2023-02-02 20:002023-02-04 22:5060Canada/Eastern🎟 NAC: The National Ballet of Canada
https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/31376
In-person event
Running Time
ACT I – 52 minutes
Intermission – 20 minutes
ACT II–30 minutes
Intermission – 20 minutes
ACT III –38 minutes
Featuring the NAC Orchestra
Few of Shakespeare’s works have translated so well to the beautiful language of ballet as Romeo and Juliet. Choreographed by celebrated Russian choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, this particular version was commissioned to celebrate The National Ballet of Canada’s 60th anniversary...
Scan the QR code at the venue's entrance to read the program notes before the show begins.
Last updated: January 4, 2024
Notes from our Executive Producer
The powerful Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet is an enduring inspiration for choreographers throughout generations, both as a rich vehicle for layered storytelling and a dynamic showcase for virtuosic dancing. When Karen Kain, now Artistic Director Emerita of The National Ballet of Canada, commissioned the famed choreographer Alexei Ratmansky to create a new Romeo & Juliet in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season, she introduced a striking reinterpretation that will inevitably anchor the company’s repertoire for years to come. We are fortunate to have this brilliant production grace our stage once again, highlighting some of the finest members of this stellar company. It is wondrous, musical, expressive, and enchanting –and at times will move you to tears (as it does me)!
With this presentation, we officially welcome The National Ballet of Canada’s new Artistic Director, Hope Muir, to NAC Dance! We also acknowledge the amazing performances over many years of Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté, who will bring us his Romeo one final time during this run.
Welcome Hope Muir
Toronto native Hope Muir was named Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada in January 2022, succeeding Karen Kain. Her accomplished international career as a dancer, guest teacher, stager, rehearsal director and artistic leader is matched by her deep commitment to collaboration and innovation. The National Arts Centre is excited to partner with her on future presentations and projects. We welcome her with open arms and wish her a long and prolific career at the helm of this exceptional company.
Thank you Karen Kain!
Karen Kain, C.C., LL.D., D.Litt., O.Ont joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1969 as a member of the Corps de Ballet and premiered, at the National Arts Centre in 1970, her first lead role in The Mirror Walkers. Soon after, she was promoted to the position of Principal Dancer. International recognition followed and through a close creative partnership with renowned dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev she reached new heights for a Canadian ballerina. Her dance career spanned an amazing 28 years during which she appeared at the National Arts Centre over 30 times. In 2005, Karen was appointed Artistic Director of her beloved company and, over the next 15 years, she raised the level of dancing, diversified the repertoire and resumed touring internationally. She stepped down from this role last year and was appointed Artistic Director Emerita.
Please join the National Arts Centre in paying tribute to her brilliant career, her artistic genius, her visionary leadership, and her stellar legacy.
Cathy Levy has devoted her professional working life to the performing arts, dedicating herself to the creation, development and presentation of artistic projects, most notably in the dance field. She joined Canada’s National Arts Centre in the fall of 2000, having acquired an enviable reputation throughout the Canadian and international dance communities. Prior to being appointed NAC Dance Producer, Ms Levy served as Producer of the Canada Dance Festival of new Canadian choreography from 1990 to 2000, and as Associate Producer from its inauguration in 1987. From 1992 to 2000, she was Dance Programmer for Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre where she ran an annual contemporary dance series featuring companies from around the world. In 1997, she served as Performing Arts Coordinator for the Cultural Component of Canada’s Year of Asia Pacific, and from 1994 to 1996, she was the Director of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, a multi-purpose performing space for the contemporary arts. In 1988, Ms Levy founded Dance Umbrella of Ontario, the first-ever service organization of its kind in Canada providing administrative and production support to independent choreographers, and served as its Executive Director for four years until 1992.
Cathy Levy also coordinated many special projects, including the 1992 IMZ Congress in Toronto (for the Vienna-based International Music Centre), Kodo Drummers in Vancouver in 1989 and 1991, and Close-up of Japan in Toronto in 1990. She also served as Special Events Coordinator for the Canada Pavilion during EXPO 86, as Publicity Director with the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (1983-1985), as Regional Officer for Dance in Canada (1982-1985), and as Publicity Director of the Anna Wyman Dance Theatre (1980-1983). In addition, Ms Levy worked with numerous dance companies, including La La La Human Steps, the Karen Jamieson Dance Company and the Mariinsky Ballet (The Kirov). She was a founding committee member of Toronto's Dancers for Life, an annual fundraising event for the AIDS Committee of Toronto which she co-chaired from 1989 to 1993. In 1994, she helped establish and then co-chaired Vancouver’s Dancers for Life.
Ms Levy was the recipient of two Canada Council grants, one in 1985 which enabled her to train for a year under Producer David White at Dance Theater Workshop in New York City, and a second, in 1991, allowed her to research and study for four months with major performing arts festivals throughout Europe. In 1999, she was the first Canadian to receive the Japan Foundation’s Uchida Fellowship which enabled her to expand her knowledge of dance and dance companies in Japan.
Since joining the National Arts Centre, Ms Levy has championed countless Canadian and international artists, bringing their works to the forefront. She has invited numerous international and Canadian dance companies to perform on the NAC’s three stages including – after a 20-year absence from Canada - the iconic Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, as well as the Mariinsky Ballet (The Kirov), the Bolshoi Ballet, Crystal Pite/Kidd Pivot, Akram Khan Company, Dancers of Damelahamid, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, to name but a few. NAC Dance annually hosts 18-20 companies, develops a growing number of Canadian and international co-productions, and presents an impressive program of outreach and enhancement activities. Under her leadership NAC Dance has contributed to more than 100 co-productions with mostly Canadian and select international dance artists.
Cathy Levy has overseen and produced special projects and events for NAC Dance, including an Homage to Jean-Pierre Perreault (May 2004), the Dutch Dance Focus (May 2005), Peggy Jarrell Kaplan photo exhibit (2006), Homage to Marie Chouinard (2008), La La La Human Steps exhibit (2011), Aleksandar Antonijevic photo exhibit (2012) and the Legacy of Hope Foundation exhibit 100 Years of Loss: The Residential School System in Canada (2016). She also launched the NAC-CGI Youth Commission for Dance (2003-2007), the Associate Dance Artists Program (2007), and the Visiting Dance Artist Program (2018), three projects developed in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts. As well, she launched the popular NAC Dance audio podcast series in 2009. In pandemic times, Ms Levy supported the dance world through innovative digital partnerships such as #DanceForth and Digidance, CAPSULE, Dancing for Joy, Free Rein, Lantern Festival, New Monuments, TESSEL, and Vancouver’s NEXT series.
Ms Levy was also the Producer for the Golden Jubilee Gala honouring Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Canada, held at Roy Thomson Hall on October 10, 2002, for An Evening Celebrating the Works of Canadian Artists hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales on April 30, 2001, and for the NAC 40th Anniversary on June 2, 2009. In 2015, she conceived and created, alongside NAC Orchestra Music Director Alexander Shelley the landmark NAC commission ENCOUNT3RS that paired three Canadian choreographers with three Canadian composers. The resulting three one-act ballets, each performed to a brand new orchestral score, received their world premiere at the NAC in April 2017. This significant initiative was in celebration of Canada 150 and is a major legacy project for the artists, companies and the NAC.
Cathy Levy is looked upon as a key figure in the Canadian and international dance milieu and is sought after by emerging artists, producers and arts administrators for advice and short- and long-term mentorships. She is often invited to festivals and dance events, and she contributes articles to newspapers, dance journals and newsletters. She has served on several boards, committees, juries and advisory panels and was a nominator for the internationally renowned Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative for two cycles (Ohad Naharin and Crystal Pite). The Montreal contemporary dance skating group Le Patin Libre named her its annual membre d’honneur (2016-17). She is currently a Board member of the CanDance Network and an advisor to international tanzmesse nrw (2020 and 2022), and is a past member of the Centre de Création O Vertigo (Montreal) selection committee. In 2019, she was appointed Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to dance in Canada. In 2022, Cathy was made Knight of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) for having presented numerous Belgian artists during her 22-year NAC tenure.
In Spring of 2023, Cathy Levy ended her tenure as Executive Producer of Dance and was granted the title of NAC Dance Producer Emerita in honour of her contributions. Cathy has programmed the 2023-2024 NAC Dance season.
Ms Levy lives in Montreal with her husband, documentary film and live event producer Martin Bolduc. They have two sons, Jonah and Luka.
Cathy Levy consacre sa vie professionnelle aux arts de la scène; elle œuvre à la création, à l’élaboration et à la diffusion de projets artistiques, plus particulièrement dans le domaine de la danse. Elle s’est jointe au Centre national des Arts du Canada (CNA) à l’automne 2000, forte d’une réputation enviable au sein des communautés canadienne et internationale de la danse. Avant d’être nommée productrice générale de la Danse au CNA, elle a été productrice du Festival Danse Canada, vitrine de la nouvelle chorégraphie canadienne, de 1990 à 2000, après en avoir été la productrice associée depuis sa création en 1987. De 1992 à 2000, elle a exercé les fonctions de programmatrice de la danse au Harbourfront Centre de Toronto, où elle présentait une série annuelle de danse contemporaine internationale mettant en vedette des compagnies du monde entier. En 1997, elle a été coordonnatrice des arts de la scène dans le cadre du volet culturel de l’année Asie-Pacifique au Canada, et, de 1994 à 1996, directrice du East Cultural Centre de Vancouver, un espace polyvalent de présentation des arts contemporains. En 1988, Cathy a fondé le Dance Umbrella of Ontario, le tout premier organisme au Canada à offrir des services administratifs et un soutien en matière de production aux chorégraphes indépendants, dont elle a été la directrice générale jusqu’en 1992.
Cathy Levy a également coordonné plusieurs projets spéciaux, notamment le colloque IMZ à Toronto en 1992 (pour le Centre international de musique de Vienne), Kodo Drummers à Vancouver en 1989 et 1991 et Close-up of Japan à Toronto en 1990. Par ailleurs, elle a été coordonnatrice des événements spéciaux du pavillon du Canada pendant l’EXPO 86, directrice de la publicité à l’East Cultural Centre de Vancouver (1982–1985), agente régionale pour Dance in Canada (1982–1985) et directrice de la publicité pour l’Anna Wyman Dance Theatre (1980–1983). D’autre part, Cathy a collaboré avec de nombreuses compagnies de danse, y compris La La La Human Steps, la Karen Jamieson Dance Company et le Ballet du Théâtre Mariinsky (Kirov). Elle a été membre du comité fondateur de Dancers for Life de Toronto, spectacle-bénéfice annuel du Comité du sida de Toronto, qu’elle a coprésidé de 1989 à 1993. En 1994, elle a contribué à fonder Dancers for Life à Vancouver, organisme qu’elle a ensuite coprésidé.
Cathy a obtenu deux subventions du Conseil des arts du Canada, la première en 1985, qui lui a permis de se perfectionner pendant un an auprès du producteur David White au Dance Theater Workshop de New York, et la deuxième en 1991, grâce à laquelle elle a pu mener des recherches et des études pendant quatre mois auprès d’importants festivals européens des arts de la scène. En 1999, elle a été la première personne de nationalité canadienne à recevoir la bourse Uchida de la Japan Foundation qui lui a permis d’approfondir ses connaissances de la danse au Japon et de mieux connaître les compagnies de danse de ce pays.
Depuis qu’elle est au Centre national des Arts, Cathy Levy a soutenu d’innombrables artistes canadiens et internationaux en leur permettant de présenter leurs œuvres. Elle a invité de nombreuses compagnies de danse du Canada et d’ailleurs dans le monde à se produire sur les scènes du CNA, notamment – après 20 ans d’absence au Canada – l’emblématique Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, le Ballet du Théâtre Mariinsky (Kirov), le Ballet du Bolchoï, Crystal Pite/Kidd Pivot, Akram Khan Company, Dancers of Damelahamid, et Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Danse CNA accueille tous les ans de 18 à 20 compagnies, crée un nombre de plus en plus important de coproductions canadiennes et internationales, et diffuse un programme impressionnant d’activités de rayonnement et de perfectionnement. Sous sa direction, Danse CNA a contribué à plus de 100 coproductions mettant en vedette principalement des artistes canadiens, de même que certains artistes internationaux de marque.
Cathy Levy a chapeauté et produit des projets et des événements spéciaux pour Danse CNA, notamment l’Hommage à Jean-Pierre Perreault (mai 2004), Pleins feux sur la danse néerlandaise (mai 2005), l’exposition de photos de Peggy Jarrell Kaplan (2006), l’Hommage à Marie Chouinard (2008), l’exposition La La La Human Steps (2011), l’exposition de photos d’Aleksandar Antonijevic (2012), et l’exposition 100 ans de pertes : Le régime des pensionnats au Canada de la Fondation autochtone de l’espoir (2016). Elle a également lancé les Commandes de danse jeunesse CNA-CGI (2003–2007), le programme des artistes associés de Danse CNA (2007) et le programme des artistes invités en danse (2018), trois projets développés en partenariat avec le Conseil des arts du Canada. Elle a également lancé une populaire série de balados de Danse CNA en 2009. Depuis le début de la pandémie, Cathy a soutenu le milieu de la danse au moyen de partenariats numériques innovants, tels que #DansEnvol et Digidanse, CAPSULE, Du cœur à la danse, Champ libre, le festival du film de la Lanterne, New Monuments, TESSEL, et la série NEXT de Vancouver.
Par ailleurs, Cathy a assuré la production du Gala du Jubilé en l’honneur de la reine Élisabeth, présenté au Roy Thomson Hall le 10 octobre 2002, lors de sa visite au Canada, celle de la soirée en hommage aux artistes canadiens offerte par S.A.R. le prince de Galles le 30 avril 2001, et le 40e anniversaire du CNA le 2 juin 2009. En 2015, elle a conçu et créé, en collaboration avec le directeur musical de l’Orchestre du CNA Alexander Shelley, RENCONTR3S, une commande exceptionnelle du CNA qui jumelait trois chorégraphes et trois compositeurs canadiens. La première mondiale de cette œuvre composée de trois ballets en un acte sur des musiques orchestrales originales a été présentée au CNA en avril 2017. Cette initiative d’envergure, qui visait à célébrer le 150e anniversaire de la Confédération canadienne, constitue un important legs pour les artistes, les compagnies de danse et le CNA.
Cathy est considérée comme une personnalité incontournable dans le milieu de la danse au Canada et à l’international. Elle est très sollicitée des artistes émergents, des producteurs et des administrateurs des arts pour ses conseils et du mentorat à court et long terme. Elle est aussi souvent invitée dans des festivals et événements de danse, et rédige régulièrement des articles pour des journaux, des magazines et des bulletins spécialisés en danse. Elle a été membre de plusieurs conseils d’administration, comités, jurys et groupes consultatifs. Elle a récemment été l’une des nominatrices [NM1] du Programme Rolex de mentorat artistique pendant deux cycles (Ohad Naharin et Crystal Pite). Le collectif montréalais de patinage contemporain Le Patin Libre l’a nommée membre d’honneur de sa saison 2016–2017. Cathy est actuellement membre du conseil d’administration du réseau CanDanse et consultante du festival Internationale Tanzmesse NRW (2020 et 2022), puis ancienne membre du comité de sélection du Centre de Création O Vertigo (Montréal). Elle a été faite membre de l’Ordre du Canada en 2019 en reconnaissance de sa contribution au monde de la danse au Canada. En 2022, Cathy est nommée Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Couronne (Belgique) pour avoir présenté de nombreux artistes belges au cours de son mandat de 22 ans au CNA.
Au printemps 2023, Cathy Levy a conclu son mandat en tant que productrice générale de Danse CNA. Elle reçoit le titre honorifique de Productrice générale émérite pour saluer ses contributions. Cathy a planifié les spectacles de la saison de Danse 2023-2024.
Cathy Levy vit actuellement à Montréal avec son mari Martin Bolduc, producteur de films documentaires et d’événements. Ils ont deux fils, Jonah et Luka.
Welcome to Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet, The National Ballet of Canada’s signature adaptation of a great work of 21st century ballet. This is my first tour to the Nation’s Capital as Artistic Director and I could not be more excited to join the much-loved tradition of performing at the National Arts Centre. Thank you for receiving us so warmly.
Created for the National Ballet in 2011, Romeo and Juliet is incredibly musical and poetic in its imagery, with choreography that reflects the artistry and athleticism of the company today. Alexei is a wonderful storyteller, keenly attuned to the emotion and psychology of Shakespeare’s tragedy, and he imbues each character with personality and intention. The production’s design has the warm palette of a Renaissance fresco and will transport you straight to Verona.
Alexei created the lead role of Romeo for Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté, an outstanding artist who has contributed significantly to the artistic profile of the National Ballet and to dance in Canada. This will be the last time Guillaume performs Romeo in Ottawa, a city close to his heart. I hope you will join me in celebrating Guillaume as he reaches this milestone in his remarkable performing career.
Hope Muir is an acclaimed dancer, teacher and director whose 33-year career spans two continents and a range of classical and contemporary styles. Born in Toronto, she is one of the first graduates of Peter Schaufuss’ London Festival Ballet School and a former dancer at the English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2009, Hope assisted Crystal Pite with the creation of Emergence for The National Ballet of Canada and has since helped to stage the work internationally. She has assisted numerous choreographers in this capacity, staging work by Christopher Bruce, Javier De Frutos and Helen Pickett, among others. Hope is the former Assistant Artistic Director of the Scottish Ballet and in 2017, she was appointed Artistic Director of Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina, where she expanded the repertoire and established the highly successful Choreographic Lab. She assumed the role of Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada on January 1, 2022.
Interprète, enseignante et directrice acclamée, Hope Muir mène depuis 33 ans une carrière qui s'étend à la fois sur le monde classique et contemporain et sur deux continents. Née à Toronto, elle a étudié le ballet à Londres, en Angleterre, à la London Festival Ballet School de Peter Schaufuss et ancienne ballerine de l'English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company (RDC) et le célèbre Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. En 2009, Hope a aidé Crystal Pite à créer Emergence pour le Ballet national du Canada et a depuis contribué à mettre en scène l'œuvre à l'échelle internationale. Elle a assisté de nombreux chorégraphes à ce titre, mettant en scène des œuvres de Christopher Bruce, Javier De Frutos et Helen Pickett, entre autres. Hope est l'ancienne directrice artistique adjointe du Scottish Ballet et en 2017, elle a été nommée directrice artistique du Charlotte Ballet en Caroline du Nord, où elle a élargi le répertoire et créé le très populaire Choreographic Lab. Elle a accepté le rôle de directrice artistique Joan et Jerry Lozinski du Ballet national du Canada le 1er janvier 2022.
Few of the many Shakespeare works that have been re-imagined for ballet have had the lasting impact and been embraced with as much affection as Romeo and Juliet. The story of two young lovers whose passion is tragically thwarted by the enmity of their respective families has inspired numerous choreographers over the decades, attracted by the enduring power of its themes and narrative and by its potential for dramatic and evocative dancing.
In his adaptation of the play, celebrated Russian choreographer Alexei Ratmansky has given the familiar story a fresh and compelling re-telling. Created for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011, his version stays true to the play’s theatricality, romance and tragedy, plumbing the characters’ emotional depths and complexity with rare sensitivity. Ratmansky has created a Romeo and Juliet that is at once bracing and modern in its choreographic vigour, yet timeless in its dramatic urgency.
Synopsis
ACT I (50 minutes)
Scene I
Morning in the Italian Renaissance city of Verona. Romeo, son of Lord and Lady Montague, greets the awakening day. As the city comes to life, Romeo is joined in the lively town square by two friends, Mercutio and Benvolio. The bitter enmity between the Montague and Capulet families emerges with the arrival of Tybalt, a Capulet. Innocuous teasing escalates into swordplay as Tybalt fights with Benvolio and Mercutio. Lord and Lady Capulet and Lord and Lady Montague enter and there is a brief lull in the fighting but soon the Lords also take up swords. The Duke of Verona enters with his guards and intervenes, chastening all of the combatants. The crowd parts, revealing the bodies of two dead young men.
Scene II
In her bedroom, Juliet, the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, plays affectionately with her Nurse as she prepares for a ball. Her mother enters and tells her of Paris, an aristocratic suitor, whom they expect Juliet to marry. Her father enters with Paris. Juliet is uncertain about the arrangement but she receives Paris graciously.
Scene III
A lavish ball at the Capulet home. Juliet is being presented by her father to the assembled guests. Disguised by masks, Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio slip unannounced into the ball. When Romeo sees Juliet, he is immediately lovestruck. Romeo approaches her, professes his feelings and Juliet immediately falls for him. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, suspects the interloper and unmasks him, revealing his true identity. Enraged at Romeo’s effrontery, the hotheaded Tybalt demands revenge but he is stopped by Lord Capulet. As the guests depart, Tybalt warns Juliet to stay away from Romeo.
Scene IV
Later that night, Romeo waits beneath Juliet’s balcony. When she appears at her window he makes his presence known. Juliet comes down to him and, despite the danger of their situation which has now become all too clear to both, they pledge their love to each other.
INTERMISSION (20 minutes)
ACT II (30 minutes)
Scene I
In the market square, Romeo, delirious with love, is gently mocked by Mercutio and Benvolio. Juliet’s Nurse arrives, bearing a letter to Romeo from Juliet, agreeing to secretly marry him. Romeo is overjoyed.
Scene II
As planned, Romeo and Juliet meet with Friar Laurence, who has offered to marry them despite the risk, in the hope that it might bring peace to the warring families. He performs the the marriage ceremony for the two young lovers.
Scene III
Mercutio and Benvolio encounter Tybalt and taunt him. When Romeo enters, Tybalt challenges him to a swordfight but Romeo refuses. Mercutio is less reluctant and, after an exchange of insults, he and Tybalt cross swords and fight. Romeo seeks to intervene and stop them but inadvertently causes Mercutio’s death. A grief-stricken and guilt-ridden Romeo takes up a sword and kills Tybalt. The Duke arrives and as his guards bear away the bodies of Tybalt and Mercutio, he angrily banishes Romeo, who flees Verona.
INTERMISSION (20 minutes)
ACT III (40 minutes)
Scene I
Juliet’s bedroom at dawn. Romeo, although banished, has stayed for their wedding night. But now, however sorrowfully, Romeo must depart before they are discovered. After Romeo has gone, Juliet’s parents enter with Paris and tell her that she is to marry him the following day. She protests but her father brutally silences her. In despair, Juliet rushes off to seek assistance from Friar Laurence.
Scene II
In his cell, Friar Laurence gives Juliet a vial containing a sleeping draught that will simulate death. He plans to send word to Romeo, who will return to rescue her from the family burial vault when she has awakened.
Scene III
Juliet returns to her bedroom, where she pretends to bend to her parents’ will and marry Paris. Left alone, she takes the sleeping draught and falls into a death-like slumber on her bed. In the morning, Lord and Lady Capulet, Paris, the Nurse and several bridesmaids arrive to wake Juliet but find her unresponsive and believe her to be dead.
Scene IV
In the Capulet vault, Juliet lies still in her death-like sleep. Romeo enters, but not having received Friar Laurence’s message, believes Juliet is dead. In despair, he drinks a lethal poison to join her in death. As he dies, he sees Juliet awaken and realizes the cruel extent of what has happened. Juliet finds her beloved dead and kills herself in anguish. The Montagues, Lord Capulet, the Duke, Friar Laurence, and others enter to discover the terrible scene. Realizing the part their enmity has played in the tragedy, the Capulets and Montague are reconciled in their shared sorrow.
Did you know?
1. Ratmansky incorporates more dancing than some older versions of Romeo and Juliet, replacing certain mime scenes with movement. For example, Romeo’s first sighting of Juliet – and the moment they fall in love – is an exquisite lift sequence that alludes to their soaring hearts.
2. Sergei Prokofiev’s score has contributed to the enduring popularity of Romeo and Juliet and is one of the finest in ballet history. The music captures the emotion and drives events in the story, using recurring sounds and phrases to define the characters. For example, Juliet is depicted with the quicksilver violins, expressing her youth and innocence.
3. Richard Hudson, the Tony Award-winning designer of The Lion King, designed the sets and costumes. He used Renaissance paintings and frescoes as inspiration for the muted colour palette, fabrics, hats, headdresses, and cloaks.
4. The casting and creation of the ballet were captured in Moze Mossanen’s successful documentary for CBC television, Romeos and Juliets.
5. Ratmansky has created acclaimed new work for companies around the world and he has a particular interest in ballet history and revivals of legacy works. In addition to Romeo and Juliet, he has staged revivals of The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and La Bayadère.
Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director
Hope Muir
Hope Muir is an acclaimed dancer, teacher and director whose 33-year career spans two continents and a range of classical and contemporary styles. Born in Toronto, she is one of the first graduates of Peter Schaufuss’ London Festival Ballet School and a former dancer at the English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2009, Hope assisted Crystal Pite with the creation of Emergence for The National Ballet of Canada and has since helped to stage the work internationally. She has assisted numerous choreographers in this capacity, staging work by Christopher Bruce, Javier De Frutos and Helen Pickett, among others. Hope is the former Assistant Artistic Director of the Scottish Ballet and in 2017, she was appointed Artistic Director of Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina, where she expanded the repertoire and established the highly successful Choreographic Lab. She assumed the role of Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada on January 1, 2022.
Interprète, enseignante et directrice acclamée, Hope Muir mène depuis 33 ans une carrière qui s'étend à la fois sur le monde classique et contemporain et sur deux continents. Née à Toronto, elle a étudié le ballet à Londres, en Angleterre, à la London Festival Ballet School de Peter Schaufuss et ancienne ballerine de l'English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company (RDC) et le célèbre Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. En 2009, Hope a aidé Crystal Pite à créer Emergence pour le Ballet national du Canada et a depuis contribué à mettre en scène l'œuvre à l'échelle internationale. Elle a assisté de nombreux chorégraphes à ce titre, mettant en scène des œuvres de Christopher Bruce, Javier De Frutos et Helen Pickett, entre autres. Hope est l'ancienne directrice artistique adjointe du Scottish Ballet et en 2017, elle a été nommée directrice artistique du Charlotte Ballet en Caroline du Nord, où elle a élargi le répertoire et créé le très populaire Choreographic Lab. Elle a accepté le rôle de directrice artistique Joan et Jerry Lozinski du Ballet national du Canada le 1er janvier 2022.
Barry Hughson joined The National Ballet of Canada as Executive Director in 2014. Since that time, the company has accelerated its trajectory of artistic growth, fiscal responsibility, community engagement and international acclaim. In 1988, Barry began his professional career as a dancer with The Washington Ballet, performing at the Kennedy Center and internationally. As an arts executive, he has led a variety of arts institutions in the US, including The Warner Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Boston Ballet. For nine years, he served on the board of Dance/USA, North America's largest service organization for professional dance. In partnership with Dance/USA and The Royal Ballet, Barry spearheaded the first meeting of international executive dance leadership in 2015. In Canada, Barry was a member of the Coordinating Committee for Respectful Workplaces in the Arts, where he chaired the working group responsible for the development of a nationwide Code of Conduct for the Live Performing Arts. He currently serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Acts Coalition and as a member of the Advancement Committee for the International Society of Performing Arts.
Barry Hughson a joint le Ballet national du Canada à titre de directeur général en 2014. Depuis ce temps, la compagnie a mis le cap sur la croissance artistique, la responsabilité fiscale, l’engagement communautaire et le rayonnement international. Il a commencé sa carrière comme danseur au Washington Ballet en 1988, se produisant au Kennedy Center et en tournée à l’international. En tant qu'administrateur artistique, il a dirigé diverses institutions artistiques aux États-Unis, notamment le Warner Theatre, le Complexions Contemporary Ballet, l’American Repertory Ballet, l’Atlanta Ballet et le Boston Ballet. Il a été pendant neuf ans membre du conseil d’administration de Dance/USA, le plus grand organisme nord-américain de services pour les professionnels de la danse. En 2015, il a organisé, en partenariat avec cet organisme et le Royal Ballet, la toute première rencontre internationale de cadres dirigeants du milieu de la danse. Au Canada, Barry est vice-président du conseil d’administration de l’Assemblée canadienne de la danse. À titre de membre du comité de coordination du projet Respectful Workplaces in the Arts, il a dirigé un groupe de travail visant l’élaboration d’un code de conduite national pour les arts du spectacle. Il est actuellement membre du comité directeur de la Canadian Acts Coalition et membre du comité d'avancement de l'International Society of Performing Arts.
Music Director and Principal Conductor of The National Ballet of Canada since 2006, David Briskin is widely recognized as one of contemporary ballet’s most accomplished conductors.
Prior to moving to Canada, David lived and worked for 23 years as a conductor in New York City, working in opera, ballet and in concert. He conducted for seven years with American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City Center and in major opera houses throughout the world and was a seasonal conductor for New York City Ballet. In addition, he has conducted for nearly all the major North American ballet companies.
Highly in demand internationally as a guest conductor, David has appeared with The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, The Royal Swedish Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet and Hamburg Ballet. He has collaborated and conducted many important world premieres including Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet, Christopher Wheeldon and Joby Talbot’s The Winter’s Tale and Wayne McGregor and Max Richter’s MADDADDAM. He has worked closely with composers Missy Mazzoli and Lera Auerbach and has served as Music Director for the Nureyev Legend and Legacy Gala at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, which is available on Marquee TV. Last season, he conducted the highly acclaimed concert production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music at Koerner Hall.
David has appeared with orchestras and opera companies throughout Europe, Asia and North America including the Pittsburgh, Detroit, Baltimore, Cincinnati Pops, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Windsor and Shanghai Symphony Orchestras, as well as Calgary Opera, Manitoba Opera, Opera Carolina, Lake George Opera and Sarasota Opera, among others.
Over the years David has been extremely active in arts education. In 2008, he was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music where he taught conducting and served as Director of Orchestral Activities and Conductor of the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra until 2015. He was Conductor for the Juilliard School’s Dance Division for 13 years and has mentored several young and emerging conductors.
David has served on juries for the Ontario Arts Council, the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto and Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation. He has been a strong advocate for musical life in Toronto speaking publicly on behalf of the National Ballet, Luminato Festival and the University of Toronto, among others.
David Briskin est largement reconnu comme l’un des chefs les plus accomplis de la scène du ballet contemporain. Avant de s’établir au Canada, il a travaillé à New York pendant 23 ans comme chef d’orchestre pour l’opéra, le ballet et la musique symphonique. Au fil d’une collaboration de sept ans, il a notamment été au podium pour des représentations de l’American Ballet Theatre au Metropolitan Opera en plus d’avoir été chef d’orchestre de saison pour le New York City Ballet. Pendant 13 ans, il a dirigé en tant que chef d'orchestre The Juilliard School's Dance Division et a collaboré avec presque toutes les grandes compagnies de ballet d’Amérique du Nord. Très prisé à l’international, il se produit régulièrement avec le Royal Ballet, le Ballet royal de Suède, le Ballet royal du Danemark et le Ballet d'Hambourg. Il a été directeur musical pour le Nureyev Legend and Legcy Gala à Londres qui peut être écouté sur la chaîne Marquee TV. Les engagements de cette saison incluent Het Nationale Ballet et une production de A Little Night Musicau Koerner Hall. On a pu voir David Briskin sur les scènes européennes, asiatiques et nord-américaines en compagnie des orchestres symphoniques de Pittsburgh, Detroit, Baltimore, Cincinnati (Pops), Indianapolis, Windsor et Shanghai, ainsi que des opéras de Calgary, du Manitoba, de la Caroline du Nord, du lac George et de Sarasota, entre autres.
Alexei Ratmansky was born in St. Petersburg and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School. His performing career included positions as Principal Dancer with Ukrainian National Ballet, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and The Royal Danish Ballet. He has choreographed ballets for Mariinsky Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Kyiv Ballet and the State Ballet of Georgia, as well as for Nina Ananiashvili, Diana Vishneva and Mikhail Baryshnikov. His 1998 work, Dreams of Japan, earned a prestigious Golden Mask Award by the Theatre Union of Russia. In 2005, he was awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse for his choreography of Anna Karenina for The Royal Danish Ballet and was made Knight of Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 2001. In 2014, he won his second Prix Benois de la Danse for Shostakovich Trilogy.
Alexei was named Artistic Director of The Bolshoi Ballet in January 2004. Under his direction, The Bolshoi Ballet was named Best Foreign Company in 2005 and 2007 by The Critics’ Circle in London and he received a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for The Bright Stream in 2006. In 2007, he won a Golden Mask Award for Best Choreographer for his production of Jeu de Cartes for The Bolshoi Ballet. In 2009, Alexei choreographed new dances for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Aida. He joined American Ballet Theatre as Artist in Residence in January 2009 and is due to depart in June 2023. He will become Artist in Residence of New York City Ballet beginning in August 2023. In 2013, Alexei was named a MacArthur Fellow.
Né à Saint-Pétersbourg, Alexeï Ratmansky a été formé à l’École du Ballet du Bolchoï. Il s’est produit à titre de danseur étoile avec le Ballet national de l’Ukraine, le Royal Winnipeg Ballet du Canada et le Ballet royal du Danemark. Il a aussi chorégraphié de nombreux ballets, y compris pour le Ballet Mariinsky, le Ballet royal du Danemark, le Ballet royal de Suède, le Ballet national des Pays-Bas, les ballets de New York, San Francisco et Kyiv, le Ballet de l’Australie, le Ballet de l’État de Géorgie ainsi que pour Nina Ananiashvili, Diana Vishneva et Mikhaïl Baryshnikov. Son oeuvre Dreams of Japan a reçu le Masque d’or de l’association théâtrale russe du même nom. En 2005, sa chorégraphie Anna Karénine pour le Ballet royal du Danemark a obtenu un prix Benois de la danse ; en 2014, sa Trilogie Chostakovitch a aussi remporté cette prestigieuse récompense. En outre, la reine Margrethe II du Danemark lui a accordé le titre de Chevalier de l’Ordre de Dannebrog (2001).
Alexeï a été nommé directeur artistique du Ballet du Bolchoï en janvier 2004. Sous sa direction, la compagnie a été sacrée Meilleure compagnie internationale par le Cercle de la critique de Londres en 2005 et 2007, et a reçu le prix national en danse pour The Bright Stream (2006), décerné par la même organisation. En 2007, Ratmansky a remporté le Masque d’or de la meilleure chorégraphie pour Jeu de cartes du Ballet du Bolchoï. Il a en outre chorégraphié deux nouvelles danses pour une production d’Aïda du Metropolitan Opera en 2009, et est devenu artiste en résidence à l’American Ballet Theatre la même année et quittera en juin 2023. Il deviendra artiste en résidence du New York City Ballet à partir d'août 2023. En 2013, Alexeï a été boursier de la Fondation MacArthur.
Born in Zimbabwe, Richard Hudson trained at Wimbledon School of Art. He has designed operas for Glyndebourne, Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera, New York, Teatro alla Scala, Maggio Musicale Florence, English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Kent Opera, Opera North, Wiener Staatsoper, Munich, Chicago, Copenhagen, Athens, Bregenz, Amsterdam, Zurich, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Houston, Washington , Venice , Pesaro and Rome. He has also designed for the Aldeburgh Festival, The Royal Ballet, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Royal Court, Almeida and the Young Vic. In 1988, Richard won an Olivier Award for a season of plays at the Old Vic and a Tony Award for The Lion King. Richard is a Royal Designer for Industry. In 2003, he won the Gold Medal for set design at the Prague Quadrenniale and in 2005, he was given an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Surrey. Recent work includes Leopoldstadt (West End and Broadway), The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty (American Ballet Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Bolshoi Ballet), Le Coq D’or, La Bayadère and Raymonda (The Royal Danish Ballet), Das Rhinegold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (Teatro Massimo, Palermo), Versailles (Donmar Warehouse), La Bohème (Bologna), Peter Gynt (National Theatre), Morgen und Abend (Royal Opera, Covent Garden and Deutsche Oper, Berlin) and Ballo in Maschera (Verdi Festival, Parma).
Né au Zimbabwe, Richard Hudson a été formé à la Wimbledon School of Art. Il a oeuvré à des opéras pour le Festival de Glyndebourne, Covent Garden, le Metropolitan Opera, la Scala, l’English National Opera, le Scottish Opera, l’Opéra du Kent, Opera North, le Wiener Staatsoper ainsi que les opéras de Florence, Munich, Chicago, Copenhague, Athènes, Bregenz, Amsterdam, Zurich, Barcelone, Madrid, Bruxelles, Houston, Washington et Rome. Il a aussi collaboré à des productions pour le Festival d’Aldeburgh, le Royal Ballet, la Royal Shakespeare Company, le National Theatre, la Royal Court et le Young Vic. Richard a remporté un prix Olivier en 1988 pour l’ensemble de la saison au Old Vic, de même qu’un prix Tony pour The Lion King. La Royal Society of Arts lui a accordé le titre de « Royal Designer for Industry ». En 2003, il a remporté une médaille d’or pour la conception des décors de la Quadrenniale de Prague; en 2005, l’Université du Surrey lui a remis un doctorat honorifique. Parmi ses conceptions récentes, notons : Casse-Noisette et La Belle au bois dormant (American Ballet Theatre); Roméo et Juliette (Ballet du Bolchoï); Le Coq d’or, La Bayadère et Raymonda (Ballet royal du Danemark); Das Rhinegold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (Teatro Massimo, Palermo), Versailles (Donmar Warehouse); La Bohème (Bologne); Peter Gynt (National Theatre), Morgen und Abend (Royal Opera, Covent Garden and Deutsche Oper, Berlin) and Ballo in Maschera (Verdi Festival, Parma).
Jennifer Tipton is well known for her work in theatre, dance and opera. Her recent work in theatre includes To Kill A Mockingbird for London and on tour, Samuel Beckett’s First Love for Zoom and all of Richard Nelson's Rhinebeck plays. Her recent work in opera includes Ricky Ian Gordon's Intimate Apparel with libretto by Lynn Nottage, based on her play by the same name, at the Lincoln Center Mitzi Newhouse Theater; her recent work in dance includes Liz Gerring’s Harbor at ICA in Boston and Amy Hall Warner’s Somewhere in the Middle for the Paul Taylor Company. Among many awards she has received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize in 2001, the Jerome Robbins Prize in 2003 and in 2008 she was awarded the USA “Gracie” Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship.
Jennifer Tipton est bien connue pour son travail dans le théâtre, la danse et l'opéra. Son travail théâtral récent comprend To Kill A Mockingbirdpour Londres et en tournée, First Love for Zoom de Samuel Beckett et toutes les pièces Rhinebeck de Richard Nelson. Son travail récent à l'opéra comprend Intimate Apparel de Ricky Ian Gordon avec un livret de Lynn Nottage, basé sur sa pièce du même nom, au Lincoln Center Mitzi Newhouse Theatre; Son travail récent en danse comprend Harbour de Liz Gerring à l'ICA de Boston et Somewhere in the Middle d'Amy Hall Warner pour la Paul Taylor Company. Parmi de nombreux prix, elle a reçu le prix Dorothy et Lillian Gish en 2001, le prix Jerome Robbins en 2003 et en 2008, elle a reçu la bourse MacArthur et la bourse Gracie de United States Artists.
Celia Franca founded The National Ballet of Canada in 1951 with the goal of presenting the best of classical and contemporary ballet. Today the company is among the world’s finest, with 70 dancers, an in-house orchestra and a permanent home at The Walter Carsen Centre in Toronto. The National Ballet has a history of pre-eminent Artistic Directors and, starting January 2022, welcomed new leader Hope Muir.
Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers. The company’s repertoire includes works by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Aszure Barton, Marie Chouinard, John Cranko, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Wayne McGregor, Kenneth McMillan, John Neumeier, Rudolf Nureyev, Crystal Pite, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon and the company’s Choreographic Associates Robert Binet and Guillaume Côté, among other creators.
In recent years, the National Ballet has become a top destination for creative partnerships and the building and staging of new work. Since 2011, the company’s highly skilled production team has worked from a state-of-the-art facility, The Gretchen Ross Production Centre, to build and store its glorious sets and costumes.
The National Ballet performs three extended engagements at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts each year, augmented by national and international tours. The company has performed in Canada, the USA, the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Israel, China, Japan, Italy and Mexico, with recent appearances in London, Los Angeles, Paris, Hamburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, New York City and Washington, D.C.
Reaching audiences beyond the traditional theatre setting is one of the National Ballet’s highest priorities, particularly for children, youth and families. The company has a wide range of age-appropriate community engagement initiatives designed to share the joy and power of dance with young people in schools, hospitals, community settings and homes in ways that are meaningful and rewarding for them. YOU dance is the largest of these programmes and offers FREE workshops and performances to students in grades four through six.
The National Ballet upholds the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all aspects of its work and is taking important steps to better reflect Canada’s cultural diversity throughout the organization, its partners and audiences.
Celia Franca a fondé le Ballet national du Canada en 1951 dans le but de présenter le meilleur du ballet classique et contemporain. Aujourd'hui, la compagnie est parmi les meilleures au monde. Elle compte 70 danseurs, dispose de son propre orchestre et détient une résidence permanente au Walter Carsen Centre à Toronto. Le Ballet national a une histoire de directeurs artistiques de premier plan et, en janvier 2022, a accueilli la nouvelle directrice artistique, Hope Muir.
Reconnue pour son répertoire diversifié, la compagnie interprète des classiques traditionnels, embrasse le travail contemporain et encourage la création de nouveaux ballets ainsi que le développement de chorégraphes canadiens. Le répertoire de la compagnie comprend des œuvres de Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Aszure Barton, Marie Chouinard, John Cranko, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Wayne McGregor, Kenneth McMillan, John Neumeier, Rudolf Noureev, Crystal Pite, Alexeï Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon et les collaborateurs chorégraphiques Robert Binet, Guillaume Côté et autres.
Au cours des dernières années, le Ballet national est devenu une destination de choix pour les partenariats créatifs, le développement et la mise en scène de nouvelles œuvres. Depuis 2011, l'équipe de production hautement qualifiée de l'entreprise travaille depuis une installation ultramoderne, le centre de production Gretchen Ross, pour construire et entreposer ses magnifiques décors et costumes.
Chaque année, le Ballet national présente une programmation de trois performances et ce, sur une période prolongée au Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts de Toronto en plus de ses tournées nationales et internationales. Depuis sa création, la compagnie s'est produite au Canada, aux États-Unis, au Royaume-Uni, en Allemagne, aux Pays-Bas, en Israël, en Chine, au Japon, en Italie et au Mexique, avec des apparitions récentes à Londres, Los Angeles, Paris, Hambourg, Moscou, Saint-Pétersbourg, New York et Washington, D.C.
Toucher le public au-delà du théâtre traditionnel est l'une des principales priorités du Ballet national, en particulier les enfants, les adolescents et les familles. La compagnie propose un large éventail d'initiatives communautaires adaptées à l'âge et conçues pour partager la joie et la puissance de la danse avec les jeunes dans les écoles, les hôpitaux, les milieux communautaires et les foyers de manière significative et enrichissante pour eux. Le programme YOU dance est le plus important et propose des ateliers et des spectacles GRATUITS aux élèves de la quatrième à la sixième année.
Le Ballet national respecte les principes d'équité, de diversité et d'inclusion (EDI) dans tous les aspects de son travail et prend des mesures importantes pour mieux refléter la diversité culturelle du Canada dans l'ensemble de l'organisation, de ses partenaires et de son public.
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Alexander Shelley began his tenure as Music Director in 2015, following Pinchas Zukerman’s 16 seasons at the helm. Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and former Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (2009–2017), he has been in demand around the world, conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Stockholm Philharmonic, among others, and maintains a regular relationship with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and the German National Youth Orchestra.
Each season, the NAC Orchestra features world-class artists such as the newly appointed Artist-in-Residence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, and Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds. As one of the most accessible, inclusive, and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
Depuis sa création en 1969, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts (CNA) reçoit des éloges pour la passion et la clarté de ses interprétations, pour ses programmes éducatifs novateurs et pour son apport à l’expression de la créativité canadienne. Sous la direction du Directeur musical Alexander Shelley, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts est le reflet de la diversité des paysages, des valeurs et des communautés du Canada, et est reconnu pour sa programmation audacieuse, ses contenus nrratifs marquants, son excellence artistique et ses partenariats innovants.
Alexander Shelley a amorcé son mandat à la direction musicale de l’Orchestre du CNA en 2015, succédant à Pinchas Zukerman, qui a été aux commandes de l’ensemble pendant 16 saisons. Premier chef associé du Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Shelley a été le premier chef de l’Orchestre symphonique de Nuremberg de 2009 à 2017. Demandé partout dans le monde, il a dirigé entre autres la Philharmonie de Rotterdam, DSO Berlin, le Leipzig Gewandhaus et la Philharmonie de Stockholm, et il maintient des liens avec la Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie et l’Orchestre national des jeunes d’Allemagne.
Chaque saison, l’Orchestre du met en vedette des artistes de réputation internationale, tels que notre artiste en résidence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki et le premier chef invité John Storgårds. L’ensemble se distingue à l’échelle du monde pour son approche accessible, inclusive et collaborative. Par le langage universel de la musique et des expériences musicales communes, il communique des émotions profondes et nous rapproche les uns des autres.
Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic DirectorHope Muir
Hope Muir is an acclaimed dancer, teacher and director whose 33-year career spans two continents and a range of classical and contemporary styles. Born in Toronto, she is one of the first graduates of Peter Schaufuss’ London Festival Ballet School and a former dancer at the English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2009, Hope assisted Crystal Pite with the creation of Emergence for The National Ballet of Canada and has since helped to stage the work internationally. She has assisted numerous choreographers in this capacity, staging work by Christopher Bruce, Javier De Frutos and Helen Pickett, among others. Hope is the former Assistant Artistic Director of the Scottish Ballet and in 2017, she was appointed Artistic Director of Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina, where she expanded the repertoire and established the highly successful Choreographic Lab. She assumed the role of Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada on January 1, 2022.
Executive DirectorBarry Hughson
Barry Hughson joined The National Ballet of Canada as Executive Director in 2014. Since that time, the company has accelerated its trajectory of artistic growth, fiscal responsibility, community engagement and international acclaim. In 1988, Barry began his professional career as a dancer with The Washington Ballet, performing at the Kennedy Center and internationally. As an arts executive, he has led a variety of arts institutions in the US, including The Warner Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Boston Ballet. For nine years, he served on the board of Dance/USA, North America's largest service organization for professional dance. In partnership with Dance/USA and The Royal Ballet, Barry spearheaded the first meeting of international executive dance leadership in 2015. In Canada, Barry was a member of the Coordinating Committee for Respectful Workplaces in the Arts, where he chaired the working group responsible for the development of a nationwide Code of Conduct for the Live Performing Arts. He currently serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Acts Coalition and as a member of the Advancement Committee for the International Society of Performing Arts.
Music DirectorDavid Briskin
Music Director and Principal Conductor of The National Ballet of Canada since 2006, David Briskin is widely recognized as one of contemporary ballet’s most accomplished conductors.
Prior to moving to Canada, David lived and worked for 23 years as a conductor in New York City, working in opera, ballet and in concert. He conducted for seven years with American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City Center and in major opera houses throughout the world and was a seasonal conductor for New York City Ballet. In addition, he has conducted for nearly all the major North American ballet companies.
Highly in demand internationally as a guest conductor, David has appeared with The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, The Royal Swedish Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet and Hamburg Ballet. He has collaborated and conducted many important world premieres including Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet, Christopher Wheeldon and Joby Talbot’s The Winter’s Tale and Wayne McGregor and Max Richter’s MADDADDAM. He has worked closely with composers Missy Mazzoli and Lera Auerbach and has served as Music Director for the Nureyev Legend and Legacy Gala at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, which is available on Marquee TV. Last season, he conducted the highly acclaimed concert production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music at Koerner Hall.
David has appeared with orchestras and opera companies throughout Europe, Asia and North America including the Pittsburgh, Detroit, Baltimore, Cincinnati Pops, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Windsor and Shanghai Symphony Orchestras, as well as Calgary Opera, Manitoba Opera, Opera Carolina, Lake George Opera and Sarasota Opera, among others.
Over the years David has been extremely active in arts education. In 2008, he was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music where he taught conducting and served as Director of Orchestral Activities and Conductor of the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra until 2015. He was Conductor for the Juilliard School’s Dance Division for 13 years and has mentored several young and emerging conductors.
David has served on juries for the Ontario Arts Council, the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto and Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation. He has been a strong advocate for musical life in Toronto speaking publicly on behalf of the National Ballet, Luminato Festival and the University of Toronto, among others.
ChoreographyAlexei Ratmansky
Alexei Ratmansky was born in St. Petersburg and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School. His performing career included positions as Principal Dancer with Ukrainian National Ballet, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and The Royal Danish Ballet. He has choreographed ballets for Mariinsky Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Kyiv Ballet and the State Ballet of Georgia, as well as for Nina Ananiashvili, Diana Vishneva and Mikhail Baryshnikov. His 1998 work, Dreams of Japan, earned a prestigious Golden Mask Award by the Theatre Union of Russia. In 2005, he was awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse for his choreography of Anna Karenina for The Royal Danish Ballet and was made Knight of Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 2001. In 2014, he won his second Prix Benois de la Danse for Shostakovich Trilogy.
Alexei was named Artistic Director of The Bolshoi Ballet in January 2004. Under his direction, The Bolshoi Ballet was named Best Foreign Company in 2005 and 2007 by The Critics’ Circle in London and he received a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for The Bright Stream in 2006. In 2007, he won a Golden Mask Award for Best Choreographer for his production of Jeu de Cartes for The Bolshoi Ballet. In 2009, Alexei choreographed new dances for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Aida. He joined American Ballet Theatre as Artist in Residence in January 2009 and is due to depart in June 2023. He will become Artist in Residence of New York City Ballet beginning in August 2023. In 2013, Alexei was named a MacArthur Fellow.
Set, Costume and Properties DesignRichard Hudson
Born in Zimbabwe, Richard Hudson trained at Wimbledon School of Art. He has designed operas for Glyndebourne, Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera, New York, Teatro alla Scala, Maggio Musicale Florence, English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Kent Opera, Opera North, Wiener Staatsoper, Munich, Chicago, Copenhagen, Athens, Bregenz, Amsterdam, Zurich, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Houston, Washington , Venice , Pesaro and Rome. He has also designed for the Aldeburgh Festival, The Royal Ballet, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Royal Court, Almeida and the Young Vic. In 1988, Richard won an Olivier Award for a season of plays at the Old Vic and a Tony Award for The Lion King. Richard is a Royal Designer for Industry. In 2003, he won the Gold Medal for set design at the Prague Quadrenniale and in 2005, he was given an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Surrey. Recent work includes Leopoldstadt (West End and Broadway), The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty (American Ballet Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Bolshoi Ballet), Le Coq D’or, La Bayadère and Raymonda (The Royal Danish Ballet), Das Rhinegold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (Teatro Massimo, Palermo), Versailles (Donmar Warehouse), La Bohème (Bologna), Peter Gynt (National Theatre), Morgen und Abend (Royal Opera, Covent Garden and Deutsche Oper, Berlin) and Ballo in Maschera (Verdi Festival, Parma).
Lighting DesignJennifer Tipton
Jennifer Tipton is well known for her work in theatre, dance and opera. Her recent work in theatre includes To Kill A Mockingbird for London and on tour, Samuel Beckett’s First Love for Zoom and all of Richard Nelson's Rhinebeck plays. Her recent work in opera includes Ricky Ian Gordon's Intimate Apparel with libretto by Lynn Nottage, based on her play by the same name, at the Lincoln Center Mitzi Newhouse Theater; her recent work in dance includes Liz Gerring’s Harbor at ICA in Boston and Amy Hall Warner’s Somewhere in the Middle for the Paul Taylor Company. Among many awards she has received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize in 2001, the Jerome Robbins Prize in 2003 and in 2008 she was awarded the USA “Gracie” Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship.
FeaturingThe National Ballet of Canada
Celia Franca founded The National Ballet of Canada in 1951 with the goal of presenting the best of classical and contemporary ballet. Today the company is among the world’s finest, with 70 dancers, an in-house orchestra and a permanent home at The Walter Carsen Centre in Toronto. The National Ballet has a history of pre-eminent Artistic Directors and, starting January 2022, welcomed new leader Hope Muir.
Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers. The company’s repertoire includes works by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Aszure Barton, Marie Chouinard, John Cranko, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Wayne McGregor, Kenneth McMillan, John Neumeier, Rudolf Nureyev, Crystal Pite, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon and the company’s Choreographic Associates Robert Binet and Guillaume Côté, among other creators.
In recent years, the National Ballet has become a top destination for creative partnerships and the building and staging of new work. Since 2011, the company’s highly skilled production team has worked from a state-of-the-art facility, The Gretchen Ross Production Centre, to build and store its glorious sets and costumes.
The National Ballet performs three extended engagements at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts each year, augmented by national and international tours. The company has performed in Canada, the USA, the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Israel, China, Japan, Italy and Mexico, with recent appearances in London, Los Angeles, Paris, Hamburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, New York City and Washington, D.C.
Reaching audiences beyond the traditional theatre setting is one of the National Ballet’s highest priorities, particularly for children, youth and families. The company has a wide range of age-appropriate community engagement initiatives designed to share the joy and power of dance with young people in schools, hospitals, community settings and homes in ways that are meaningful and rewarding for them. YOU dance is the largest of these programmes and offers FREE workshops and performances to students in grades four through six.
The National Ballet upholds the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all aspects of its work and is taking important steps to better reflect Canada’s cultural diversity throughout the organization, its partners and audiences.
FeaturingNAC Orchestra
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Alexander Shelley began his tenure as Music Director in 2015, following Pinchas Zukerman’s 16 seasons at the helm. Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and former Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (2009–2017), he has been in demand around the world, conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Stockholm Philharmonic, among others, and maintains a regular relationship with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and the German National Youth Orchestra.
Each season, the NAC Orchestra features world-class artists such as the newly appointed Artist-in-Residence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, and Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds. As one of the most accessible, inclusive, and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
Born: Saratov, Russia
Trained: National M.K Čiurlionis School of Art in Lithuania and Munich International Ballet Academy in Germany
Royal Swedish Ballet: 2005 – 2010
Het Nationale Ballet: 2010 – 2015
Resident Principal Guest Artist with The Hong Kong Ballet: 2015 – 2017
Lead Principal Dancer with English National Ballet: 2017 – 2020
Joined as Principal Dancer: 2015
Née à : Saratov, Russie
Formatoin : National M.K Čiurlionis School of Art en Lituanie et Munich International Ballet Academy en Allemagne
Royal Swedish Ballet: 2005 – 2010
Het Nationale Ballet: 2010 – 2015
Artiste en résidence avec The Hong Kong Ballet : 2015 – 2017
Première danseuse avec le English National Ballet : 2017 – 2020
Danseuse principale depuis : 2015
Born: Nagoya, Japan
Trained: Shiho Kanazawa Ballet School in Japan, The HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida and San Francisco Ballet School
Joined as a First Soloist: 2019
Principal Dancer since: 2021
Née à : Nagoya, Japan
Formation : Shiho Kanazawa Ballet School au Japon, The HARID Conservatory à Boca Raton, Floride et San Francisco Ballet School
Début en tant que première soliste : 2019
Danseuse principale depuis : 2021
Born: Paraparaumu, New Zealand
Trained: San Francisco Ballet School’s Trainee Program and New Zealand School of Dance
Joined National Ballet: 2013
Principal Dancer since: 2016
Sponsored by Lucy White
Né à : Paraparaumu, New Zealand
Formation : San Francisco Ballet School’s Trainee Program et la New Zealand School of Dance
Début avec la compagnie : 2013
Danseur principal depuis : 2016
Born: Casco, Michigan
Trained: Main Stage Center for the Arts in Michigan and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2018
Principal Dancer since: 2022
Sponsored by George & Kathy Dembroski
Née à : Casco, Michigan
Formation : Main Stage Center for the Arts au Michigan et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2018
Danseuse principale depuis : 2022
Born: Woodbridge, Virginia
Trained: North Carolina School of the Arts and Houston Ballet II
Joined National Ballet: 2013
Principal Dancer since: 2021
Sponsored by Sylvie Allard & Brian O'Keefe
Né à : Woodbridge, Virginie
Formation : North Carolina School of the Arts et la Houston Ballet II
Début avec la compagnie : 2013
Danseur principal depuis : 2021
Born: Poznan, Poland
Trained: State Ballet School of Poznan and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 1998
Principal Dancer since: 2008
Né à : Poznan, Pologne
Formation : State Ballet School of Poznan et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 1998
Principal Dancer depuis : 2008
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Trained: L’École supérieure de danse du Québec, Princess Grace Academy and San Francisco Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 1998
Principal Character Artist since: 2013
Née à : Toronto, Ontario
Formation : L’École supérieure de danse du Québec, Princess Grace Academy et San Francisco Ballet School
Début avec la compagnie : 1998
Personnage principal depuis : 2013
Born: Sydney, Australia
Trained: Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy in Australia and the Tanz Akademie Zürich in Switzerland
Joined National Ballet: 2011
First Soloist since: 2018
Sponsored by an anonymous donor
Né à : Sydney, Australie
Formaton : Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy en Australie et la Tanz Akademie Zürich en Suisse
Début avec la compagnie : 2011
Premier soliste depuis : 2018
Born: New York City, New York
Trained: Studio Maestro in New York and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2003
First Soloist since: 2015
Née à : New York, New York
Formation : Studio Maestro à New York et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2003
Première soliste depuis : 2015
Born: Watford, England
Trained: Newcastle Dance Academy in Australia, New Zealand School of Dance and San Francisco Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2014
First Soloist since: 2022
Sponsored by Ms. Nancy Viner & Dr. Raymond Stein
Né à : Watford, Angleterre
Formation : Newcastle Dance Academy en Australie, New Zealand School of Dance et San Francisco Ballet School
Début avec la compagnie : 2014
Premier soliste depuis : 2022
Born: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Trained: Place des Arts in Coquitlam, British Columbia and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2015
First Soloist since: 2021
Sponsored by Devida & Derek Smith
Née à : Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Formation : Place des Arts à Coquitlam, Colombie-Britannique et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2015
Première soliste depuis : 2021
Born: Uitenhage, South Africa
Trained: The National School of Arts in South Africa and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 1998
First Soloist since: 2007
Née à : Uitenhage, Afrique du Sud
Formation : The National School of Arts en Afrique du Sud et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 1998
Première soliste depuis : 2007
Born: Calgary, Alberta
Trained: International School of Ballet in Calgary and Boston Ballet School’s Trainee Program
Joined National Ballet: 2007
First Soloist since: 2016
Sponsored by an anonymous donor
Née à : Calgary, Alberta
Formation : International School of Ballet à Calgary et Boston Ballet School’s Trainee Program
Début avec la compagnie : 2007
Première soliste depuis : 2016
Born: Melbourne, Australia
Trained: Karen Curlis School of Dance, Thelma Williams School of Dance, The Victorian College of The Arts in Australia and The Australian Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2008
First Soloist since: 2015
Sponsored by Anne-Marie Canning
Née à : Melbourne, Australie
Formation : Karen Curlis School of Dance, Thelma Williams School of Dance, The Victorian College of The Arts en Australie et The Australian Ballet School
Début avec la compagnie : 2008
Première soliste depuis : 2015
Born: Vancouver, British Columbia
Trained: DanceWest and Lavrova Classical Ballet Academy in British Columbia and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2004
First Soloist since: 2015
Sponsored by Elvio & Marlene DelZotto
Née à : Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique
Formation : DanceWest et Lavrova Classical Ballet Academy en Colombie-Britannique et Canada’s National Ballet School
Début avec la compagnie : 2004
Première soliste depuis : 2015
Born: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Trained: Tulsa Balllet Academy and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2014
First Soloist since: 2021
Sponsored by an anonymous donor
Née à : Tulsa, Oklahoma
Formation : Tulsa Balllet Academy et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2014
Première soliste depuis : 2021
Born: Kanata, Ontario
Trained: Linda Jamison School of Dance in Ottawa and The Royal Ballet Upper School in London
Joined National Ballet: 2015
First Soloist since: 2019
Né à : Kanata, Ontario
Formation : Linda Jamison School of Dance à Ottawa et The Royal Ballet Upper School à Londres
Début avec la compagnie : 2015
Premier soliste depuis : 2019
Born: Mexico City, Mexico
Trained: The National Ballet School of Mexico and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2007
Second Soloist since: 2022
Née à : Mexico, Mexique
Formation : The National Ballet School of Mexico et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2007
Deuxième soliste depuis : 2022
Born: Champaign, Illinois
Trained: Champaign-Urbana Ballet Academy and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2017
Second Soloist since: 2021
Sponsored by Donna Meyers & Doug Richmond
Née à : Champaign, Illinois
Formation : Champaign-Urbana Ballet Academy et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2009
Deuxième soliste depuis : 2015
Born: Chiba, Japan
Trained: Hashimoto Ballet and Shimada Ballet Institute in Japan and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2011
Second Soloist since: 2018
Née à : Chiba, Japon
Formation : Hashimoto Ballet, Shimada Ballet Institute au Japon et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2011
Deuxième soliste depuis : 2018
Born: Tokyo, Japan
Trained: Shimura Ballet School in Japan and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2012
Second Soloist since: 2019
Sponsored by Tony Arrell, c.m. & Anne Arrell
Né à : Tokyo, Japon
Formation : Shimura Ballet School au Japon et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2012
Deuxième soliste depuis : 2019
Born: Steubenville, Ohio
Trained: Arenas Dance Company in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in Pennsylvania and the School of American Ballet in New York City, New York
Joined National Ballet: 2020
Corps de ballet since: 2022
Né à : Steubenville, Ohio
Formation : Arenas Dance Company de Moon Township, Pennsylvanie, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre en Pennsylvanie et la School of American Ballet à New York, New York
Début avec la compagnie : 2020
Corps de ballet depuis : 2022
Born: Des Moines, Iowa
Trained: School of Classical Ballet and Dance in Des Moines, Iowa, Orlando Ballet School in Florida and San Franncisco Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2012
Corps de Ballet since: 2013
Né à : Des Moines, Iowa
Formation : School of Classical Ballet and Dance à Des Moines, Iowa, Orlando Ballet School en Floride et la San Francisco Ballet School
Début avec la compagnie depuis : 2012
Corps de ballet depuis : 2013
Born: Nacogdoches, Texas
Trained: Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program in New York City, New York and The Rock School for Dance Education Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Corps de Ballet since: 2019
Née à : Nacogdoches, Texas
Formation : Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program à New York, New York et The Rock School for Dance Education Philadelphia, Pennsylvanie
Corps de ballet depuis : 2019
Born: Buffalo, New York
Trained: Classical Ballet of Western New York in Williamsville, New York and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2019
Corps de Ballet since: 2022
Née à : Buffalo, New York
Formation : Classical Ballet of Western New York à Williamsville, New York et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2019
Corps de ballet depuis : 2022
Born: Las Vegas, Nevada
Trained: Nevada Ballet Theatre, Kwak Ballet Academy, Tara Foy's Elite Ballet and Nevada School of Dance in Las Vegas, Nevada and Royal Winnipeg Ballet School
Corps de Ballet since: 2019
Née à : Las Vegas, Nevada
Formation : Nevada Ballet Theater, Kwak Ballet Academy, Tara Foy's Elite Ballet, Nevada School of Dance à Las Vegas, Nevada et l'École du Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Corps de ballet depuis : 2019
Born: Seoul, South Korea
Trained: Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2019
Corps de Ballet since: 2022
Née à : Séoul, Corée du Sud
Formation : École du Royal Winnipeg Ballet School et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2019
Corps de ballet depuis : 2022
Born: Los Angeles, California
Trained: The School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, New York
Joined National Ballet: 2016
Corps de Ballet since: 2018
Né à : Los Angeles, California
Formation : The School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School à New York, New York
Début avec la compagnie : 2016
Corps de ballet depuis : 2018
Born: Vancouver, British Columbia
Trained: Canada's National Ballet School, Goh Ballet Academy and Arts Umbrella in Vancouver
Joined National Ballet: 2017
Corps de Ballet since: 2018
Sponsored by Devida & Derek Smith
Né à : Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique
Formation : La National Ballet School du Canada, Goh Ballet Academy et Arts Umbrella à Vancouver
Début avec la compagnie : 2017
Corps de ballet depuis : 2018
Born: Ottawa, Ontario
Trained: The School of Dance in Ottawa and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2017
Corps de Ballet since: 2018
Sponsored by Anne & David LeGresley
Né à : Ottawa, Ontario
Formation : The School of Dance à Ottawa et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2017
Corps de ballet depuis : 2018
Born: Donetsk, Ukraine
Trained: Kyiv State Ballet College
Eifman Ballet: 2010-2011
Mariinsky Theatre: 2011-2013
Mikhailovsky Theatre: 2013-2022
Corps de Ballet since: 2022
Né à : Donetsk, Ukraine
Formation : Kyiv State Ballet College
Eifman Ballet : 2010-2011
Mariinsky Theatre : 2011-2013
Mikhailovsky Theatre : 2013-2022
Corps de ballet depuis : 2022
Born: Sydney, Australia
Trained: Canberra Fesetival Ballet School in Australia, The Australian Ballet School and European School of Ballet in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Joined National Ballet: 2018
Corps de Ballet since: 2019
Sponsored by Michelle & Duncan Sinclair
Née à : Sydney, Australie
Formation : Canberra Fesetival Ballet School en Australia, The Australian Ballet School et la European School of Ballet à Amsterdam, Pays-Bas
Début avec la compagnie : 2018
Corps de ballet depuis : 2019
Born: Belleville, Ontario
Trained: Quinte Ballet School of Canada in Belleville and Canada's National Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 2015
Corps de Ballet since: 2019
Né à : Belleville, Ontario
Formation : Quinte Ballet School of Canada à Belleville et la National Ballet School du Canada
Début avec la compagnie : 2015
Corps de ballet depuis : 2019
The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage with the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage; and the Government of Ontario with the Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Prostitutes
Jenna Savella
Tanya Howard or Jordana Daumec
Juliet’s Friends
Koto Ishihara
Brenna Flaherty
Miyoko Koyasu
Alexandra MacDonald
Nobles and Citizens of Verona
Artists of the Ballet
* Debut + Guest Artist
All casting subject to change
NAC Orchestra
Conductor: David Briskin
First Violins
**Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Marjolaine Lambert
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Manuela Milani
Emily Kruspe
Emily Westell
*Martine Dubé
*Erica Miller
*Oleg Chelpanov
*Andréa Armijo Fortin
*Renée London
Second violins
Mintje van Lier (principal)
Winston Webber (assistant principal)
Leah Roseman
Carissa Klopoushak
Frédéric Moisan
Zhengdong Liang
Karoly Sziladi
Mark Friedman
**Edvard Skerjanc
*Heather Schnarr
*Sara Mastrangelo
Violas
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal / assistant solo)
David Thies-Thompson
Paul Casey
*Tovin Allers
Special Projects Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Producer
Mireille Nicholas
Company Manager
Sophie Anka
Education Associate and Teaching Artist
Siôned Watkins
Technical Director
Brian Britton
Communications Strategist
Julie Gunville
Marketing Strategist
Marie-Chantale Labbé-Jacques
The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following:
Canadian Actors' Equity Association and IATSE locals 58 and 822
Mary Ross and The School of Dance, Ottawa, ON.
Official Hotel Partner
Official Partner
Recognizing your support and passion
Every season, thousands of individuals, corporations, and foundations express their passion for the performing arts in Canada by making a gift to the National Arts Centre. Your donations help to bring breathtaking performance to Canada’s stage, inspire new creation and provide life-changing learning opportunities for young people.
Our loyal supporters deserve to be recognized for the starring role you play. Please give yourselves a round of applause.
__square.jpg)
