To the Pointe the To ISSUE 54 SPRING 2012 Message from the Executive Director As I reflect on my first quarter at Canada’s So too, the building is alive after hours, the support from our government National Ballet School, I’m drawn to the through our Adult and Associates partners, and will continue to connect spring scenes around the School. This is programs. It is a source of inspiration to them with NBS. a season of renewal, a time to anticipate see the Celia Franca Centre is alive with the summer ahead. In particular, the dancers at night. Two attributes characterize NBS from my spring brings something that is dear to perspective—passion and excellence. I me—the return of baseball! What does One item on my agenda is the completion want to acknowledge Mavis Staines for baseball have to do with ballet? Good of a new NBS Strategic Plan. There has her support during my transition, and for question—more on that later. been superb planning work done in modelling those attributes. I’d also like to past years, including a trend analysis of recognize our talented staff for the same Since joining NBS, I have found it to be the dance industry and an articulation reasons, and to thank our committed as stimulating and rewarding as I had of three strategic initiatives to address friends who attended the For the Love hoped. Coming from the museum world, these. We are facilitating a process for of Ballet Gala. I am a strong supporter of culture and the soliciting and refining staff contributions, role that knowledge plays in advancing with a goal of completing the plan in And so, how do my first few months at our society. Building on that experience, September. NBS relate to baseball? Baseball is an I am enjoying contributing to the arts and elegant and unique game. It combines to education. I admit to being humbled In February, through the support of the speed, precision, collaboration and on arrival—I had only the broadest idea Federal Government, we introduced a instinct, played on a field of dreams and of the scope of our everyday activities. new website—Sharing Dance—designed surrounded by avid fans. If watched Observing our students, our staff and our as a broad public platform to share the closely, you’ll see that it is choreographed operations has left me truly impressed joy of dance using videos, photos, and to produce “poetry in motion.” True, it with what this organization accomplishes. stories. We plan to attract many partner is competitive but the analogy to dance In particular, I like the buzz that envelops organizations over the next five years to remains. I read that baseball embodies a NBS when our Professional Ballet dramatically increase the content and quintessential human dilemma of thinking students are “in the house.” reach of the site. with our head versus reacting with our heart. To me, a similar canvas exists in I had the privilege of attending student I have been fortunate to meet the dance—we develop and deliver excellence, evaluations in March and the Post- Honourable James Moore, Minister of but it is our passion that makes it evocative. Secondary Program performance in April. Canadian Heritage—a passionate Neither one is enough, both are essential. Each time, I was awestruck by the advocate of the arts who speaks highly of As baseball legend Ernie Banks might incredible talent our students display— his visits to NBS. We recently welcomed have said “Let’s dance two.” the precision, the athleticism, and the Peter Caldwell, Executive Director of the artistry in commanding their environment Ontario Arts Council, who saw first hand Grant Troop and collaborating with their fellow dancers. all studios flush with dancers. We value Executive Director & Co-CEO TO THE POINTE SPRING 2012 CANADA’S NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL 2 Message from the Artistic Director While twenty years have now passed profession. This long-term, focussed excitement and pride in problem-solving. since world-renowned comedic actor process is now contrary to today’s most Not only is NBS proving Ustinov’s Peter Ustinov visited NBS, the message popular global messages of “the faster, prophecy but also demonstrating why the he delivered on that unforgettable day in the better” and “instant success” process of becoming an artist is more 1992 continues to resonate powerfully. (especially if won in a contest) considered important today than ever before. With After half an hour of evoking guffaws of more impressive than years of patient, the life skills learned, they do carry the laughter from an audience which ranged deep practices. All of which means these torch for the human race’s potential. in age from ten to eighty, Ustinov paused future artists need to develop the and then, looking most pointedly at the resilience to swim “against the tide” of While this article is a tribute to all NBS youngest students, said, “I believe we are societal influence. And this only references staff, students, and alumni, I would like moving into an era when the role of the the “learning of the language”; developing to particularly acknowledge those artists will have greater importance than the expertise to infuse this vocabulary journeying as choreographers and/or ever before. In fact, with the advent of with emotional intent, to communicate directors. Each has selected an especially technology into our daily lives, I predict profound meaning, is even more out of challenging route for honouring the artists will carry the role equivalent to sync with today’s trends and thus requires original meaning of the word “theatre”, that of high priests/priestesses in ancient even greater persistence. As daunting derived from the Greek “teatron” which cultures. However, do not expect your as this might sound, I actually view this means making visible the divine. messages to be received gratefully. As increased degree of challenge as a gift the world’s population becomes to NBS students because adversity fuels In the words of alumnus Keith Morino, increasingly addicted to simplicity and the passion. Artistic Director of the EESA/CPD de convenience of immediate “yes” or “no” l’Institute del Theatre in Barcelona for the responses, their capacity to embrace The ongoing ways in which current NBS past six years: “having a creative artistic visceral emotions and/or process complex students and alumni are embracing pro- training and upbringing will make looking challenges will decrease commensurately. cesses which require dedicated practice for new solutions much ‘easier’, since we The world will need inspired guides.” is evident through their accomplishments know how to tap in to our feelings and and passion for life. Their capacity to instincts, and know how to push structural The prescience of Ustinov’s message perceive the rapidly changing world as an boundaries to find new solutions to our becomes increasingly evident in every opportunity to inspire innovation, rather problems. THANKS NBS and the amazing conversation I have with NBS students as than a threat, is a tribute to both their talent staff who are so much a part of what I they grapple with the challenges inherent and to my colleagues’ expert guidance. am today!” in an art form which requires 10,000 hours Artistic and Academic faculty have of practice to develop natural potential to created a culture within the School which Mavis Staines the level of skill required to enter the develops an open mindset and an Aristic Director & Co-CEO 3 This past February, NBS announced that Since the success of the first Assemblée the School will host a second “Assemblée Internationale, the international ballet Internationale” in 2013, from April 28 to community looks to NBS to take the lead May 4. Before sharing details about this in developing world-wide collaborations. upcoming week-long festival, I think it Planning for this week-long festival, which worthwhile to explain why I proposed will bring to Toronto the twelve schools composed of designated students from NBS embark on this ambitious venture. who collaborated in November 2009 plus the other schools. Just as happened in The world seems to have become an additional six, began three years ago. the AI 09, role allocations will be made addicted to competitions of every sort, Thanks to Aeroplan’s generous decision by my brilliant colleague, Shaun Amyot, including ballet competitions. While these to support the AI 13, just as it was the based on information about each student generate tremendous interest in dance, “guardian angel” of the AI 09, the directors provided by the Schools’ directors. which is hugely beneficial, I believe the of the following schools will travel to ever increasing number of competitions Toronto with selected students: The Live Streaming Project, the new needs to be balanced by celebrating addition to the AI 13 program, will be the power of artistic collaboration. The The Australian Ballet School created and produced by Shaun Amyot in outcomes, shared by all participants, is Beijing Dance Academy collaboration with Michael Schumacher, the invaluable experience of speaking the Canada’s National Ballet School an Amsterdam-based dance artist. The universal language of ballet to collectively Codarts (Rotterdam) work they create will be performed by a create dance of the highest standard and L’école supérieure de ballet blended cast of AI 13 students present building life-long relationships to engender du Québec (Montreal) in Toronto, joined virtually through live future collaborations. EESA/CPD de l’Institut del Teatre streaming by dancers in Holland. (Barcelona) Hamburg Ballet Schule While the primary focus of the AI 13 is to Houston Ballet School bring together ballet students to explore John Cranko Schule (Stuttgart) the universal vocabulary of ballet, and The Juilliard School celebrate its diversity, the opportunity National Ballet Academy (Amsterdam) of bringing together the participating National Ballet School (Havana) schools’ Artistic Directors is also eagerly New Zealand School of Dance embraced.