Fall Season Concludes with Mixed Programme of Etudes & Piano
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Fall Season Concludes with Mixed Programme of Etudes & Piano Concerto #1 & Petite Mort Principal Casting Announced November 19, 2019 … Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Etudes by Danish choreographer Harald Lander, Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto #1 and the company premiere of Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort. The mixed programme is onstage November 27 – December 1, 2019 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. #EtudesNBC #PianoConcerto1NBC #PetiteMortNBC Created in 1948 for The Royal Danish Ballet, Etudes is Harald Lander’s most popular work, a celebration of ballet technique, set to piano exercises by Carl Czerny (arranged and orchestrated by Knudåge Riisager). The opening night cast on November 27 features Principal Dancers Heather Ogden, Harrison James and Naoya Ebe in the lead roles. Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto #1 is the third part of his Shostakovich Trilogy, which pays tribute to Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. A work of great beauty and power, Piano Concerto #1 contains some of the most compelling choreography in the trilogy. The opening night cast features Principal Dancers Svetlana Lunkina, Harrison James, Naoya Ebe and First Soloist Koto Ishihara in principal roles. Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián originally created Petite Mort for the 1991 Salzburg Festival to mark the second centenary of the death of Mozart. Set to movements from two of Mozart’s most famous piano concertos, Petite Mort is a dynamic short ballet that evokes the intense yearning and latent eroticism of the music. Playing on sexual innuendo in the phrase “petite mort” or “little death”, a cast of six male and six female dancers move and spar with one another in beautiful and unexpected ways. Etudes Heather Ogden (November 27, 29, 30 at 7:30 pm) Jillian Vanstone* (November 28 at 7:30 pm/November 30, December 1 at 2:00 pm) Harrison James*, Naoya Ebe* (November 27, 30 at 7:30 pm) Donald Thom*, Siphesihle November* (November 28 at 7:30 pm/November 30 at 2:00 pm) Harrison James, Skylar Campbell* (November 29 at 7:30 pm) Donald Thom, Skylar Campbell* (December 1 at 2:00 pm) Piano Concerto #1 Svetlana Lunkina and Harrison James (November 27, 29, 30 at 7:30 pm) Elena Lobsanova and Brendan Saye* (November 28 at 7:30 pm/November 30, December 1 at 2:00 pm) Koto Ishihara* and Naoya Ebe* (November 27, 29 at 7:30 pm) Tina Pereira* and Skylar Campbell* (November 28 at 7:30 pm/November 30 at 2:00 pm) Koto Ishihara and Spencer Hack* (November 30 at 7:30/December 1 at 2:00 pm) Petite Mort Elena Lobsanova, Joe Chapman Jenna Savella, Skylar Campbell Jillian Vanstone, Donald Thom Tina Pereira, Spencer Hack Hannah Fischer, Brendan Saye Greta Hodgkinson, Guillaume Côté (November 27, 29, 30 at 7:30 pm) Antonella Martinelli, Larkin Miller Koto Ishihara, Isaac Wright Svetlana Lunkina, Brent Parolin Tanya Howard, Naoya Ebe Heather Ogden, Ben Rudisin Sonia Rodriguez, Piotr Stanczyk (November 28 at 7:30 pm/November 30 at 2:00 pm) Antonella Martinelli, Larkin Miller Jenna Savella, Isaac Wright Svetlana Lunkina, Brent Parolin Tanya Howard, Naoya Ebe Heather Ogden, Ben Rudisin Sonia Rodriguez, Piotr Stanczyk (December 1 at 2:00 pm) * Debut All casting is subject to change. More information about Etudes & Piano Concerto #1 & Petite Mort – 30 – BMO Financial Group presents the 2019/20 Season. Lead philanthropic support for Piano Concerto #1 is provided by an anonymous friend of the National Ballet and The Producers’ Circle. The Producers’ Circle: John & Claudine Bailey, Susanne Boyce & Brendan Mullen, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M., Emmanuelle Gattuso, C.M. and Allan Slaight, C.M., 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, Jerry & Joan 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 Simpson and Noreen Taylor, C.M. & David Staines, C.M., O.Ont. Etudes is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada. Skylar Campbell is sponsored through Dancers First by Tricia Younger. Guillaume Côté is sponsored through Dancers First by Emmanuelle Gattuso, C.M. and Allan Slaight, C.M. Naoya Ebe is sponsored through Dancers First by Gretchen Ross. Harrison James is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White. Elena Lobsanova is sponsored through Dancers First by Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan. Svetlana Lunkina is sponsored through Dancers First by Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C. Heather Ogden is sponsored through Dancers First by Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin. Brendan Saye is sponsored through Dancers First by Robin Vaile Robinson. Jillian Vanstone is sponsored through Dancers First by George & Kathy Dembroski. Hannah Fischer is sponsored through Dancers First by an anonymous donor. Tina Pereira is sponsored through Dancers First by The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C. Ben Rudisin is sponsored through Dancers First by an anonymous donor. Jenna Savella is sponsored through Dancers First by Elvio & Marlene DelZotto. Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry & Joan Lozinski. The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Economic Development & Culture Department; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage, through the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism; and the Government of Ontario through The Honourable Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. For more information, please contact: Catherine Chang Francine Labelle Senior Communications Manager Publicist 416 345 9686 x302 416 345 9686 x312 [email protected] [email protected] national.ballet.ca national.ballet.ca Harald Lander Choreographer and Lighting Designer, Etudes Harald Lander trained at The Royal Danish Ballet School and became a member of The Royal Danish Ballet in 1923. He began his choreographic career in 1929 with his first ballet Don Pedro in which he also starred. Mr. Lander was appointed Artistic Director of The Royal Danish Ballet in 1932, a position he held until 1951. Under his leadership, The Royal Danish Ballet thrived artistically and commercially for the first time in decades, bringing them international success. Mr. Lander choreographed over 30 ballets in his career, with Etudes, choreographed in 1948, achieving enduring popularity and worldwide acclaim. Mr. Lander joined the staff of the Paris Opéra Ballet as Ballet Master in 1951. In 1959, he became Director of the Paris Opéra Ballet School and held both positions until 1963. He also became a Knight of Dannebrog and was decorated by the Swedish, Belgian and French governments. Mr. Lander died in Copenhagen on September 14, 1971. Page 1 of 1 Thomas Lund Stager, Etudes Thomas Lund is Director of The Royal Danish Ballet School. He completed his dance training at the very same school and went on to be a Principal Dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and guest around the world. He has performed leads in Bournonville ballets such as La Sylphide, Napoli, The Kermesse in Bruges, Abdallah, Le Conservatoire and The Flower Festival in Genzano and classical/neo- classical ballets such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Etudes, Gaité Parisienne, Caroline Mathilde, Symphony in C, Rubies and Tarantella. Mr. Lund also regularly stages Harald Lander’s Etudes at companies around the world. He is also a teacher in the Bournonville style in Demark and has given a number of master classes abroad. Mr. Lund is a Knight of the Order of Dannebrog, 1st class. Page 1 of 1 Alexei Ratmansky Choreographer, Piano Concerto #1 Alexei Ratmansky was born in St. Petersburg and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School. His performing career included positions as Principal Dancer with Ukrainian National Ballet, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and The Royal Danish Ballet. He has choreographed ballets for Mariinsky Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Kiev Ballet and the State Ballet of Georgia, as well as for Nina Ananiashvili, Diana Vishneva and Mikhail Baryshnikov. His 1998 work, Dreams of Japan, earned a prestigious Golden Mask Award by the Theatre Union of Russia. In 2005, he was awarded the Benois de la Danse prize for his choreography of Anna Karenina for The Royal Danish Ballet. He was made Knight of Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 2001. He won his second Benois de la Danse for Shostakovich Trilogy in 2014. Mr. Ratmansky was named Artistic Director of The Bolshoi Ballet in January 2004. Under his direction, The Bolshoi Ballet was named Best Foreign Company in 2005 and 2007 by The Critics’ Circle in London and he received a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for The Bright Stream in 2006. In 2007, he won a Golden Mask Award for Best Choreographer for his production of Jeu de Cartes for The Bolshoi Ballet. In 2009, Mr. Ratmansky choreographed new dances for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Aida. He joined American Ballet Theatre as Artist in Residence in January 2009 and was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2013. Felipe Diaz Stager, Piano Concerto #1 Felipe Diaz was born in Bogota, Colombia where he began his training with his parents Ana Consuelo Gomez and Jaime Diaz. Mr. Diaz continued his training at San Francisco Ballet School. Over a career spanning 22 years, Mr. Diaz danced as a soloist with San Francisco Ballet, English National Ballet and Het Nationale Ballet.