World Premiere Procession

• Artistic Director Hope Muir says, “It’s an incredible honour to welcome Bobbi and Or to the National Ballet, exposing our artists and audiences to world-renowned dancemakers of unparalleled creative talent.”
  
  
• Smith and Schraiber, who are partners onstage and off, pursue a celebrated movement style that is “emotional, muscular, sensual, witty, graceful, moody, seemingly spontaneous and always unexpected.” (LA Weekly)
  
  
• The theme of procession guides this world premiere and refers to a group of people moving forward in an organized way, as at a funeral or wedding.
  
  
• Smith is the subject of the 2017 documentary Bobbi Jene and, with Schraiber, she stars in Aviva (2020), the buzzy dance film by Boaz Yakin of Remember the Titans fame
  
  
• Two critically acclaimed musicians will augment The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra and join the dancers onstage.

Procession: Creation as Collaboration
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Hope's Insights on Procession
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Bobbi Jene Smith is an acclaimed American director, choreographer and performer. Formerly with The Batsheva Dance Company, she works extensively for stage and screen in a raw emotional language blending theatre and movement. Smith is Artist in Residence at L.A. Dance Project and a founding member of American Modern Opera Company with partner Or Schraiber.

Dancer, choreographer and filmmaker Or Schraiber trained at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He performed with The Batsheva Dance Company before settling in New York City, where he creates independently and with partner Bobbi Jene Smith. Schraiber is Artist in Residence at L.A. Dance Project and a founding member of American Modern Opera Company.

Choreography:
Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber

Music:
Manuel de Falla, Henri du Bailly, Gustav Mahler +, Henry Purcell,
Jean-Philippe Rameau, Maurice Ravel ++ and Antonio Vivaldi

Music Coordinator and Arranger:
Coleman Itzkoff

Solo Cellist:
Coleman Itzkoff

Soprano:
Rachael Wilson and Alex Hetherington

Costume Designer:
Dana Osborne

Lighting Designer:
Bonnie Beecher

Assistant to the Choreographers:
Doug Letheren

Stage Managers:
Alex Wommack and Jeff Morris

Rehearsal Director, Principal Coach:
Xiao Nan Yu

Rehearsal Director:
Stephanie Hutchison

World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, November 1, 2025 

Produced and commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada with support from The Royal Danish Ballet.

Procession is choreographed in collaboration with The National Ballet of Canada dancers.

Procession is supported by The Blidner Family Foundation, The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada, The Anna McCowan-Johnson New Creations Fund and The Producers' Circle. Additional support is provided by The Azrieli Foundation.

The Producers’ Circle (2026): John & Claudine Bailey, Indra & Rags Davloor, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C., The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation and Alexander Younger & Sarah Richardson.

Procession is dedicated in the memory of Matt Nebel.