Acclaimed creator David Dawson returns to The National Ballet of Canada with the highly anticipated North American premiere of The Four Seasons after the incredible success of his Anima Animus in 2023. Dawson’s supercharged work is complemented by two pieces sharing similar themes of reflection and change: the world premiere of Marco Goecke’s Morpheus’ Dream and Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, programmed by Artistic Director Hope Muir to honour the 50th anniversary of the ballet’s creation.
North American Premiere
The Four Seasons
Overview
The Four Seasons is a zeitgeist contemporary ballet from David Dawson that embodies Max Richter’s sublime reimagination of Antonio Vivaldi’s violin concertos, which amplifies their emotional core. Created for Semperoper Ballett in 2018, Dawson’s ballet merges formal precision with a profound journey through the seasons of life in four distinct yet related movements. These are the framework for lives in a constant state of evolution, much like the music, which Richter brings into the present with echoes of the past.
The Four Seasons Trailer
Fast Facts
- The dancers push the limits of their bodies against a changing backdrop of geometric shapes, evoking the power and passion of a world in flux.
- The dazzling athleticism of The Four Seasons does not detract from its universal themes. As Dawson says: “The aesthetic is always born out of profoundly human feelings.”
- “It was my way of having a conversation with Vivaldi.” So said Max Richter of his 2012 composition, which discards most of Vivaldi’s original notes while retaining the shape of the music.
Watch and Explore
The Creator
David Dawson is Associate Artist at Het Nationale Ballet, Associate Choreographer at Semperoper Ballett and a prolific international dancemaker. He is represented in the repertoires of Teatro alla Scalla, Mariinsky Ballet, The Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet and many others. His oeuvre includes full-length productions of Tristan + Isolde, Swan Lake and Giselle.
The Score
Max Richter’s album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons topped the classical charts in 22 countries when it was released in 2012. This mesmerizing reinterpretation discards most of Vivaldi’s material for his famous violin concertos to reveal and recontextualize their essence, making the music both recognizable and new.
Reviews
“One of those blissful moments when dance, music and design chassé into alignment to create a moment of sublime beauty.” – Seeing Dance
“David Dawson takes us on a breathtaking journey through the cycle of life, performed with athleticism and artistry.” – Dance Dispatches
World Premiere
Morpheus' Dream
Overview
Sultry piano music by Keith Jarrett meets the vocal stylings of Lady Gaga in this edgy duet, which marks The National Ballet of Canada’s first world premiere partnership with Germany’s Marco Goecke. Oscillating between serenity and a fitful energy unique to Goecke, Morpheus’ Dream presents a fraught relationship within the uncertain context of dreams. The movement unfolds on an empty stage in low lighting until one dancer strikes a match, creating an unexpected moment of illumination.
Fast Facts
- Goecke introduced his distinct contemporary style to the National Ballet in 2014 with the acquisition of his radical reimagining of Le Spectre de la Rose.
- Lady Gaga’s vocal track is completely unexpected and reflects the surreal experience of dreaming, while her lyrics illuminate the fraught relationship onstage.
- Goecke’s title alludes to Morpheus, god of dreams, who could appear to the dreamer in any form to deliver messages from the gods.
Watch and Explore
Marco Goecke. Photo by Regina Brocke.
The Creator
Marco Goecke is the award-winning choreographer of such works as Nijinski and The Big Crying. His creations are represented in top repertoires worldwide, including Stuttgart Ballet and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, where he was Resident Choreographer. Goecke has been Artistic Director of Hanover State Opera and Associate Choreographer at Nederlands Dans Theater.
The Score
Morpheus’ Dream is set to piano music from Keith Jarrett’s Budapest Concert, a live improvisational album documenting his solo piano performance at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in 2016. The score combines Jarrett’s fresh and spontaneous sound, rooted in his famous jazz stylings, with a vocal track by American musician Lady Gaga.
Reviews
“The dance universes created by Marco Goecke get under your skin.” – Wiener Staatsoper
The Leaves Are Fading
Overview
Savour the poignancy of Antony Tudor’s beloved work about the passage of time, The Leaves Are Fading, not seen on The National Ballet of Canada’s stage since 1995. Set to lyrical chamber music for strings by Antonín Dvořák, the ballet has a unique and quiet poetry all its own. Outdoors in a leafy glade, a woman reflects on her past as summer turns to fall, with the changing seasons serving as a metaphor for the bittersweet evolution of life.
Fast Facts
- The Leaves Are Fading stands out as one of Tudor’s last major works and it shows his renowned skill with the psychological ballet.
- Plotless but purposeful, the ballet evokes moments and feelings from a woman’s youth as dancers sweep through the glade like memories.
- Tudor created The Leaves Are Fading for American Ballet Theatre in 1975, casting famed dancers Gelsey Kirkland and Jonas Kage in the lead pas de deux. This season marks the beloved work’s 50th anniversary.
Watch and Explore
The Creator
English choreographer Antony Tudor was a pioneering figure of 20th century ballet and, during his long tenure, helped to shape the profile of American Ballet Theatre. Ballets such as Jardin aux Lilas and Pillar of Fire exemplify his preference for understatement, universal themes and emotional sincerity. Tudor also worked in opera, musical theatre, film and television.
The Score
The Leaves Are Fading is set to music from Antonín Dvořák’s string quartet Cypresses and other chamber music for strings. The lyricism of the music supports the emotion of the ballet and the melancholy of time and relationships passing. Fittingly, Dvořák compiled his Cypresses in 1887 from an earlier cycle of love songs he composed while suffering from a broken heart.
Reviews
“An autumnal remembrance of multiple facets of young love when it is dewy but not intoxicated.” – The New York Times
“This is an elegiac work about time and memory, married harmoniously to an Antonin Dvorak composition... Tudor's choreography is inventive and constantly evolving.” – The Globe and Mail
Casting
Casting will be announced on our eNewsletter, Ballet News, and on social media and will be posted here approximately two weeks prior to the opening. Please note, casting is always subject to change.
Credits
The Four Seasons
Choreography and Concept:
David Dawson
Music:
Max Richter
Set Design:
Eno Henze
Costume Design:
Yumiko Takeshima
Lighting Design:
Bert Dalhuysen
World Premiere: Semperoper Ballett, Semperoper Dresden, Dresden, Germany, March 10, 2018
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, February 26, 2025
The Four Seasons is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada.
The National Ballet also acknowledges support for The Four Seasons provided by The Anna McCowan-Johnson New Creations Fund and The Penelope Reed Doob Fund for New Creations.
Morpheus' Dream
Choreography:
Marco Goecke
Music:
Keith Jarrett, Budapest Concert, Part VII & Part VIII
Lady Gaga, Bad Romance
Costume Design:
Thomas Lempertz
Lighting Design:
Udo Haberland
World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, February 26, 2025
Produced and Commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada.
Lead philanthropic support for Morpheus’ Dream is provided by The Gail Hutchison Fund.
The Leaves Are Fading
Choreography:
Antony Tudor
Music:
Antonín Dvorák
Costumes:
Patricia Zipprodt
Scenery:
Ming Cho Lee
Lighting:
Jennifer Tipton
World Premiere: American Ballet Theatre, July 17, 1975
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: O’Keefe Centre (now Meridian Hall), Toronto, November 14, 1990
The Leaves Are Fading is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada
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Ballet Talks
The National Ballet invites you to attend the Ballet Talk 45 minutes before every performance in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.