Sofiane Sylve Provides Invaluable Mentorship

With the recent announcement by Artistic Director Hope Muir, Sofiane Sylve has taken on a more formal role at The National Ballet of Canada as Artist-in-Residence. Since 2022, Sofiane has been an esteemed guest teacher and coach, bringing a wealth of experience as a former dancer and an artistic leader to our artistic team.

How did you first meet Hope?

I first met Hope when I was with San Francisco Ballet and she was Artistic Director at Charlotte Ballet. She invited me to teach in Charlotte, working with the company dancers and students in the academy that is part of Charlotte Ballet. She continued that relationship by inviting me to The National Ballet of Canada. I taught my first class here in 2022 and have returned frequently to teach and coach specific ballets, such as Balanchine’s Symphony in C and works by David Dawson.

What is your approach to teaching a class for dancers?

Daily class is more than just warming up the body and preparing for the day. It’s a vital opportunity for dancers to assess their bodies, calibrate their alignment and measure their progress. On rehearsal days, I challenge the dancers with more complex musicality, longer exercises and occasionally by asking them to reverse a sequence of steps.

On performance days, it’s a delicate balance – encouraging them to push themselves while recognizing the need to conserve their strength and stamina for the stage.

Can you tell us about coaching the dancers recently, particularly approaching Swan Lake?

Approaching Swan Lake in March, seeing Tirion Law and Koto Ishihara debut as Odette/Odile and witnessing Heather Ogden bidding farewell to the role was wonderful. I am always focused on helping dancers find their voice within the story – how they interpret the narrative and connect with their partners. Of course, there are technical aspects to address but my main goal is to support each artist as they discover, or rediscover, their own Odette/Odile at this particular moment in their journey. Hearing Xiao Nan Yu and Rex Harrington speak about their experiences and coaching was also especially enriching. I have always been fascinated by partnership work. Nan, Rex, and I had a lot of fun sharing, working, transmitting, and watching these incredible artists.

As a former principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet, New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, how familiar are you with the National Ballet's repertoire?

I’ve worked with various classical and contemporary repertoire, including many Balanchine works and new creations such as David Dawson’s Anima Animus. This background gives me a deep appreciation for the demands of works like Swan Lake and the creative process of choreographers pushing classical vocabulary's boundaries. What excites me most at the National Ballet is the spirit of innovation and openness to new ideas. As a French dancer, I am familiar with pieces like Suite en Blanc and look forward to exploring that with the dancers this season. My role here is to be a resource for Artistic Director Hope Muir and the entire artistic team as we grow.

What do you admire most about The National Ballet of Canada?

What I love most about the company is its palpable sense of history. There are generations of dancers here who have enjoyed remarkable careers and have stayed on to mentor the next generation. Ballet remains an art form passed down directly, person to person, and I am thrilled to be part of that lineage. I also find it fascinating that the National Ballet has a unique style of dancing – familiar, yet distinctly its own. I am eager to learn more about this company’s identity and to contribute to its ongoing evolution.

About Sofiane Sylve

Top Photo: Emerson Dayton and Sofiane Sylve in rehearsal for the International Competition for The Erik Bruhn Prize. Photo by Karolina Kuras.