The National Ballet of Canada Shares the Magic!
By Caroline Dickie
On December 5, 2024, The National Ballet of Canada continues a cherished tradition by giving a free performance of The Nutcracker at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts as part of its Share the Magic programme. Since 1986, this initiative has provided access to live dance for over 113,000 community members experiencing difficult circumstances, with an emphasis on children and their families. Each season, Share the Magic opens the doors to The Nutcracker and, when possible, an additional family-friendly production to inspire and uplift our communities through the power of dance.
Share the Magic aims to create a welcoming experience for all who attend. To enhance engagement, the National Ballet has introduced special elements over the years, such as pre-performance talks, artist-led movement workshops and live music during intermission, all tailored to the featured production. These additions encourage a deeper connection with dance and the company in a way that aligns with the communal experience of live performance.
The National Ballet distributes tickets to Share the Magic through nearly 60 partner organizations in a range of fields, from the arts to healthcare and education. New partners are added each season according to the evolving needs of our communities, with organizations such as the Canada Arab Institute, For Youth Initiative and The Theresa Group joining longstanding partners like Make-A-Wish Foundation in recent years.
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Audience at The Nutcracker. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
Share the Magic is made possible through the support of The Slaight Family Foundation and the generosity of individual donors to the Share the Magic Fund, their collective goodwill a perfect expression of the programme’s community spirit. This season, an anonymous donor who played a key role in bringing James Kudelka’s The Nutcracker to life nearly 30 years ago is matching all new contributions to the Share the Magic Fund dollar for dollar, up to $25,000, doubling the impact of every gift.
That impact lives in the joy, wonder, curiosity and sense of belonging that live performance inspires – invaluable gifts we are so fortunate to share. To everyone who helps make Share the Magic possible year after year, thank you.
“Thank you very much for your generosity, my grandma came with me and we enjoyed The Nutcracker ballet performance. We took many photos after the show, and we shared with my cousins back in the Philippines. They wish that one day they can see The Nutcracker performance live. I am so grateful for the opportunity as I know it is a costly ticket and my parents wouldn’t be able to afford to take me so thank you so much.”
– Marcus Kurz, Audience member
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Tirion Law and Siphesihle November in The Nutcracker. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
Top Photo: Audience at Share the Magic. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
