Guillaume Côté’s newest full-length production is a reflection on beauty and our obstinate desire to control and transform it. Inspired by a story written by librettist Royce Vavrek, Crypto is a dark and complex tale that blends theatre, music, technology and gestures tinged with classicism to create a work that is free from the conventional aesthetic and storytelling needs of a traditional ballet.
Guillaume brought together an international team of artists, including Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson and multimedia designers HUB Studio, to bring the story to life. Working collaboratively with exceptional dancers from The National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Ballet of Flanders, the result is a compelling work that embraces experiments, risks and challenges for both performers and the audience.
Guillaume Côté, Principal Dancer of The National Ballet of Canada, is one of the most electrifying and in-demand dancers of his generation. Over the past 20 years, he has danced most of the major classical roles with the National Ballet, and as a guest artist, has performed with many of the world’s leading ballet companies.
Guillaume is also an accomplished choreographer, musician and composer, and was named the National Ballet’s Choreographic Associate in 2013. Characterized by a rich physicality and a complex and often suddenly shifting emotional tenor, his choreography for productions such as Frame By Frame and Le Petit Prince has received widespread acclaim.
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $135,000 supported a technical residency to fully develop the integration of the set, lighting and projections, as well as additional workshops with the dancers to further refine the choreography.
An Anymotion Production, in association with the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund.
Crypto is a co-production of The CanDance Network Creation Fund, Danse Danse, National Arts Centre, Banff Centre, Canadian Stage and the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Crypto was made possible with the generous support of La fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso
March 30, 2022: Théâtre Hector-Charland (L’Assomption)
April 1, 2022: Théâtre des Deux Rives (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu)
April 5, 2022: Maison des arts Desjardins (Drummondville)
April 8 and 9, 2022: Babs Asper Theatre (Ottawa), presented by NAC Dance
April 23 and 24, 2022: Salle Michel-Côté (Alma), presented by Ville d'Alma spectacles
May 5 to 7, 2022: Bluma Appel Theatre (Toronto), co-presented by Canadian Stage and TO Live
May 11 to 14, 2022: Théâtre Maisonneuve (Montreal), presented by Danse Danse
May 17, 2022: Salle Maurice-O'Bready (Sherbrooke), presented by the Centre culturel de l'Université de Sherbrooke
November 3 to 5, 2022: Le Diamant (Québec)