Performance Schedule

Programme A

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Apollo & Soul & Tarantella & World Premiere of Crepuscular by Vanesa G. R. Montoya

August 27, 2021 at 8:00 pm

Apollo
George Balanchine’s Apollo is a high point of neoclassical style, a spare and poetic work he created for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes in 1928 at just 24 years old. The title role – the Greek God in his youth – is iconic and requires a balance of exuberance and restraint. A perfect partnership between music and movement, Apollo is full of poignant imagery and merges rigorous classical technique with playful, jazz-infused innovations.

Cast:
Apollo
Brendan Saye

Terpsichore
Svetlana Lunkina

Polyhymnia
Jeannine Haller

Calliope
Miyoko Koyasu

The Bedroom Pas De Deux from Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet perform the famous bedroom pas de deux the morning after they are secretly wed and Romeo has been banished from Verona. The youthful abandon of their first meeting is replaced by a deeper sense of connection and foreboding tragedy as they face the consequences of their forbidden love.Romeo and Juliet perform the famous bedroom pas de deux the morning after they are secretly wed and Romeo has been banished from Verona. The youthful abandon of their first meeting is replaced by a deeper sense of connection and foreboding tragedy as they face the consequences of their forbidden love.

Cast:
Juliet
Sonia Rodriguez 

Romeo
Naoya Ebe

Soul

Originally created for film as part of the 2020/21 virtual season, Soul combines two duets to explore the enclosed, private space of romantic relationships. The power and character of these relationships are revealed only in glimpses – a gesture, a glance – to those on the outside. Set to the music of Max Richter, Soul is a gorgeous work from Dora Award-winning Canadian choreographer Jera Wolfe.

Cast:
Guillaume Côté and Tanya Howard
Teagan Richman-Taylor and Ben Rudisin

Tarantella
George Balanchine created Tarantella in 1964 for Edward Villella and Patricia McBride, two virtuosic dancers at New York City Ballet. Brief and energetic, the pas de deux whirls along to Gottschalk’s score with nimble footwork, soaring jumps and spins, which the dancers perform either side by side or in turns, as though daring one another to even greater heights of agility and speed.

Cast:
Ayano Haneishi and Skylar Campbell

World Premiere of Crepuscular by Vanesa G. R. Montoya
The night is alive with meaning in a lyrical new work by Vanesa G. R. Montoya, an acclaimed choreographer and Principal Dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Set to both original solo works and arrangements of some of Chopin’s most lyrical works, this work presents a mystical side to life where visions, fears and romance can flourish. Vanesa’s movement vocabulary reflects her experience as a dancer and layers contemporary elements on a strong classical foundation.

Cast:
Blue Couple
Christopher Gerty (Dark) and Jason Ferro (Light)

Purple Couple
Tene Ward and Scott McKenzie

Grey Couple
Brenna Flaherty and Kota Sato

Dusty Rose Couple
Antonella Martinelli and Larkin Miller

Stage Managers:
Jeff Morris
Liliane Stillwell

Programme B

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Trase Pa & Bluebird Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty & in a state of vanishing & Bedroom Pas de Deux from Romeo and Juliet & The Dreamers Ever Leave You Excerpt

August 28 & 29, 2021 at 8:00 pm

Trase Pa
Kevin A. Ormsby, Artistic Director of KasheDance, created Trase Pa for the virtual season in 2020/21, making his choreographic debut with the National Ballet. A stylistically inventive work for three dancers, Trase Pa considers the ancestries that dancers bring to their work, drawing inspiration from themes and structures in the music of Haitian-born composer David Bontemps.

Cast:
Tanya Howard, Teagan Richman-Taylor, Ben Rudisin

Bluebird Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty
The famous Bluebird Pas de Deux from Act III of Rudolf Nureyev’s The Sleeping Beauty is thrilling to watch, with brilliant jumps and turns to match the brightness of Tchaikovsky’s score. With an airiness that belies its athleticism, the pas de deux is often performed as a standalone piece at galas and festivals.

Cast:
Bluebird
Siphesihle November

Princess Florine
Tina Pereira

The Bedroom Pas de Deux from Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet perform the famous bedroom pas de deux the morning after they are secretly wed and Romeo has been banished from Verona. The youthful abandon of their first meeting is replaced by a deeper sense of connection and foreboding tragedy as they face the consequences of their forbidden love.

Cast:
Juliet
Jurgita Dronina (Aug 28)
Sonia Rodriguez (Aug 29)

Romeo
Naoya Ebe

in a state of vanishing
in a state of vanishing is a recent work by Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires that premiered in 2021 as a commissioned film for the virtual season. Created for Principal Dancer Piotr Stanczyk and set to Bach’s emotional Adagio of the Sonata for Violin No. 1 in G Minor, it explores themes of memory, loss and desire in the context of endings and the complex emotions they provoke.

Cast:
Piotr Stanczyk

The Dreamers Ever Leave You Excerpt
Choreographic Associate Robert Binet created The Dreamers Ever Leave You in 2016 in response to the sublime paintings of Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris. Originally performed at the Art Gallery of Ontario with live piano music by Lubomyr Melnyk, the piece replicates the spiritual energy of Harris’ northern landscapes through the controlled physicality of the human body. Dreamers was adapted for film in 2021, directed by Ben Shirinian.

Cast:
Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Spencer Hack, Peng-Fei Jiang, Tirion Law, Alexandra MacDonald, Noah Parets, Genevieve Penn Nabity, Jenna Savella, Alexander Skinner, Donald Thom, Isaac Wright, Daina Zolty

Stage Managers:
Jeff Morris
Liliane Stillwell

Credits

Apollo

Choreography:
George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

Staged by:
Lindsay Fischer and Christopher Stowell

Music:
Igor Stravinsky, Apollon Musagète
By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, INC., publisher and copyright owner.
The Musicians of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra
David Briskin, Conductor

Lighting Design:
Robert Thomson, adapted by Jeff Logue

World Premiere: Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, June 12, 1928
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: Toronto, February 18, 1999

The performance of Apollo, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced by arrangement with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.

Soul

Choreography:
Jera Wolfe

Music:
All Human Beings, Performed by Max Richter, Kiki Layne & Mari Samuelsen
Courtesy of Decca Records, under exclusive license from Universal Music Canada Inc.

Costume Design:
The National Ballet of Canada Wardrobe Department,
Stacy Dimitropoulos, Wardrobe Supervisor

Lighting Design:
Jeff Logue

Répétiteur:
Rex Harrington

Film Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Live Performance Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Produced and Commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada

Tarantella

Choreography:
George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

Staged by:
Christopher Stowell

Music:
Louis Moreau Gottschalk
By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, INC., publisher and copyright owner.

Piano Soloist and Arranger:
Edward Connell

Costume Design:
Karinska

Lighting Design:
Jeff Logue

World Premiere: New York City Ballet, New York City, U.S.A., January 7, 1964
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: Toronto, Ontario, March 29, 2017

The performance of Tarantella, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced by arrangement with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.

Crepuscular

Choreography:
Vanesa G. R. Montoya

Music:
Frédéric Chopin
Prelude in D-flat Major, Op. 28: No. 15 “Raindrop”,
Nocturne in C# Minor Op. posth. arranged for Solo Violin and Chamber Ensemble by Craig Leon
Nocturne in C Minor Op. 48 No. 1,
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11: 2 Romance, Larghetto
Andrei Straeliev, Piano
Lynn Kuo, Violin
The Musicians of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra
David Briskin, Conductor

Costume Design:
The National Ballet of Canada Wardrobe Department,
Stacy Dimitropoulos, Wardrobe Supervisor

Lighting Design:
Jeff Logue

Répétiteur:
Peter Ottmann

Guest Rehearsal Assistant:
Alejandra Perez-Gomez

World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Produced and Commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada

Trase Pa

Choreography:
Kevin A. Ormsby

Music:
Traces by David Bontemps
The Musicians of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra

Costume Design:
Michael Mortley & The National Ballet of Canada Wardrobe Department,
Stacy Dimitropoulos, Wardrobe Supervisor

Lighting Design:
Jeff Logue

Répétiteur:
Rex Harrington

Film Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Live Performance Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Bluebird Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty

Produced, originally staged and with additional choreography:
Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa

Staged by:
Karen Kain, C.C., LL.D., D.Litt., O.Ont. and the Artistic Staff of The National Ballet of Canada

Costume Design:
Nicholas Georgiadis

Music:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Musicians of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra
David Briskin, Conductor

Original Lighting Design:
David Hersey, adapted by Jeff Logue

Guest Répétiteur:
Kevin Pugh

Guest Rehearsal Assistant:
Piotr Stanczyk

World Premiere: 22 September 1966, Teatro alla Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy.
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: 1 September 1972, Ottawa.

Bedroom Pas de Deux from Romeo and Juliet

Choreography:
Alexei Ratmansky

Music:
Sergei Prokofiev
The Musicians of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra
David Briskin, Conductor

Costume Design:
Richard Hudson

Lighting Design:
Jennifer Tipton, adapted by Jeff Logue

World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Toronto, November 16, 2011

in a state of vanishing

Choreography:
Alysa Pires

Music:
Sonata for Violin Solo No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001: 1 Adagio, Johann Sebastian Bach
Violin Soloist: Lynn Kuo

Costume Design:
The National Ballet of Canada Wardrobe Department,
Stacy Dimitropoulos, Wardrobe Supervisor

Lighting Design:
Jeff Logue

Film Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Live Performance Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, August 26, 2021

IN TIME WE TRUST

Choreography:
Juliano Nunes

Music:
In Time We Trust, Composed & Performed by Kirill Rikhter

Lighting Design:
adapted by Jeff Logue

World Premiere: Gala of the Stars, Dortmund Staatstheater, Germany, July 6, 2019.
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: Toronto, Ontario, August 28, 2021

The Dreamers Ever Leave You

Excerpts from the Immersive Ballet Inspired by the Work of Lawren Harris

Concept and Choreography:
Robert Binet

Original Music:
Lubomyr Melnyk

Costume Design:
Robyn Clarke

Original Lighting Design:
Simon Rossiter, adapted by Jeff Logue

Guest Rehearsal Assistant:
Stephanie Hutchison

World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Signy Eaton Gallery at the Art Gallery of Ontario, August 31, 2016

Originally Co-produced by The National Ballet of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario

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

Lead philanthropic support for Soul, Trase Pa and in a state of vanishing is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund with additional support from The Producers’ Circle.

Lead philanthropic support for Crepuscular is provided by The Producers’ Circle.

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

The Sleeping Beauty is made possible by generous contributions from Margaret Fleck & Jim Fleck, C.C., The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Gretchen Ross and Nancy Pencer & Michael Benjamin.

Lead philanthropic support for Romeo and Juliet is provided by Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., with additional generous support from Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, an anonymous friend of the National Ballet and Walter Carsen, O.C.

The original presentation of The Dreamers Ever Leave You was co-produced by the Art Gallery of Ontario and The National Ballet of Canada and generously supported by Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin Garland, Joan & Jerry Lozinski and The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C.

Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires is supported by Sans Limites.

Sharing the Stage is an initiative of Staging Change which is generously funded by the Metcalf Foundation.