The National Ballet of Canada

MADDADDAM Casting Announced

World Premiere by Wayne McGregor
Inspired by Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy
Original Music by Max Richter

​November 18, 2022...Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the casting for Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM. Inspired by Margaret Atwood’s acclaimed MaddAddam trilogy with an original score by Max Richter, MADDADDAM makes its long-awaited world premiere November 23 – 30, 2022 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. 

In this ballet triptych, McGregor brings Atwood’s prescient vision to the stage, exploring themes of extinction, environmentalism, survival and the endurance of love and friendship, describing a future civilization emerging from the ruins of a pandemic. The world premiere of MADDADDAM was delayed by two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic: “It’s been a long wait!” said McGregor. “Margaret Atwood’s vivid and visceral MaddAddam trilogy is a breathtaking challenge for us to dialogue with in dance. Forget virtual reality and augmented reality – Atwood’s imagination always takes us into an immersive reality, and it is in these post-apocalyptic worlds that we are now the movement explorers.” 

The third co-production between The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet in London, MADDADDAM features costumes by Gareth Pugh, sets by We Not I, film by Ravi Deepres, dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed and lighting by Lucy Carter.

On opening night, dancing the role of Jimmy is Principal Dancer Siphesihle November, Crake is Principal Dancer Harrison James, Oryx is Principal Dancer Koto Ishihara, Toby is Principal Dancer Heather Ogden, Ren is First Soloist Tanya Howard, Amanda is First Soloist Jenna Savella, Blanco will be Principal Dancer Piotr Stanczyk, Zeb is First Soloist Christopher Gerty and Adam will be performed by Principal Dancer Ben Rudisin.

Casting

Act 1 – Castaway

Jimmy  
Siphesihle November (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Spencer Hack (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm)

Oryx  
Koto Ishihara (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Svetlana Lunkina (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm)

Crake  
Harrison James

Toby  
Heather Ogden (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Alexandra MacDonald (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Ren  
Tanya Howard (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Tina Pereira (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Amanda  
Jenna Savella (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Jordana Daumec (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Blanco  
Piotr Stanczyk (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Donald Thom (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Painballer 1  
Peng-Fei Jiang (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Christopher Gerty (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Painballer 2  
Spencer Hack (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Ben Rudisin (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Blackbeard* 
Eamon Currie 

Crakers  
Jason Ferro, Scott McKenzie, Hamish Lowe, Keaton Leier, Alexander Skinner, David Preciado, Ross Allen, Ethan Clarisey, Josh Hall, Tene Ward, Arielle Miralles, Sophie Lee, Isabelle Bratt, Emma Ouellet, Isabella Kinch, Emerson Dayton  

Pleeblanders, Compounders, God’s Gardeners, CorpSeCorps  
Calley Skalnik, Genevieve Penn Nabity, Hannah Galway, Tirion Law, Chelsy Meiss, Kota Sato, Isaac Wright, Noah Parets, Albjon Gjorllaku, Christopher Gerty, Peng-Fei Jiang, Jenna Savella, Jordana Daumec, Tanya Howard, Tina Pereira   

Pigoons  
Josh Hall, Konstantin Tkachuk, Alexander Skinner, Larkin Miller, Trygve Cumpston, Teagan Richman-Taylor, Keaton Leier   

Act 2 - Extinctathon  

Player 1  
Heather Ogden (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Alexandra MacDonald (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 2  
Koto Ishihara (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Svetlana Lunkina (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 3  
Tanya Howard (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Tina Pereira (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 4  
Jenna Savella (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Jordana Daumec (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 5  
Siphesihle November (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Spencer Hack (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 6  
Harrison James  

Player 7  
Christopher Gerty (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Peng-Fei Jiang (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 8  
Ben Rudisin (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Jack Bertinshaw (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 9  
Piotr Stanczyk (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Donald Thom (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Player 10  
Calley Skalnik  

Player 11  
Genevieve Penn Nabity  

Player 12  
Hannah Galway  

Player 13  
Tirion Law  

Player 14  
Chelsy Meiss  

Player 15  
Kota Sato  

Player 16  
Isaac Wright  

Player 17  
Noah Parets  

Player 18  
Albjon Gjorllaku  

Pigoons   
Josh Hall, Konstantin Tkachuk, Alexander Skinner, Larkin Miller, Trygve Cumpston, Teagan Richman-Taylor, Keaton Leier  

Act 3 - Dawn  

Descendant Blackbeard   
Jason Ferro (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Alexander Skinner (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm)

Descendant Ren  
Genevieve Penn Nabity  

Descendant Amanda   
Calley Skalnik  

Descendants*  
Scott McKenzie, Hamish Lowe, Keaton Leier, Alexander Skinner, Jason Ferro, David Preciado, Ross Allen, Ethan Clarisey, Josh Hall, Tene Ward, Arielle Miralles, Sophie Lee, Isabelle Bratt, Emma Ouellet, Isabella Kinch, Emerson Dayton, Hannah Galway, Tirion Law, Chelsy Meiss, Kota Sato, Isaac Wright, Noah Parets, Albjon Gjorllaku  

Descendant Children* 
Ella Catania, Ava Gibson, Héloïse Haibe-Kains, Grace Hong, Lauren Laframboise, Nina Bebzuck Marom, Felix Bottenheim Caron, Eamon Currie, Jack Gibbins,Kuga Makino, Lennox Powell, Jaskson Preston 

Pigoons  
Josh Hall, Konstantin Tkachuk, Alexander Skinner, Larkin Miller, Trygve Cumpston, Teagan Richman-Taylor, Keaton Leier   

Ancestor Jimmy  
Siphesihle November (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Spencer Hack (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Ancestor Toby  
Heather Ogden (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm)  
Alexandra MacDonald (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Ancestor Zeb  
Christopher Gerty (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Peng-Fei Jiang (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Ancestor Amanda  
Jenna Savella (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Jordana Daumec (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Ancestor Adam  
Ben Rudisin (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Jack Bertinshaw (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Ancestor Ren  
Tanya Howard (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Tina Pereira (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

Ancestor Crake  
Harrison James  

Ancestor Oryx  
Koto Ishihara (November 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 at 7:30 pm/November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Svetlana Lunkina (November 26, 27 at 2:00 pm/November 29 at 7:30 pm) 

*Students appear by kind permission of Mavis Staines, Artistic Director & CEO of Canada’s National Ballet School.  

All casting is subject to change. 

More about MADDADDAM > 

– 30 – 

BMO Financial Group Presents the 2022/23 Season.  

Lead philanthropic support for MADDADDAM is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, Tony Arrell, C.M. & Anne Arrell, Rosamond Ivey, The Gail Hutchison Fund, Tim & Frances Price, Gretchen Ross & Donald Ross, O.C. and The Producers’ Circle.  

The commissioned score for MADDADDAM has been generously underwritten by Noreen Taylor, C.M. & David Staines, C.M., O.Ont.  

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 & Joan Lozinski, 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.  

Harrison James is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White.  

Svetlana Lunkina is sponsored through Dancers First by Anna McCowan-Johnson and Donald K. Johnson, O.C. 

Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry & Joan Lozinski.  

Genevieve Penn Nabity is sponsored through Dancers First by George & Kathy Dembroski. 

Tina Pereira is sponsored through Dancers First by The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C. 

Ben Rudisin is sponsored through Dancers First by Sylvie Allard & Brian O’Keefe.  

Jack Bertinshaw is sponsored through Dancers First by an anonymous donor.  

Christopher Gerty is sponsored through Dancers First by Ms. Nancy Viner & Dr. Raymond Stein. 

Alexandra MacDonald is sponsored through Dancers First by an anonymous donor.  

Chelsy Meiss is sponsored through Dancers First by Anne-Marie Canning.   

Jenna Savella is sponsored through Dancers First by Elvio & Marlene DelZotto.   

Calley Skalnik is sponsored through Dancers First by an anonymous donor. 

Hannah Galway is sponsored through Dancers First by Alison & Alan Schwartz.   

Noah Parets is sponsored through Dancers First by John Covington Jr & Robert Lukey. 

Kota Sato is sponsored through Dancers First by Tony Arrell, C.M. & Anne Arrell. 

Teagan Richman-Taylor is sponsored through Dancers First by Devida & Derek Smith.  

Alexander Skinner is sponsored through Dancers First by Anne & David LeGresley.   

Tene Ward is sponsored through Dancers First by Michelle & Duncan Sinclair.   

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, through The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism; and the Government of Ontario through The Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. 

Koto Ishihara and Siphesihle November. Photo by Karolina Kuras. 

For more information, please contact: