The National Ballet of Canada

Overview

Narrative ballet is integral to the history of classical dance and remains a chosen medium for contemporary choreographers who want to develop characters, explore ideas and tell stories in innovative ways. This programme shares excerpts from three 20th century narrative ballets in which power and passion take centre stage: John Cranko’s Onegin, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale and John Neumeier’s Anna Karenina.

Onegin

Things to Know

• Onegin is an adaptation of Alexander Pushkin’s 19th century novel, Eugene Onegin. It tells of a bored Russian aristocrat who seduces a young woman, Tatiana, only to abandon her shortly thereafter. When they meet again years later, Tatiana has gained enough wisdom and confidence to reject him.
   
• John Cranko created Onegin for Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 and it entered The National Ballet of Canada’s repertoire in 1984. Two years later, Onegin was filmed for television as a co-production between Primedia Productions and CBC with RM Arts. Directed by Norman Campbell, the film won a Silver Medal at the Houston International Film Festival in 1987.

The Choreographer

Born in South Africa, John Cranko danced with The Royal Ballet and choreographed some of the finest examples of the 20th century story ballet. Works such as Romeo and Juliet, Onegin and Taming of the Shrew are richly characterized, dramatic and musical, and are performed by the world’s top ballet companies.

The Composer

The late 19th century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed some of the most popular works in the classical repertoire, particularly his three full-length scores for ballet: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. His body of work includes full-length operas, symphonies and concertos.

The Winter’s Tale

Things to Know

• Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale is a 2015 co-production between The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet based on William Shakespeare’s late play. Wheeldon is also the creator of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, another co-production with The Royal Ballet from 2011. Both feature the music of Joby Talbot.
   
• Act II takes place in Bohemia, where Perdita (“the lost one”) was abandoned 16 years earlier, unaware of her royal heritage. Florizel, prince of Bohemia and son to Polixenes, is in love with her.

The Choreographer

Christopher Wheeldon is Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet, former Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet and a former dancer with both companies. He is now a multi-award-winning choreographer creating work internationally for ballet, theatre and film. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2016.

The Composer

English composer Joby Talbot has written widely for opera and dance. His collaborations include Wayne McGregor’s Chroma and Entity, and Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter’s Tale, both co-productions between The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet.

Anna Karenina

Things to Know

• Anna Karenina is a 2018 co-operation between The National Ballet of Canada, The Hamburg Ballet and The Bolshoi Ballet based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel of the same name. The story of Anna’s affair with Count Vronsky, and the love story of Levin and Kitty, touches on themes of society, faith, marriage and class.
   
• Neumeier’s ballet is not a literal retelling of the novel. Instead, the story is condensed into two acts, the setting moved to the present day, and the various thematic concerns distilled into twenty-eight dramatic scenes.

The Choreographer

Born in Milwaukee, John Neumeier is a leading international choreographer with a diverse body of work, much of it focused on preserving ballet tradition within a modern dramatic framework. He was a dancer with Stuttgart Ballet and Director of Ballett Frankfurt before joining The Hamburg Ballet as Director and Chief Choreographer in 1973.

The Composers

The late 19th century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed some of the most popular works in the classical repertoire, particularly his three full-length scores for ballet: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. His body of work includes full-length operas, symphonies and concertos.

Casting

Onegin

Eugene Onegin
Evan McKie

Tatiana
Svetlana Lunkina

The Winter's Tale

Perdita
Jillian Vanstone

Florizel
Naoya Ebe

Artists of the Ballet

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina
Heather Ogden

Count Alexei Vronsky
Guillaume Côté

Seryozha
Jack Bertinshaw

Credits

Onegin

Choreography:
John Cranko

Staged by:
Reid Anderson

Based on the poem by Alexander Pushkin

Copyright:
Dieter Graefe

Music:
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Arrangement and Orchestration:
Kurt-Heinz Stolze

Set and Costume Design:
Santo Loquasto

Lighting Design:
James F. Ingalls

Répétiteurs:
Magdalena Popa, Peter Ottmann, Rex Harrington and Aleksandar Antonijevic

Premiere: Stuttgart Ballet, Stuttgart, Germany, April 13, 1965
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: June 14, 1984
This production with designs by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls entered the repertoire of The National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010.

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

The Winter's Tale
Ballet in a Prologue and Three Acts

Choreographer:
Christopher Wheeldon

Staged by:
Jacquelin Barrett

Scenerio:
Christopher Wheeldon and Joby Talbot

Music:
Joby Talbot

Designs:
Bob Crowley

Lighting Design:
Natasha Katz

Projection Design:
Daniel Brodie

Silk Effects Design:
Basil Twist

Répétiteurs:
Mandy-Jayne Richardson and Lindsay Fischer

Premiere: The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, London, UK, April 10, 2014
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: November 14, 2015

A co-production of The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet (UK)

Lead philanthropic support for The Winter's Tale is provided by The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Richard M. Ivey, C.C., an anonymous friend of the National Ballet and The Producers' Circle.

Anna Karenina
A Ballet by John Neumeier
Inspired by Leo Tolstoy

Choreography, Sets, Costumes and Lighting Concept:
John Neumeier

Music:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Alfred Schnittke, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam

Anna Karenina Costumes by:
AKRIS, Albert Kriemler

Scenic Design Collaborator:
Heinrich Tröger

Video and Graphics:
Kiran West

Lighting reconstructed by:
Ralf Merkel

Assistants to the Choreographer:
Vladimir Kocić and Ivan Urban

Répétiteurs:
Lindsay Fischer, Mandy-Jayne Richardson and Peter Ottmann

Premiere: The Hamburg Ballet, Hamburg State Opera, Hamburg, Germany, July 2, 2017
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, November 10, 2018

A cooperation between The National Ballet of Canada, The Hamburg Ballet and The Bolshoi Ballet.

Lead philanthropic support for Anna Karenina is generously provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, Richard M. Ivey, C.C., Rosamond Ivey, Margaret Anne Fountain, C.M. and David Glenn Fountain, C.M., and Tim & Frances Price, with additional support from The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada, The Producers’ Circle and Warren Sorensen in memory of Gregory Williams.

Lead philanthropic support for Spotlight Series 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, 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.

Photos:
Evan McKie and Svetlana Lunkina in Onegin. Photos by Aleksandar Antonijevic.
Jillian Vanstone in The Winter's Tale. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté in Anna Karenina. Photo by Karolina Kuras.