple in terms of the physicality of the steps, but really complex in terms of their nuances. That’s how I like to work. What has it been like to collaborate with your colleagues and do you view your choreographic career as separate from your dancing? It’s been such a privilege. There’s
a trust and an understanding of one another, so when we step into the studio there’s already a strong foundation there. That has allowed us to open to each other even more, not only with our bodies but during the creation process as well. I’m honoured and grateful that they’ve welcomed this process with me and I hope to give them something they can carry and that will also show in the work for the audience. Choreography is an extension of my dancing. I don’t look at them as separate things. One informs the other. So, I try to bring the same energy and care as I do with my dancing into my choreography. The only difference is that the choreography is outside of you and that’s the biggest challenge, being able to let it go and take a journey of its own. It’s a practice and a surrender. It’s a beautiful thing in my life to have these two worlds coexist.
What can you tell us about the music? I’ve chosen a compilation of different artists. The first piece that made me realize where I wanted the work to go is a song called Back To You by Benjamin Gordon. It’s a beautiful, melodic song with a simple chord progression and it has a little
On Solid Ground is supported by The Producers’ Circle. Siphesihle November. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 10
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Two Exciting Debuts for Alysa Pires This winter, Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires presents her first completely new creation for live performance in more than two years, Skyward, which has coincided with another exciting debut in her life: the birth of her first child. Pires shares some of the details below. What has it been like to create this new work after so many months offstage? This was the first new creation that many of us had worked on in a long time, and the energy and excitement of being back in the studio really influenced the movement. There was this great sense of urgency. (I was over eight months pregnant at the time, so that sense of urgency had an additional layer for me.) I wanted to bottle that feeling. To me this work feels like taking off: a burst of energy and then a moment of weightlessness. The suspension right before you fall… or fly! The music is so important to the quality of your piece. What can you tell us about it? I selected this music for a different project before the pandemic, so I’ve been listening to it for years. Once plans changed and I was asked to make a new work for the main stage, I was too in love with it to keep it on the shelf any longer. Each of the four movements features a different composer but they were all written for the same ensemble of musicians so there is a common sonic thread. The title of the final piece, Learn to Fly from David Lang’s work These Broken Wings, inspired images of birds and flight.
Has your experience choreographing for film during the pandemic impacted the way you’re now creating for live performance? I’ve always thought a lot about the audience when I make work. Creating for a small black box theatre is very different than making something for the Four Seasons Centre of the Performing Arts. I relished the opportunity to have the audience in such close proximity and to work on gesture and subtle detail in a way that isn’t always possible on stage. I’m feeling very fortunate to now be doing the exact opposite in a sense and work on scale in a completely different way. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! How has this life experience affected your work so far? Thank you! My daughter Sawyer was born at the end of October, just a few weeks after we paused work on the piece. It’s still early, but I can say that so far I have felt a better ability to compartmentalize. I have always had a hard time putting my work away and taking a mental break when I’m outside of the studio. Especially when I’m deep in process, there are few moments when the work fully leaves my mind. Caring for my daughter not only captures my full attention but requires it. Being present with her allows me to come back to work with a renewed focus and fresh perspective, albeit with much less sleep! Ballet Bonus: Alysa Pires’ first full-length work, Macbeth, premieres with Ballet Kelowna on May 6, 2022 in Kelowna, B.C.
Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires is supported by Sans Limites. Alysa Pires with Artists of the Ballet in rehearsal for Skyward. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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Looking Ahead: The World Premiere of MADDADDAM There is something strangely apt about the world premiere of Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM having been delayed by a global pandemic. Plague, extinction and survival are among the production’s key themes, drawn from Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel trilogy Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and Maddaddam. The new work – which pairs one of the world’s top choreographers with a Canadian literary icon – will finally have its world premiere in November 2022, realizing a significant goal for Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain, who commissioned it. “I spoke with Margaret in the Jackman Lounge following a performance of Wayne’s Genus several years ago,” Kain says. “She loved it and said it reminded her of her childhood, when her father would collect specimens. I immediately thought that she and Wayne should meet because I knew that Wayne loved her writing.” Work on the ballet has continued despite the delayed premiere, with McGregor developing the concept, design and score with his creative team in England. Their hope is to bring a different dimension to the
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novels, rather than reproducing them like for like. “What are the visual and acoustic properties of these novels? Where is it that bodies are central? These are some of the things I’m considering,” says McGregor. “I love these novels because they inspire clear visual imagery, an acoustic sense in many places of how the narration might be told and, more than that, I have a physical sense of how I might respond to them bodily.” The production has three acts, each with a distinct scenic world. The design is precise and minimalist, giving just enough to cue the imagination to fill in the blanks. McGregor has collaborated with the design firm We Not I to engineer an architectural scan of the Toronto skyline that acknowledges the Canadian themes in Atwood’s writing. The ballet’s creation – from the development of the choreography to building the sets and costumes – will happen in Toronto. McGregor has chosen acclaimed composer and friend Max Richter to create an original score, citing “the plurality of his acoustic palette” and his ability to tap into acoustic memories or triggers as strengths.
MADDADDAM is the first work McGregor has created specifically for The National Ballet of Canada and he’s looking forward to getting into the studio with the dancers to begin the choreographic process – perhaps joined on occasion by Atwood herself. “Even before this started I always thought that Oryx and Crake would make a good ballet,” says Atwood (who has been a Cannon Doll in The Nutcracker three times). But there are some problems to be solved. I’m looking forward to seeing how you do it!” Co-produced and commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet (UK). Lead philanthropic support for MADDADDAM is provided by The Gail Hutchison Fund, The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund and The Producers’ Circle. Wayne McGregor. Photo by Johan Hallberg-Campbell. Margaret Atwood. Photo by George Whiteside.
Dreaming Together: Nicola Wealth This season, Nicola Wealth joins The National Ballet of Canada’s valued group of corporate partners as the presenting sponsor of The Sleeping Beauty. Rudolf Nureyev’s 1972 production, which launched the National Ballet into a thrilling era of international recognition and acclaim, remains as dazzling as ever in 2022. It is a fitting production to bring back to audiences as we enter another exciting new era at the National Ballet with a new leader Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Artistic Director, and return to large scale live performances, allowing us all to once again entertain the possibility of fantasy coming to life. The Sleeping Beauty helped to establish a beautiful legacy for the National Ballet and Nicola Wealth views this sponsorship as a lovely match given their company’s overall goals. “We are wealth advisors but our purpose goes far beyond money. We help our clients achieve their aspirations beyond wealth – we help them create their legacy,” says Danielle Skipp, Nicola Wealth Managing Director for Ontario. Established in 1994, Nicola Wealth is a wealth management firm dedicated to serving the complex needs of clients. Today,
the firm operates offices across Canada advising multi-generational families, accomplished individuals of all professions, institutions and foundations. The team combines the moving parts of clients’ financial lives for maximum benefit – a bigger picture approach that considers their unique mix of investments, taxes, estate, insurance and philanthropy. “Beyond investments and planning is our firm’s strong culture of giving back. We are not only active corporate citizens within our communities, our values align with our clients’ values. We help our clients enhance their gift-giving potential while providing them with exceptional financial and tax planning tools,” says Skipp. “One of our core values at Nicola Wealth is supporting our communities, from Vancouver to Toronto beyond and in between. In our support of the National Ballet, we are proud to align ourselves with an organization that strengthens community around the arts and inspires our next generation celebrating excellence and success achieved through individual pursuit and teamwork.” The Sleeping Beauty brings the full company together – dancers, orchestra, costume, scenic and production artists – to allow
audiences to immerse themselves in the dreams of a young princess and her magical world. Skipp notes, “Nicola Wealth is thrilled to partner with the National Ballet as the presenting sponsor of The Sleeping Beauty, a production revered for its brilliant variations, difficulty, fast turns and leaps – a true embodiment of distinction and exceptional performance." Skipp continues, “2022 marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the National Ballet with Hope Muir as the new Artistic Director succeeding Karen Kain, a female trailblazer in the arts who held the position for 16 years, and it is our privilege to support this incredibly important and world class artistic institution.”
presents The Sleeping Beauty 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.
Brendan Saye and Alexandra MacDonald with Artists of the Ballet in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Karolina Kuras. The National Ballet of Canada
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In Celebration of The Volunteer Committee A Message from Diana Reitberger, Director of Development
On Thursday, February 3, 2022, The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada was presented with a prestigious June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Volunteerism by a Group, by the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. It recognizes 70 years of outstanding volunteer service in support of The National Ballet of Canada. In 1951, Sydney Mulqueen, Pearl Whitehead and Aileen Woods had a vision to create Canada’s very own ballet company. Together, they galvanized a community of like-minded individuals and raised funds to bring Celia Franca from England to Toronto. A growing group of community-based committees flourished as the National Ballet Guild. With active branches in 12 communities, these members provided the grass roots support to sell tickets, handle advance publicity and raised the funds to bring the company to their
communities. In many cases they also provided lodging and hospitality for company members. While the network of volunteer Guilds did not survive, the Toronto branch rewrote their Constitution to become The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada in 1972. A great debt is owed to thousands of volunteers who donated their time and talent as members of the Committee in all its guises over the past seven decades. One of their most important achievements has been the raising of funds to support the development of new productions, the lifeblood of any ballet company. The first production they supported was Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée in 1977. To date they have funded 54 productions through their Build-a-Ballet Fund, raising a total of over $7.4 million through their Ballet Boutique for the past 47 years and, up to 2014, through their shop Paper Things in Yorkville, which existed for over 50 years. The company and our
audiences are most grateful! Their monetary support has been invaluable but they have done so much more. They ran education programmes in schools before there were staff for this function and acted as ushers at the O’Keefe Centre (now Meridian Hall) to save the company money. They held fashion shows, supper dances and an annual gala ball. They organized numerous art shows at the O’Keefe Centre and supported local artists in the process. I can only imagine how proud Sydney, Pearl and Aileen and the early volunteers would be of the company that they helped build, and how proud the company is to have the support of this dedicated group of over one hundred women and men who truly reflect the diversity of Toronto and Ontario today. They are valued and cherished for their commitment, support and friendship that they have shown to the company and their community. They are the unsung heroes of the National Ballet and continue to innovate, adapt and thrive with the changing times. On behalf of the entire National Ballet family, congratulations to every member of The Volunteer Committee, past and present, on receiving this award. - Diana Reitberger, CFRE Director of Development
Top, clockwise from top right: Mrs. Lindsay, Nanette Cassells, Aileen Woods, Mrs. Harris, Sydney Mulqueen, Dorothy Watkins and Pearl Whitehead (c. 1951). Bottom: Diana Reitberger. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic. 14
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Clockwise from top: John Rylaarsdam, Henry Miyamoto and Werner Lueders of the Volunteer Committee fundraising at the Ballet Boutique (1984). Volunteer Committee (1988). Photo by David Street. Various Volunteers and Patrons at the Committee Thank You Event (1997). Volunteer Committee Past President's Lunch (2012). Back row from left: Genevieve McKillop, Karen Sparks, Irene Schaeffer, John Birkett, Dorothy Sjogren, Lynne Wilson, Lynn Morgan, Carol Nesker and Lenore Walters. Seated from left: Theela Sweeney, Mary Mingie, Judie Tait and Jeannie Davis. Paper Things Volunteer badge. Ballet Boutique at Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (2018). Photo by Victoria Schwarzl. The National Ballet of Canada
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Ballet 365: An Easy and Convenient Way to Give “Monthly giving is a total win-win situation. It spreads my gift evenly across the whole year, making monthly budgeting easier for me. And it spreads the revenue to the National Ballet evenly across the whole year, giving a constant stream of income to support all of the ballet's financial needs, because those needs certainly are not confined to just the weeks when shows are on stage.” – Kenneth, Ballet 365 donor and Friends' Corps member
Thank you to Kenneth and every Ballet 365 donor for inspiring the National Ballet’s artists year round with your generosity. Your commitment demonstrates your dedication to our work and provides an invaluable resource of sustained funding for the company.
Learn more about the benefits of monthly giving!
national.ballet.ca/Ballet365
Tirion Law. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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