2023-24 Season Brochure

A NEW SEASON OF EXHILARATING DANCE

A Message from Artistic Director

HOPE MUIR

Planning every new season is exhilarating and that is especially true this year, as I balance The National Ballet of Canada’s commitment to storytelling and the classical tradition with new choreographic vision and collaborations that feel true to my ambitions as Artistic Director. The 2023/24 season offers a stunning breadth of choreographic languages and musical expression, from the renowned classical compositions of our legacy ballets to the innovative scores of select new work and acquisitions.

The season opens with the world premiere of Helen Pickett’s Emma Bovary, a fascinating psychological exploration of the title character from Gustave Flaubert’s novel, Madame Bovary, set to an original score by Peter Salem. Helen’s work is joined by James Kudelka’s Passion, which I have acquired for Principal Dancer Piotr Stanczyk to mark his retirement from an outstanding 25-year career with the National Ballet. An eclectic offering follows in the winter mixed programme, featuring the technical purity of Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc and the contemporary voices of Canadians William Yong and Emma Portner.

Our full-length ballets are a selection of contemporary classics and reimagined legacy works: John Cranko’s great dance drama Onegin, Christopher Wheeldon’s ingenious Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the North American premiere of Don Quixote by Carlos Acosta, with an acclaimed new arrangement of Ludwig Minkus’ score and, the full version of George Balanchine’s Jewels

It’s an honour to offer this rich artistic experience to you and our dancers, advancing our creative growth and building relationships for the future. I look forward to joining you as the season unfolds.

Warmly,

Hope Muir

Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director

EMMA BOVARY

HELEN PICKETT

Canadian Premiere & PASSION

JAMES KUDELKA

World Premiere

Dance International

The 2023/24 season opens with the world premiere of Helen Pickett’s Emma Bovary, presented with the Canadian premiere of James Kudelka’s Passion, which Artistic Director Hope Muir has acquired for Principal Dancer Piotr Stanczyk as he retires from The National Ballet of Canada after 25 years.

Emma Bovary is an exciting first commission from choreographer Helen Pickett, a riveting psychological study of a woman disillusioned by life, based on Gustave Flaubert’s 19th-century novel Madame Bovary. Pickett reunites the creative team behind her award-winning ballet The Crucible, adding Canadians Michael Gianfrancesco for sets and costumes and Bonnie Beecher for lighting design. Bovary reflects Pickett’s talent for telling human stories through an exacting physical vocabulary and is set to a stunning original score by Peter Salem.

Canadian luminary James Kudelka created Passion for Houston Ballet in 2013. A portrait of a love affair, this powerful work is meticulously structured to Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano in D, Op. 61a and led by two couples – one classical and the other contemporary – framed by an exquisite Corps de Ballet. Passion is the ideal ballet to highlight and celebrate the technical strength and charisma that have made Piotr Stanczyk such an unforgettable artist. It also sees him collaborating once again with James Kudelka who has been such an influence throughout his career with the National Ballet.

EMMA BOVARY

Choreography: Helen Pickett

Directors: James Bonas & Helen Pickett

NOV 11 - 18

Treatment by: Helen Pickett & James Bonas

Music and Sound: Peter Salem

Set and Costume Design: Michael Gianfrancesco

Lighting Design: Bonnie Beecher

Animations: Grégoire Pont

Projection Design: Anouar Brissel

Produced and Commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada. Lead philanthropic support for Emma Bovary is provided by The Anna McCowan-Johnson New Creations Fund and The Producers’ Circle.

PASSION

Choreography: James Kudelka

Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

Costume Design: Denis Lavoie

Lighting Design: Michael Mazzola

Passion is generously supported by The Gail Hutchison Fund.

“ Helen Pickett is a choreographer of substance with deep convictions, an effervescent sense of humour and a wide-ranging intellect.”

ONEGIN

JOHN CRANKO

NOV 22 - 26

The Globe and Mail

John Cranko’s extraordinary Onegin is a ballet which the very best artists of our age aspire to perform. A dance drama beloved for its rich characterization, musicality and passionate vocabulary, Onegin is based on Alexander Pushkin’s 19th-century verse novel Eugene Onegin and tells a nuanced story of unrequited love.

Cranko created Onegin for Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 and the lead roles of Tatiana and Onegin have since become touchstones for artistic excellence, requiring both technical and dramatic skill. Eugene Onegin is a brooding, urban aristocrat who tries to remedy his boredom in the countryside, where he attracts a young woman, Tatiana. When Tatiana expresses her love for Onegin in a letter, he rips it up and amuses himself by flirting with her sister Olga, an act of casual cruelty that ends in tragedy. Many years later and forever changed, Onegin and Tatiana meet again and he declares his love for her in a letter of his own. But Tatiana rejects him, knowing his change of heart has come too late.

Onegin is set to a selection of music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and was redesigned in 2010 with exquisite sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls.

ONEGIN

Choreography: John Cranko

Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Set and Costume Design: Santo Loquasto

Lighting Design: James F. Ingalls

Onegin is generously supported by an anonymous friend of the National Ballet.

“ An emotionally rich work of art.”

THE NUTCRACKER

JAMES KUDELKA

DEC 9 - 30

The Globe and Mail

A cherished part of the holidays since 1995, The Nutcracker is choreographed by James Kudelka and designed by Santo Loquasto with lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The glorious sets and costumes are the perfect backdrop to a journey steeped in wonder, playfulness and dreams and reflect the rich detail of Tchaikovsky’s famous score.

The adventure begins in rural 19th-century Russia, where siblings Misha and Marie attend a holiday party in their decorated barn. The guests include the children’s nurse Baba, the stable boy Peter and the mysterious Uncle Nikolai, who distracts Misha and Marie from their arguing with gifts both wonderful and strange. A dancing horse, enormous bears and a host of furry creatures add to the festivities and unite the guests in spirited dance. For Marie, the most enchanting gift of all is the Nutcracker doll, which she brings to the nursery that night.

What follows is a beautiful excursion into the imagination, with the Nutcracker coming to life to battle the Mouse Tsar and guide the children through a glittering land of snow to the palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy, where they enjoy beautiful dancing and delicacies from around the world. The magical experience is also a coming of age for Misha and Marie, who discover a new sense of friendship along the way.

THE NUTCRACKER

Choreography and Libretto: James Kudelka

Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Set and Costume Design: Santo Loquasto

Lighting Design: Jennifer Tipton

The Nutcracker is made possible by generous financial support from production underwriters Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Lawrence & Ann Heisey and an anonymous friend of the National Ballet.

Presenting Sponsor

“ The best Nutcracker on the planet.”

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON

MAR 6 - 17

Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland captures all the fun and oddities of Lewis Carroll’s story along with its sinister undertones. A 2011 co-production with The Royal Ballet in London, Alice incorporates puppetry and video projections in a brilliant design by Bob Crowley, a cinematic original score from Joby Talbot and lighting by Natasha Katz.

The story begins innocently enough, with Alice attending a garden party on an ordinary afternoon. But things become curious (and curiouser) when her friend Lewis Carroll transforms into the White Rabbit right before her eyes and falls headfirst down a rabbit hole to Wonderland, with Alice following closely behind. Wonderland is anything but predictable and Alice soon finds herself in unusual company, sharing tea with a tap-dancing Mad Hatter and puzzling over a dreamlike Cheshire Cat. All the while, Alice is falling in love with the Knave of Hearts as he dodges a haughty yet comical Queen of Hearts.

A family-friendly production that is high on charm and spectacle, Alice is also beautifully choreographed by one of the world’s leading innovators in the story ballet. Wheeldon’s expert touch with partnering and shape is evident throughout Alice, making it equally impressive as a showcase for great dance.

ALICE ' S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon

Music: Joby Talbot

Scenario: Nicholas Wright

Set and Costume Design: Bob Crowley

Lighting Design: Natasha Katz

Projection Design: Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington

Sound Design: Andrew Bruce for Autograph

A Co-Production of The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet (UK). Lead philanthropic support for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is provided by an anonymous friend of the National Ballet with additional support generously provided by The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Richard M. Ivey, C.C., Rosamond Ivey, Robert & Judith Lawrie and Wallace McCain & Margaret McCain, C.C.

“ A sophisticated ballet, born aloft by thrilling dancing that will tug you out of your theatre seat into a world of wonder.”

The Hamilton Spectator

World Premiere

NEW WORK BY WILLIAM YONG

North American Premiere & ISLANDS

Canadian Premiere & SUITE

WILLIAM YONG / EMMA PORTNER / SERGE LIFAR

MAR 20 - 24

– Eye Magazine

Three unique choreographic voices enter the National Ballet repertoire with this programme, Canadians William Yong and Emma Portner and the esteemed 20th-century dancer Serge Lifar. Together they show the incredible breadth of what ballet can be.

A world premiere by Toronto-based choreographer William Yong. In his first commission for The National Ballet of Canada, Yong’s voice integrates his muti-disciplinary experience and will showcase the versatility of our artists. Founder of two companies that serve as incubators for his work, Zata Omm Dance Projects and W Zento Production, Yong has an international presence as a respected dancer, choreographer and director.

Ottawa-born Emma Portner is helping to define the future of contemporary dance. With this North American premiere, islands – a sculptural duet for women – will have its first showing in Canada following a sensational debut with Norwegian National Ballet in 2020, when it was picked up by the Dialogues festival, placing Portner in the company of Crystal Pite, Jirí Kylián and other influential creators of our time.

A Canadian premiere, Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc is a full company work of technical purity. Created for Paris Opéra Ballet in 1943 and named for the dancers’ pristine white costumes, Suite en Blanc is pure elegance, set to the music excerpts from Petipa’s 1882 story ballet, Namouna, composed by Édouard Lalo.

NEW WORK BY WILLIAM YONG

Choreography: William Yong

Costume Design: William Yong

Lighting Design: Noah Feaver

Projection Design: Thomas Payette

Produced and Commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada. Lead philanthropic support for New Work by William Yong is provided by The Producers’ Circle.

ISLANDS

Choreography: Emma Portner

Music: Forest Swords / Matthew Barnes

Costume Design: Martin Dauchez

Lighting Design: Paul Vidar Sævarang

SUITE EN BLANC

Choreography and Musical

Arrangement: Serge Lifar

Music: Édouard Lalo

“ Yong is gifted at transforming the familiar into something fresh and provocative, laced with sharp irony and driven by a strong musical connection.”

DON QUIXOTE

North American Premiere

CARLOS ACOSTA

Experience the virtuosity of Don Quixote by Carlos Acosta after Marius Petipa, a visual feast for families and ballet-lovers alike. Endearing characters from the famous novel by Miguel de Cervantes chase love, dreams and friendship in a sunlit landscape that pays homage to Spain.

Cuban-born Carlos Acosta was one of the great male dancers of his era and Basilio, the young lover from Don Quixote, was a signature role. Acosta’s staging reflects his deep affection for Don Quixote and draws from Alexander Gorsky’s revival of 1900 to follow eccentric Don Quixote as he pursues idealized love with his trusty sidekick Sancho Panza, shepherding the romance of Kitri and Basilio along the way. The comic love story frames some of the most exciting dancing in the classical repertoire, from daring solos to a grand pas de deux and exquisite work from the Corps de Ballet as Dryads in the dream sequence of Act II.

A North American premiere, Acosta’s Don Quixote features a musical arrangement by Hans Vercauteren after Ludwig Minkus, with lighting by Peter Mumford and dazzling sets and costumes by Tim Hatley. An exuberant production Acosta created for The Royal Ballet and then remounted for Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2022.

DON QUIXOTE

Choreography: Carlos Acosta after Marius Petipa

Music: Ludwig Minkus, arranged by Hans Vercauteren

Set and Costume Design: Tim Hatley

Video Design: Nina Dunn

Lighting Design: Peter Mumford

Lead philanthropic support for Don Quixote is generously provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund with additional support from The Producers’ Circle.

The Producers’ Circle: Gail & Mark Appel, John & Claudine Bailey, Inger Bartlett & Marshal Stearns, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C., The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Harry & Lillian Seymour Family Foundation and The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation.

“ Carlos Acosta serves up an irresistible, sun-kissed romance.”

The Telegraph

JEWELS

GEORGE BALANCHINE

JUN

“I like the colour of gems, the beauty of stones.” So said George Balanchine of the inspiration for Jewels, a glittering ballet triptych evoking the radiance and architecture of precious stones. The three parts – Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds –are often performed as standalone pieces, but The National Ballet of Canada will present Jewels in its entirety, giving full expression to this celebrated work.

Balanchine created Jewels for New York City Ballet in 1967, inspired by visits to the luxury jeweller Claude Arpels. Each segment of the ballet is set to the music of a different composer and features a distinct choreographic language – Gabriel Fauré for the lyricism of Emeralds, Igor Stravinsky for the jazzy angularity of Rubies and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for the grandeur of Diamonds

Famed designer Barbara Karinska created the colourful costumes for Jewels and they are integral to the uniqueness of each part, with Emeralds featuring French-style Romantic tutus, Rubies red flared skirts and Diamonds the flat white tutus reminiscent of the Imperial Ballet in Russia, where Balanchine trained. As a full-length abstract work, Jewels is a study in both contrasts and continuity, where the only story is that of ballet itself.

JEWELS

Choreography: George Balanchine

Music: Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Costume Design: Karinska

Lighting Design: Robert Thomson

Jewels is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada.

15 - 22

“ As breathtaking as the jewels that inspired it.”

Toronto Star

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A child is considered 13 and under and must be accompanied by a paid adult subscriber. Please note that ballet performances are not suitable for most children under five. Babes in arms will not be admitted. Student subscribers must present valid identification and seniors must be 65 or older and provide identification for proof of age.

CELEBRATING PRINCIPAL DANCER PIOTR STANCZYK

The National Ballet of Canada is proud to recognize Piotr Stanczyk in his final season as Principal Dancer as he retires from an illustrious 25-year career with the company. Piotr is one of the National Ballet’s finest artists, renowned for his powerful stage presence and meticulous interpretation of character. From the swagger of his Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet to the torment of Leontes in The Winter’s Tale, Piotr breathes life into every role he dances.

Piotr has performed leading roles throughout the classical and contemporary repertoires, and he has collaborated on new work throughout his career. In 2022, he was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his outstanding performance in a solo that Alysa Pires created for him, in a state of vanishing.

Piotr will give his farewell performances in James Kudelka’s Passion, a brilliant one-act work that Artistic Director Hope Muir has acquired in his honour.

The Man in Black (2018).

With Sonia Rodriguez in The Nutcracker (2012).

La fille mal gardée (2002).

With Rebekah Rimsay in Cinderella (2004).

With Sonia Rodriguez in Hamlet (2011).

With Rebekah Rimsay in Romeo and Juliet Before Parting (2005). With Artists of the Ballet in Don Quixote (2011).

The Winter’s Tale (2015).

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The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution of our 2022/23 season partners who support Canadian culture and continued excellence in dance.

Presenting Sponsors

presents The Nutcracker

presents Cinderella

Official Suppliers

RBC Apprentice Programme Dancers First Award and Dinner YOU dance Lead Sponsor Performance Sponsor Performance Sponsor Performance Sponsor Hosting Partner

Hosting Partner Official Digital Wrap Sponsor Official Event Supplier Official Floral Sponsor

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the support of the following: We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage via the Endowment Incentives component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund.

Photo Credits

Front Cover: Tene Ward. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 2-3: Peng-Fei Jiang and Tene Ward.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 4-5: Hope Muir. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 6-7: Hannah Galway. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 8-9: Guillaume Côté in Onegin

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 10-11: Christopher Gerty with students of Canada’s National Ballet School in The Nutcracker

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 12-23: Siphesihle November, Miyoko Koyasu and Heather Ogden in Alices’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 14-15: William Yong in his work Steer.

Photo by David Hou.

Pages 16-17: Momoko Hirata as Kitri and Mathias

Dingman as Basilio, with Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet in Don Quixote. Photo by Johan Persson.

Pages 18-19: Heather Ogden in Jewels

Photo by Bruce Zinger.

Page 20: Peng-Fei Jiang. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Pages 28-29: Genevieve Penn Nabity.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Produced with the support of the City of Toronto through Toronto Arts Council

The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada

Pages 32-33: Peng-Fei Jiang and Tene Ward.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Page 34: Piotr Stanczyk. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.

Page 35, image 1: Piotr Stanczyk in La fille mal gardée

Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Image 2: Piotr Stanczyk and Rebekah Rimsay in Cinderella. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Image 3: Rebekah Rimsay and Piotr Stanczyk in Romeo and Juliet Before Parting

Photo by Bruce Zinger.

Image 4: Piotr Stanczyk with Artists of the Ballet in Don Quixote. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Image 5: Piotr Stanczyk and Sonia Rodriguez in Hamlet. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.

Image 6: Sonia Rodriguez and Piotr Stanczyk in The Nutcracker. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.

Image 7: Piotr Stanczyk in The Man in Black.

Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.

Image 8: Piotr Stanczyk in The Winter’s Tale.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Page 37: Alexander Skinner. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

Back Cover: Genevieve Penn Nabity.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

The Government of Ontario through the Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

EMMA BOVARY World Premiere & PASSION Canadian Premiere

Helen Pickett / James Kudelka

ONEGIN

John Cranko

THE NUTCRACKER

James Kudelka

ALICE ' S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

Christopher Wheeldon

NEW WORK BY WILLIAM YONG World Premiere

& ISLANDS North American Premiere & SUITE EN BLANC Canadian Premiere

William Yong / Emma Portner / Serge Lifar

DON QUIXOTE North American Premiere

Carlos Acosta

JEWELS

George Balanchine

Audience and Donor Services 416 (1 866) 345 9595

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