PRESS KIT THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA
THE SECOND DETAIL William Forsythe + SPECTRE DE LA ROSE Marco Goecke + CHROMA Wayne McGregor
October 1.2.3, 2015 Place des arts, Théâtre Maisonneuve
Also presented on October 6, 2015 at the Grand Théâtre de Québec
Danse Danse – Press kit Ballet National du Canada (Canada) Triple Bill 1
The National Ballet of Canada will present three unique works by the world renowned choreographers, William Forsythe, Marco Goecke and Wayne McGregor. Three unique aesthetics featuring amazingly virtuoso dancers make for an unforgettable evening. Led by the renowned Karen Kain, a living legend of dance, The National Ballet of Canada sparkles with its wide-ranging repertoire and 73 dancers. The company will return to Danse Danse with a contemporary triple bill, one fascinating evening of dance.
THE SECOND DETAIL
CREDITS
Wolrd premiere : The National Ballet of Canada, Toronto, February 21, 1991
Choreography : William Forsythe
Music : Thom Willems
Costume Design : William Forsythe
Set and lighting Design : William Forsythe
Staged by : Jill Johnson the second detail is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada.
ABOUT THE SECOND DETAIL
In the second detail, a piece for 14 dancers, William Foresythe employs contemporary movements of organized chaos, playing with geometric compositions and rhythmic differences. Set to dynamic electronic music by Thom Willems, the piece has retained all its power of fascination since it was created by The National Ballet of Canada in 1991. Forsythe also designed the set, lighting and costumes, with the exception of a magnificent white dress designed by fashion icon Issey Miyake.
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WILLIAM FORSYTHE – CHOREOGRAPHER
William Forsythe is recognized as one of the world’s foremost choreographers. His work is celebrated for reorienting the practice of ballet from its identification with classical repertoire into a dynamic 21st century art form.
Raised and principally trained in New York, he arrived on the European dance scene in his early 20s as a dancer and eventually as Resident Choreographer of Stuttgart Ballet. In 1984, he began a 20-year tenure as Director of Ballett Frankfurt and in 2004, he established his own company, The Forsythe Company.
William Forsythe has won several awards including a Bessie, Laurence Olivier Award, the German Distinguished Service Cross and Wexner Prize. In 1999, he was named Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Government of France. He has been chosen as Choreographer of the Year several times by the international critics.
William Forsythe has also been awarded an honorary fellowship from the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London and holds an honorary doctorate from the Juilliard School in New York.
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SPECTRE DE LA ROSE
CREDITS
World Premiere : 14 juin 2009, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Premiere of The National Ballet of Canada : 28 mai 2014, Toronto, Canada
Choreography : Marco Goecke
Music : Carl Maria von Weber
Costume Design : Michaela Springer
Set and lighting Design : Udo Haberland
Staged by : Giovanni Di Palma
Dramaturge : Nadja Kadel
Lead philanthropic support for Spectre de la Rose is provided by an anonymous friend of the National Ballet and The Producers’ Circle.
The Producers’ Circle: John & Claudine Bailey, David Binet, Susanne Boyce & Brendan Mullen, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin & Roger Garland, The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, Rosamond Ivey, Hal Jackman Foundation, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Judith & Robert Lawrie, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Joan & Jerry Lozinski, The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Lynda & Jonas Prince, Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M., Q.C., Sandra L. Simpson and Noreen Taylor & David Staines, O.C.
ABOUT SPECTRE DE LA ROSE
Celebrated for his dark, avant-garde versions of ballet classics, Goecke’s re-imagined a version of Michel Fokine’s landmark 1911 ballet, Spectre de la Rose, that was created in 2009 to mark the centenary of Ballets Russes. It is the story of a young girl who has just come back from a ball. Falling asleep with a rose in her hands, she dreams of the spirit of the rose, who appears by jumping through her window, dances with her and disappears before she wakes up. In Goecke’s version, the Spirit of the Rose plays a central part in the narrative and the role of the young girl is enriched by the personality of the spirit, electrically personified by a group of six male dancers. While he preserves qualities from the original, Goecke has added more dancers and different music to create a broader thematic and choreographic context in which the work can unfold. This version is a fresh modern take of a great modern classic.
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MARCO GOECKE – CHOREOGRAPHER
Marco Goecke was born in Wuppertal, Germany. He trained as a dancer at the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung in Munich as well as the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and worked at the Staatsoper im Schiller Theater Berlin and Theatre Hagen. After choreographing works in Hagen and for Stuttgart Ballet’s Noverre-Society, Marco Goecke created ballets for the New York City Ballet Mopey (2004) and the Stuttgart Ballet Sweet Sweet Sweet (2005). Mr. Goecke became Choreographer in Residence at Stuttgart Ballet in 2005.
His interpretation of the classic ballet The Nutcracker (2006) was met with high acclaim as were his works Alben (2008), Fancy Goods (2009), Orlando (2010), in sensu (2011), Black Breath (2012), Dancer in the Dark (2012) and On Velvet (2013). His solo works, Äffi and Mopey entered the repertory of Stuttgart Ballet and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and have been performed at galas around the world. He has also created works for The Hamburg Ballet, Leipziger Ballett, Nederlands Dans Theater, Norwegian National Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, The Berlin State Ballet, Sao Paulo Companhia de Dança and Ballet Zurich.
After having worked with Scapino Ballet Rotterdam for more than seven years as Choreographer in Residence, Marco Goecke accepted the position of Associate Choreographer with Nederlands Dans Theater in 2013. In his most recent creation for Nederlands Dans Theater 1, Hello Earth, his dancers performed on popcorn!
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CHROMA
CREDITS
World Premiere : The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, UK, november 17, 2006
Premiere of The National Ballet of Canada : november 24, 2010
Choreography : Wayne McGregor
Music : Joby Talbot, Jack White, The White Stripes
Costume Design : Moritz Junge
Lighting Design : Lucy Carter
Set design : John Pawson
Stage by : Odette Hughes
Chroma is produced in association with The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.
ABOUT CHROMA
McGregor’s work, Chroma, garnered three major awards following its premiere at The Royal Ballet in 2006. Defying once again the laws of anatomy, Chroma is a luminous exploration of the architecture of the human body. The work features an evocatively powerful minimalist set design by internationally renowned architect, John Pawson, and brilliant lighting design by Lucy Carter. The piece fluctuates between frenzy and languor, and the brusque, angular choreography is sprinkled with sensuous movement and impressive lifts. The music, by British composer Joby Talbot, is a unique orchestration of songs by The White Stripes alongside Talbot’s own original compositions and provides the perfect enigmatic soundscape for such a dynamic work. An audience favourite since its debut in 2006, Chroma defies all expectations and expands the horizons of dance.
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WAYNE MCGREGOR – CHOREOGRAPHER
Wayne McGregor was born in Stockport, UK in 1970’s and studied dance at University College Bretton Hall and the José Limón Institute in New York City. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, resident company of Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, for which he has created over 30 works. Wayne McGregor is also Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet.
Recently, he choreographed The Art of Fugue for The Royal Ballet. His repertoire also includes Atomos for Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, Raven Girl for The Royal Ballet and Borderlands for San Francisco Ballet. He has also created new works for Paris Opéra Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, New York City Ballet, The Australian Ballet, English National Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater 1 and Rambert Dance Company, among others.
Wayne McGregor has also choreographed and directed for opera including productions for Teatro alla Scala, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Scottish Opera and English National Opera.
Wayne McGregor has choreographed for film and television including Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire and has been the subject of films including Wayne McGregor – Across The Threshold, A South Bank Show (ITV1), In The Spirit Of Diaghilev (BBC4) and La Danse by Fred Wiseman.
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THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA – COMPANY
Established as a classical company by founder Celia Franca in 1951, The National Ballet of Canada is the only Canadian ballet company to present a full range of traditional full-length classics. The company's repertoire includes works by the world’s most celebrated 20th and 21st century masters, Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Jiří Kylián, John Neumeier, Rudolf Nureyev, Glen Tetley, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor and Alexei Ratmansky. In addition to its classical repertoire, the company also embraces contemporary works and encourages the creation of new ballets and the development of Canadian choreographers.
Canada's premier dance company has performed for over 10 million people. The National Ballet of Canada performs annual Fall, Winter and Summer seasons plus The Nutcracker. The company has toured in Canada and the United States, and throughout the world including performances in Great Britain, Germany, The Netherlands, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy and Mexico. Recently, the company appeared at Sadler’s Wells in London, England, The Music Center in Los Angeles and the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
The National Ballet of Canada is committed to outreach and education for families and youth who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the joys of ballet. The company has a wide range of age appropriate programmes designed to engage with schools and children in the Greater Toronto Area and communities across Canada. YOU dance, the National Ballet’s signature programme, is designed to introduce students in grades four, five and six to the world of dance through FREE workshops and performances.
The National Ballet of Canada employs 120 artists, dancers and musicians, as well as production and administrative staff. All of the costumes and sets are built at The Gretchen Ross Production Centre. As a pre-eminent builder of full productions for ballet in North America, the National Ballet of Canada regularly rents out sets and costumes to ballet companies around the world.
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KAREN KAIN – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Long recognized as one of the most gifted classical dancers of her era, noted for her compelling characterizations and versatility as a performer, Artistic Director Karen Kain is one of Canada’s most renowned and committed advocates for the arts. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Karen Kain received her training at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto, joining the Corps de Ballet of the National Ballet of Canada in 1969. She was quickly promoted to Principal Dancer in 1971 with the company after her sensational debut as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake.
In 1973, Ms. Kain was awarded the Silver Medal in the Women’s Category at the prestigious International Ballet Competition in Moscow and, along with her frequent partner at the time, Frank Augustyn, received a special prize for Best Pas de Deux. Subsequently, she embarked on a remarkable international career during which she performed many of ballet’s greatest roles with such companies as Paris Opéra Ballet, Roland Petit’s Le Ballet de Marseilles, the Bolshoi Ballet, London Festival Ballet and Vienna State Opera Ballet. Throughout her career she also developed a close creative partnership with Rudolf Nureyev and often performed with him. A favourite of some of the world’s most prominent choreographers, she premiered many new and important works during her time as a dancer.
Karen Kain retired from dancing following a farewell tour in 1997 and took up the position of Artist-in-Residence with the National Ballet, a role that was later expanded to that of Artistic Associate. In 2004, she restaged Rudolf Nureyev’s landmark version of The Sleeping Beauty for the company and the following year was named Artistic Director.
Karen Kain has received many Canadian and international awards throughout her career, testifying to her accomplishments both as an artist and an advocate for the arts. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the first Canadian recipient of the Cartier Lifetime Achievement Award and was named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Government of France. In 1997, she was honoured with a Governor General’s National Arts Centre Award and received a Governor General’s Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2002. From 2004 to 2008, she was Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts. In 2007, she was presented with the Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award for demonstrating excellence and professionalism in the performing arts. In 2008, the Karen Kain School for the Arts officially opened, a tribute to Karen Kain’s ongoing contributions to the cultural life of her country, and in 2011, Karen Kain was honoured by the International Society for the Performing Arts with the Distinguished Artist Award.
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PRESS QUOTES the second detail
« Un sublime spectacle aux jeux de pieds et à l’éclairage irréprochables; au port de bras d’une grande précision. Ce sont là des danseurs au sommet de leur art, et ce fut un début de soirée impressionnant. » – Dance International
“Uncategorizable, distinctive, riveting, surprising, and deconstructive” —CJSF Radio
“Great stuff, brilliantly danced.” —The Calgary Herald
“The National attacks William Forsythe’s 1991 work the second detail with chilly precision and irony.” —NOW Magazine
Spectre de la Rose
« D’une originalité renversante [...] mystérieux, innovant et captivant. » —Channel Rivera, Cannes, France
“The Monte-Carlo Ballet danced Marco Goecke’s Spectre de la Rose under a rain of flower petals: a wonder!” —performArts
“The hallmark of the choreography is an astonishing and complicated series of lightning-fast arm and hand gestures that make the dancers look like human semaphores on speed […] Goecke’s anti-romantic rebellion.” —The Globe and Mail, Toronto
Chroma
« Chroma, un exemple époustouflant de ballet d’avant-garde poussé au-delà de toute limite qu’offre Wayne McGregor. » —The Toronto Star
“A work of cutting-edge artistry... an edgy, sexy romp that gives the audience a chance to savour the artistry of dancers” —Toronto Sun
« Un succès retentissant [...] Chroma se classe manifestement parmi les plus grands classiques du ballet contemporain [...] Chroma est élégant, impertinent, grandiose. » —The Globe and Mail
“Pure dance at its best... Chroma is intense from start to finish. The choreography has a distinctive look, refreshingly ... provides a glimpse into the future of ballet and its endless possibilities.” —Danceview Times
This press kit consists of material provided by the company and by research conducted by the Danse Danse team.
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