Preview | Spring 2022 - Issue 57

Preview A publication for our donors / Issue No. 57 Spring 2022

Presenting Sponsor 2021/22 Season

Svetlana Lunkina is sponsored through Dancers First by Anna McCowan-Johnson and Donald K. Johnson, O.C. Svetlana Lunkina. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

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The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

A Message from Hope Muir What a joy it is that The National Ballet of Canada is finally able to present the highly anticipated world premiere of Karen Kain’s Swan Lake, a crowning achievement in her extraordinary career with the company. Delayed two years by the pandemic, this production feels particularly special and deserved, not only for Karen and her creative team, but also for our audiences and those in our donor community who have championed Karen and this project from the beginning.

Created in 1877 and adapted by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in 1895, Swan Lake is a bastion of the classical repertoire but also provides space for interpretation and innovation, much like Shakespeare’s finest plays. Dancers around the world value Swan Lake as an opportunity for developing their artistry, musicality and technique. Karen’s staging hits every note, balancing originality and tradition with a spirit of openness and regard for the past that comes from understanding and loving Swan Lake as she has done throughout her career.

Swan Lake is an expression of the company’s talent and versatility, our commitment to new productions and creative collaborations, and the visionary support of donors like you. It’s finally time for you to see the impact of your generosity and celebrate Karen in the way that you had hoped. It’s my absolute pleasure to join you in this experience and I welcome you to this historic event.

Hope Muir Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director

Contents A Message from Hope Muir, Artistic Director

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Ignite Our Future

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Realism and Magic in Swan Lake

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Gabriela Týlešová: Designing Swan Lake

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Dancer Q&A: Jurgita Dronina

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Corporate Spotlight: Tricon Residential

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Winter Season: By the Numbers

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Relaxed Performance

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2022/23 Season

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national.ballet.ca Preview newsletter is published quarterly by The National Ballet of Canada’s Development Department.

Director of Development: Diana Reitberger, CFRE Publisher: John Hart Preview Editor: Caroline Dickie Contributor: Rhea Daniels Art & Design: Klara Vanzella Yang We would love to hear from you.

Please send your comments to: preview@national.ballet.ca

Top: Hope Muir. Bottom: Artists of the Ballet in rehearsal for Swan Lake. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

Cover: Svetlana Lunkina.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

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Your Gift Will Be Matched

Donate before June 30 and your gift will be matched!

A donor couple who have been involved with the company for 40 years will match all gifts up to a total of $100,000 to boost the National Ballet and ignite a new era of excellence.

national.ballet.ca/ignite 416 345 9595

Selected Statistics: Resilience to Recovery and Beyond 2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2020/21

2021/22

86 67

71

2022/23

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

$37.6 M $37.7 M

79 64 $21.6 M

4 Number of Live Performances

Number of Dancers

Operating Expenses

Forecast and budget numbers are forward-looking estimates only and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated.

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The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

An Update from Barry Hughson Throughout the pandemic, all of us at The National Ballet of Canada have been deeply moved by the support, loyalty and generosity of our ballet family. Because you inspired us, we never wavered in our commitment to share the beauty, joy and power of ballet with you.

You made it possible for us to achieve our main objectives during this unprecedented time: to support our artists, create art and to connect in meaningful ways with our audiences, donors and the broader community.

This period taught us one thing – to value the role of the arts more than ever. The arts are life-affirming and uplifting, important to our personal wellbeing and social cohesion.

When we were able to return to the stage in November 2021, all of this was palpable – we felt the strong desire of audiences to celebrate live performances. It was our chance to come together for ballet.

While the first year of the pandemic was characterized by resilience,

the second year has been one of tentative recovery. We learned to manage risks, plan for multiple scenarios and sustain our connection with you. Even though we were disappointed to cancel some performances, we appreciated our ability to achieve the highs all the more – to return to the stage with the sublime Angels’ Atlas, unveil new works, say a proper farewell to two beloved Principal Dancers and to welcome Hope Muir as Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Right now, we feel optimistic that we are at a turning point and we can envision a bright future.

I look forward to working with Hope to implement her vision, to continue our work in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to ensure that our company is accessible and welcome to all, and to enhance our connections with our ballet family, with the dance world and with the community in which we live and work.

To emerge from this pandemic stronger, however, we need to build the company back up. Foremost, we need to hire 15 dancers and 7 musicians. We also need to return to in-person community activities, revive and expand our CreativAction initiatives, and to hire a Director dedicated to further our learning and our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement.

Your support will be vital to this journey as we move from resilience and recovery to re-affirm our unique position in dance. With your generosity, we will continue to inspire with movement and music and to re-imagine how our artform can enrich the lives of more Canadians.

Barry Hughson Executive Director

20/21 Actuals

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

$12.7 M

$12.6 M

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

21/22 Forecast

2020/21

22/23 Budget

2021/22

2022/23

$12.7 M $9.0 M

$8.2 M

$5.2 M $3.0 M $0.4 M

$0.2 M Donations

Box Office

Government COVID-19 Relief

Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry & Joan Lozinski. Siphesihle November. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

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Realism and Magic in Swan Lake After a two-year delay, Swan Lake will finally have its world premiere on June 10, 2022, realizing a long-held ambition for Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain and the visionary work of her creative team. The production is lush and enigmatic with fantastical elements, but also deeply human in its characters and themes, with reality and illusion dovetailing in its narrative, choreography and design.

Most classical versions of Swan Lake are based on the 1895 revival

by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, featuring the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and a story derived from folk tales: a young woman, Odette, is cursed to live as a swan by day and a woman by night until an expression of true love breaks the spell. Kain follows in this tradition but she modernizes aspects of the story, returns to some of Erik Bruhn’s choreography from 1967 and adds exciting new

choreography by herself, Associate Artistic Director Christopher Stowell and Choreographic Associate Robert Binet. The result is a classical ballet in the grand tradition of Swan Lake that is also distinctly original.

Kain is clear, for example, that Odette is a woman first and foremost. An evil predator, Rothbart, curses her to look and behave like a swan by day, but whenever the audience sees her – and when Siegfried falls in love with her – she is a woman. The same is true for Odette’s female companions, all of whom are under Rothbart’s control.

“These are captive women and their compassion for one another shows in their movements when Rothbart is out of sight,” says Kain. “That human element is so important choreographically and for the story. The tragedy of Swan Lake rests with the human connection

between Odette and Siegfried and that has to come through.”

Siegfried is a reluctant prince, wary of his royal duties and obligation to wed. But like Odette, he has the support of an inner circle: a firm but devoted mother in the Queen, a steady mentor in his Tutor, a trusted friend in Benno and two loving sisters, Celia and Elizabeth, named after the National Ballet’s founder Celia Franca and the co-founder of Canada’s National Ballet School, Betty Oliphant. Siegfried’s world may be limiting, but it is not malicious.

Evil comes instead through wondrous displays of magic and otherworldliness that offer a counterbalance to realism and underscore the magnitude of what Odette and Siegfried are up against. With his enormous wings, Rothbart embodies the sweep and power of this opposing force.

Artists of the Ballet in rehearsal for Swan Lake. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

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The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

Fittingly, Rothbart’s most consequential expression of evil is magical. At the Masked Ball, he conjures a vision of a mesmerizing, masked woman called Odile to deceive Siegfried into betraying Odette. As an illusion, Odile is the perfect foil for Odette’s humanity and it becomes more plausible that she fools Siegfried. Guests of the ball are wearing costumes and masks, so identities are already slippery and Odile is, by definition, a trick.

presents Swan Lake Lead philanthropic support for Swan Lake is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, with generous underwriting from Richard M. Ivey, C.C., an anonymous friend of the National Ballet, Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M., Q.C., Pamela and Paul Austin and The P. Austin Family Foundation, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Nancy Pencer, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Lawrence Schafer Foundation, Gretchen Ross & Donald Ross, O.C., Anne-Marie Canning, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Tim & Frances Price, The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M. and Aaron & Heather Regent.

Additional support provided by The Producers’ Circle.

Magic produces devastating effects in the ballet’s finale, where Kain opts for tragedy. Rothbart conjures a furious storm and drowns Siegfried in the waters, leaving Odette grief-stricken and alone. It is a moving end to a ballet that is equal parts menace and poetry, with human life and emotion at its core.

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.

Swan Lake is onstage June 10–26.

The National Ballet also acknowledges support for Swan Lake provided by Sylvie Allard & Brian O’Keefe, Judi Conacher, Sherry & Edward Drew, The H. John McDonald Foundation and Julie Medland.

Christopher Gerty is sponsored through Dancers First by Ms. Nancy Viner & Dr. Raymond Stein.

In rehearsal for Swan Lake: Harrison James and Karen Kain. Christopher Gerty and Genevieve Penn Nabity. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

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Gabriela Týlešová: Designing Swan Lake Three illustrious women lead the creative team for The National Ballet of Canada’s new Swan Lake, with Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain collaborating with fellow Canadian Bonnie Beecher on lighting and the award-winning designer Gabriela Týlešová on sets and costumes.

Týlešová worked for roughly 18 months to create a dark, theatrical world for Swan Lake that combines extraordinary costumes, sets, digital printing and projections designed by Canadian Sean Nieuwenhuis. She describes the result as “a symphony of design, movement and music.”

Among the more striking elements of Týlešová’s design are Rothbart’s wings, a visual cue for the scope of his power as the predatory, birdlike creature who captures Odette.

“Rothbart manipulates everyone so we decided to make the set an extension of his character,” Týlešová says. “We’ve constructed enormous wings – 52 feet wide – that can expand and enclose the space.

Because we’re also projecting images over the wings, you get the sense that they’re pulsing and living.”

Rothbart’s wings link him visually to Odette and the other women under his control, whose costumes feature more than 150 feathers each. “We thought a lot about how to create the feathers,” she says.

“The thing about real feathers is that maintenance is tricky and they’re not very big, so they don’t read well on stage. We ended up using pleated fabric and digital printing to approximate the look of feathers, and I think they’re better than the real thing.”

Kelly Palmer at The Gretchen Ross Production Centre for Swan Lake. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

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The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

Originally a painter, Týlešová painted the lakeside backdrop herself using acrylics, which produce a strong brushstroke.

Then she took photographs of her work to project over the sets and reproduce digitally on fabric for some of the costumes, adding movement to the design and creating strong ties with nature.

“We’re digitally printing the fabric from the set pieces, so we’re pulling the fabric out of the sets in a way. The same goes for the projections. If you can project and move an image of a brushstroke it starts to breathe. In certain instances we want the sets to have that quality, to come alive.”

Another standout feature is the Masked Ball, where Siegfried must choose his bride. The event is a glamourous, mysterious affair with guests in flamboyant costumes and masks – a costume designer’s delight. Týlešová created some of her most inventive pieces for this scene.

“I’m really enjoying the Masked Ball,” she says. “We have a few characters in this scene who don’t dance, which is brilliant because it means I can do fun things with their costumes and they don’t have to be technically danceable.

We’re creating new characters that haven’t existed in Swan Lake in the past. I’m enjoying that part.”

From the top: Gabriela Týlešová with White Swan Tutu from Swan Lake. Photo by Karolina Kuras. Behind the Scenes at The Gretchen Ross Production Centre for Swan Lake. Photo by Dahlia Katz. Costume from Swan Lake. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

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“This is a gift to the National Ballet” Jurgita Dronina on Swan Lake What makes this production unique?

Principal Dancer Jurgita Dronina lists Swan Lake as one of her favourite ballets and of its leading role, she says, “it’s one of the roles I’ve performed the most.” In fact, Jurgita has performed in nine previous productions of the iconic ballet across Europe and Asia.

The National Ballet of Canada’s newest version, directed and staged by Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain, will be Jurgita’s tenth Swan Lake and her first in North America.

How universal is Swan Lake and why do you think it has endured?

Love is at the heart of the story.

Swan Lake has a lot of dancing in it for everyone, the score is glorious, the story has beautifully dramatic moments and this particular version that Karen is staging has a gripping, heart-breaking ending.

Swan Lake has choreography from 1895 in most productions, so the audience expects certain structures and patterns as well as some dazzling dancing to showcase technical ability. I am fascinated by how this ballet is still a challenge for today’s extremely technical dancers, 127 years later, and yet the uniqueness of Swan Lake is that it never gets old. There’s so much freedom to incorporate one’s own artistry through arms and body language.

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Karen has retained a lot of choreography from Erik Bruhn’s staging and it’s so inspiring to witness her cementing Bruhn’s legacy with her own through this production. Every large classical ballet company has a Swan Lake in their repertoire, but not necessarily their own. I see this Swan Lake as a gift to the National Ballet, to have this singular version for many generations to come. But with all the traditional steps, we also have the Prologue, Act III and Act IV with completely new choreography. In my eyes, this production truly does justice to the story from the very beginning right to the end.

What is the vision for Karen’s staging?

Odette is a woman, a young, adventure-seeking woman who is captured by a predator and cursed to be a swan by day and woman by night. Karen is trying to portray how human all the captured women are, how their interactions are real, fragile and vulnerable, yet also showing that these women are strong. Taking this more human approach into the movement and into the relationships on stage between the characters has been exciting and artistically fulfilling.

How do you approach the physicality of the role?

As much as the steps are traditional and require strong physical preparation, what is fascinating for me to watch and dance are the arms. Everything comes through the arms – Odette’s feelings, her thoughts, her relationship with Rothbart and the other captured women and her dialogue with Siegfried – and the interpretation of the music. The arms are the mirror of her soul.

What is your approach to Odette?

The second act is about Odette, transforming from a swan to a woman at night, and her friends and their connection to Rothbart.

She discovers a gradual change when she meets Siegfried, as they build up trust and fall in love. There’s a spark of hope that maybe Siegfried can break the curse by swearing eternal love to her. I also think that Odette has never experienced true love prior to being captured, so when they meet it feels honest and truthful.

Through the famous Act II pas de deux, they establish a connection and Odette has complete trust in Siegfried with an understanding that they will fight for their love.

The pas de deux is very difficult physically and emotionally, with soft and controlled movements, while always portraying strength and that sense of hope.

And Odile?

In this production, Odile is a creation of Rothbart’s, a magical trick that he has created at the masked ball to trick Siegfried into swearing eternal love for her and that way leaving Odette a swan forever. I don’t feel like a “swan” in Act III; Odile must resemble Odette, the woman Siegfried fell in love with, enough so he believes it is Odette. He wouldn’t fall in love with something evil or something opposite to Odette. But still, he is fascinated by the presence Odile carries: her confidence, seductiveness, fire and panache.

I believe Siegfried sees her as a whole woman, with all the qualities of Odette plus the character traits that he falls in love with through Odile. Instead of a duality, it's a very thin line between the two.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

What has it been like working with Harrison James as Siegfried?

How inspiring is it to work with Karen in the studio?

Working in the studio with Harrison is a pure joy. This process is artistically inspiring because I feel like we hear the music in the same way and we have a shared sense of what we’re looking to portray and achieve through the music and our movements. We have a constant dialogue about how we see the steps and interactions. In every rehearsal, we’re discovering the many layers to each step to make it a full story. Harrison’s honesty, intelligence and hard-working personality is a huge contribution to our constructive work.

Working with Karen has been amazing. She started building this production through teaching the steps that she knew first-hand and then looking for ways to tell the story effectively. She has a very clear idea of what she has in mind and it’s incredibly helpful for us to stay true to the choreography. Karen is incredibly musical and it’s been very helpful to see her demonstrate the musicality she remembers so well. It’s amazing to know that we are keeping the heritage of the traditional choreography alive yet evolving its story further. Karen is

also wonderfully open to dialogue where we share our ideas. Talking about and working on the idea of making Odette more human is where she and I really click. There’s a nice creative and working atmosphere in the studio and a valuable sense of understanding, respect and collaborative work towards the common goal.

Jurgita Dronina. Harrison James and Jurgita Dronina in rehearsal for Swan Lake. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

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presents Swan Lake

Building Creativity and Connection At The National Ballet of Canada, we hope that this new production of Swan Lake, one of the world’s most famous ballets re-envisioned by the iconic artist, Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain, will be a presentation that welcomes and dazzles audiences from across the city, who are both familiar with and fresh to the classic. In this endeavour, we are grateful to welcome Tricon Residential as presenting sponsor, a company that believes in the capacity of great art and great artistry to connect as a city and create community.

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Toronto, Tricon Residential is a rental housing company that owns and operates a portfolio of multi-family rental apartments and single-family rental homes throughout North America.

Lead by Gary Berman, President and CEO, Tricon is the most active rental apartment developer in Toronto, with 11 projects totalling more than 5,500 new units in development and operation.

“We have always recognized that long-term business success depends on the success of our residents and the communities where we operate," says Berman.

"Tricon is a long-term owner and steward of our properties, and our commitment to making a positive and lasting impact in the lives of our residents and local communities underpins our business philosophy.”

Thoughtfully weaving art and design into each of its projects, Tricon pays close attention to the needs of residents to create the kind of environment that supports their well-being, and this includes a community that is enriched by the arts. One example is Tricon’s plans for upcoming residential projects that include soundproof music practice rooms and instruments.

The company seeks to make an impact in the wider community through art and is heavily invested in arts and various cultural organizations in Toronto. Tricon's residents are invited to experience events and the company also provides annual scholarships for young dancers and musicians to attend Canada’s National Ballet School and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Tricon’s visionary leaders look to produce forward-thinking and enduring residential projects that benefit individuals and families across demographics – working synergistically with communities on high-quality and sustainable design with low environmental impact.

They are an inspiring partner for Karen Kain’s new Swan Lake, a project in which an imaginative creative team is collaborating to bring this new vision to life for the landmark world premiere and create a production to be enjoyed by generations. “Without art and music, where would we be as a society?" asks Berman. “They are what makes a city great. They connect us and bring us joy.”

Svetlana Lunkina.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.

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The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

Winter Season: By the Numbers Thank you for helping us share an inspired and extensive programme of dance in our Winter Season, which included the National Ballet’s firstever Relaxed Performance. Here are the highlights:

41,724 Total Audience Members

12 Performances of The Sleeping Beauty

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6

Performances of Skyward, After the Rain & On Solid Ground & Elite Syncopations

Performances of A Streetcar Named Desire

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2

Retirement Celebrations

World Premieres

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1

Princess Aurora Debuts

Inaugural Relaxed Performance of The Sleeping Beauty Act III for 700 Audience Members

Top right to bottom: Sonia Rodriguez's Final Performance. Jillian Vanstone and Harrison James in After the Rain. Artists of the Ballet in On Solid Ground. Tanya Howard in Elite Syncopations. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

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The Beauty of Inclusion: The National Ballet’s First Mainstage Relaxed Performance Spotted in the lobby of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts: front of house staff trying hard not to touch service dogs as they entered the theatre, very young dancers imitating the poses of the professional dancers on decorative posters, ushers giving enthusiastic descriptions of the look and layout of the auditorium for ticket holders and lots of excited smiles.

This was March 22, 2022, when The National Ballet of Canada welcomed 700 audience members to the Four Seasons Centre for the company’s first mainstage Relaxed Performance. It was a joyful afternoon for individuals and families who may find the traditional ballet-going experience inaccessible or limiting. Relaxed Performances are a way for arts organizations to welcome children and adults who are Neurodiverse, members of the d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Vision Impaired and Disability communities and any audience members who may benefit from a more casual ballet experience, including caregivers with young children. “We are one of the first

companies in Canada to offer a mainstage Relaxed Performance of a full-scale ballet production, and for this we were simultaneously proud and humbled,” says Lisa Robinson Senior Manager, Education and Community Engagement.

A few elements were provided to create an atmosphere where attendees felt celebrated and cared for, such as Audio Description devices, open seats at the back of the auditorium and a quiet room for guests to relax in if they felt overstimulated. To prepare guests for their visit to the theatre, visual and video guides were created with the help of Relaxed Performance consultant Rachel Marks who advised the National Ballet and Four Seasons Centre staff for this initiative.

Prior to the performance, Lisa greeted audience members from the stage where she was joined by American Sign Language-English Interpreter Marcia Aldophe, to let the audience know that they were free to respond to what they saw in the ballet. Lisa then introduced The

Lilac Fairy in her sparkling gown (Principal Character Artist Stephanie Hutchison) to delighted “oohs” that rippled through auditorium.

Stephanie performed a brief and animated synopsis of Acts I and II of The Sleeping Beauty and provided hints of what to expect in Act III. She also introduced the audience to Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund (First Soloist Jeannine Haller in her debut as Princess Aurora and Principal Dancer Naoya Ebe), who came out to wave hello.

Act III was unchanged for the Relaxed Performance, however adjustments were made to the environmental elements such as lowered sound levels, dimmed house lights and an invitation to move in and out of the space as needed.

Joy attended the performance with her two sons who are on the Autism spectrum. She said, "To be able to see a ballet in an accessible format where you can move about, make noise and appreciate the ballet in your own way is a magical

Stephanie Hutchison, Lisa Robinson and Marcia Adolphe. Photo by Johan Hallberg Campbell.

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The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

experience. Ballet transports you to a fairytale place that you can’t replicate in the cinema or with screens. When the orchestra started to tune their instruments and the curtain came up, I heard my seven year old say ‘wow’ and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It’s a feeling you can’t put a value on.”

Sarah, who enjoyed her first post-COVID performance with her 14-year-old son, Landon said, “As a special needs parent I often feel isolated in my community and COVID amplified that. Inclusion is a great word, but it doesn’t always go into practice, and we always feel uncomfortable in certain places.

When we can come to performances like this, we feel like we belong.”

For Sylvia, who is blind, it was her first time at the ballet. She is a fan of

theatre and dance and was curious about the audio description. “When the audio describer spoke about the Pussycats, I giggled at the same time as my friend did and she’s sighted. That struck me profoundly.”

The National Ballet was elated to welcome attendees to enjoy the full experience of what the company has to offer. “I know that this will send ripples through the dance community and will hopefully inspire other companies to follow their lead in welcoming the d/Deaf and Disability Community to their spaces and performances,” says Rachel Marks. The company is receiving great feedback from attendees and with our learnings this will be the first of many wonderful experiences with the community in the years to come.

The National Ballet of Canada’s Education and Community Engagement programmes are generously supported by the Anna McCowan-Johnson Dance Accessibility Fund at The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation.

The National Ballet of Canada’s Relaxed Performances and the accompanying Visual Guide are made possible in part through the generous support of The Estate of Helen Allen Stacey, An Anonymous Donor and One Anonymous Lady.

Clockwise from top: Audience members at Relaxed Performance. Guide Dog. Audience members at Relaxed Performance. Audio Describer, Kat Germain. Photos by Johan Hallberg Campbell.

The National Ballet of Canada

Preview Spring 2022

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The exciting 2022/23 season includes two world premieres, two Canadian premieres, the return of beloved classics and introduces three internationally renowned choreographers to the company.

Harrison James is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White.

Tina Pereira is sponsored through Dancers First by The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C.

The Walter Carsen Centre for The National Ballet of Canada 470 Queens Quay West Toronto, Ontario M5V 3K4 Canada

Audience and Donor Services 416 (1 866) 345 9595 national.ballet.ca

The National Ballet of Canada is a registered charity.

Charitable Registration Number 11905 1449 RR0001

Renew or Subscribe!

national.ballet.ca 416 345 9595

Tina Pereira and Harrison James.

Photo by Karolina Kuras.