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Ogden and Côté grace the cover of DANCE International!


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:) You can add ancient ballet reviewer Michael Crabb to the many happy victims of Heather Ogden’s ballerina magnetism! The lovely Miss Ogden, along with her prince charming, Guillaume Côté, grace the cover of the summer edition of DANCE International. I just picked it up fresh off the newsstands. As of today, (www.danceinternational.org) has yet to be updated.

In the article, Crabb waxes poetic of Miss Ogden’s talents: “What one looks for in a debutante are the seeds of promise. Ogden revealed far more than seeds. At certain points, especially in the lakeside “white” acts – Kudelka actually throws in a flotilla of black swans – Ogden positively flowered, achieving a lyric poignancy that belied her relative inexperience.”

I, for one, was most disappointed Crabb did not quote my glowing review of Miss Ogden’s performance in Jewels: “Of all the glittering jewels gracing the stage for Thursday’s afternoon delight one sparkled more than any emerald, ruby, or even diamond could ever hope to sparkle. Call me another (happy) victim of ballerina magnetism but this precious gem has the glowing face and beaming body of which National Ballet of Canada dreams are made on! Mere prose cannot do justice to the delicious images she created on stage. This is one ballerina who knows how to shine and isn’t afraid to face the music and dance: Every step was imbued with spontaneity; every moment on stage was danced as if it was her last; every eye in the house was glued to her as the come-hither ruby in Jewels. She held nothing back.

…These goo-goo eyes were glued from seat A 28. Sneaking a close up glance with opera glasses is one of my few guilty pleasures. What my mind’s eye saw was a ballerina putting it all together: theatrical persona, dance technique, plus musicality. Triple wow!!! This ruby absolutely glowed surrendering body and spirit to the choreography of Mr. B as she danced the music of Stravinsky to life! The jewel of my eye was Heather Ogden.”

Can it be too long before both Côté and Ogden take off for a more prestigious company like The Royal Ballet-like Persson and Tapper before them? Ogden, who boasts the same striking beauty of screen sirens Tippi Hendren and Grace Kelly, appears assured of reaching ballerina stardom. I found it very interesting Crabb wrote of Kudelka downplaying stars. Given the choice, one would be foolish not to switch ballet dates to see Heather Ogden. The partnership with Côté should be allowed to flower and if the National Ballet of Canada’s PR department has any sense, they will promote them as STARS! The NBoC needs to fill seats. And this dreamy duo has the stuff to accomplish that feat!! Can you hear the cash registers ringing at the NBoC’s box office?

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Thanks for the report Michael -

My bad luck to have never seen Ogden in a major role in my trips to Toronto. I did finally get to see Coté this February and I thought he was very promising. I hope he'll wait a few years more at least before decamping though, if he chooses to. He's isn't an international star yet by any stretch of the imagination, and he's better off growing up at home, as it were.

Gosh, do you really expect Michael Crabb to quote you? ;) I find your reviews very personal. It would be a bit like quoting someone's private diary or a love-letter, wouldn't it?

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