Alexandra

Here's the press release announcing the season: THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA ANNOUNCES 2003/2004 SEASON NEW FULL LENGTH BALLET BY JAMES KUDELKA Rex Harrington Celebrates 20 Years February 10, 2003 … Toronto, Ontario … Artistic Director JAMES KUDELKA today announced the 2003/2004 season. Highlighting the company’s 52nd year, will be the world premiere of James Kudelka’s An Italian Straw Hat, a full-length comic ballet steeped in the tradition of French farce. The season will celebrate Principal Dancer REX HARRINGTON’s 20th anniversary with the company and mark both GEORGE BALANCHINE’s centenary and the 10th anniversary of the death of RUDOLF NUREYEV. Principal Dancer Rex Harrington, Canada’s most accomplished male dancer, will celebrate 20 years with the company. The 2003/04 season will mark his retirement as Principal Dancer, although not as an artist with the company. The National Ballet of Canada will stage two of the works for which Mr. Harrington is best known and which he has, more than any dancer of his generation, made his own – James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons and John Cranko’s Onegin. The fall season will begin with a gala performance of Onegin celebrating Harrington’s remarkable career with the company. His performances in the title role have garnered much critical praise, including “electrifying … a performance of a lifetime” Toronto Sun, 2000, “perfect image of the aloof hero” Toronto Star, 1991, “no better dramatic dancer” Now Magazine, 2000, “His performance as the hero confirms his status as the company’s leading male dancer” Globe and Mail, 1996. “Ballet companies are collective endeavours, but their characters are often defined by individual performers. A company that is truly blessed has one or two dancers who, by virtue of their exceptional talent, artistry and personality, will dominate an era and leave a lasting imprint on the art form and the company with which they are identified. For over twenty years, Rex Harrington has contributed not just to the artistic success of The National Ballet of Canada, but has helped shape its character and public identity. His unforgettable, dynamic performances have transcended the stage and served to secure the company’s place in the national culture. As a choreographer’s “muse” he is without equal.” James Kudelka, Artistic Director. The fall season will also celebrate Canada’s distinctive and innovative choreographic talent by performing the company premiere of there, below by the National Ballet’s Artistic Director James Kudelka, DOMINIQUE DUMAIS’ one hundred words for snow and the world premiere of MATJASH MROZEWSKI’s Monument. Extending the reach of classical dance through a fusion of ballet conventions and a highly personal contemporary vocabulary, all three artists are leading the way to the future of the art form with a bold and fresh new idiom. “James Kudelka…easily ballet’s most original choreographer”. Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times, 2002. The winter season will see Rudolf Nureyev’s production of The Sleeping Beauty performed in its entirety as a tribute and part of the many events around the world marking the 10th anniversary of the legendary dancer’s death. "Rudolf Nureyev's 1972 staging of The Sleeping Beauty for The National Ballet of Canada is the most sumptuous production in the company's store of 19th-century classics." The Toronto Star, 1991. The winter season continues with Glen Tetley’s imaginative Alice, a haunting, mystery-laden work based on the famous books of Lewis Carroll. Tetley created the ballet for The National Ballet of Canada in 1986, and it received wide acclaim when the company toured the production to London's Coliseum and New York's Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Centre. The National Ballet will celebrate the centenary of one of the 20th century’s greatest choreographic masters, George Balanchine, by performing his masterwork of pure dance, and his first work upon arriving in North America, Serenade. The spring season will mark the world premiere of An Italian Straw Hat, a new full length narrative ballet by James Kudelka based on the French farce by Eugene Labiche. Two of Kudelka’s key collaborators, composer MICHAEL TORKE (The Contract) and designer SANTO LOQUASTO (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Actress) return to re-create 19th-century Paris in this intricate and comically combustible scenario revolving around a wedding that almost never happens. An Italian Straw Hat is Mr. Kudelka’s second original full length work following the critical success of The Contract in 2001. “Kudelka has invented a daring choreographic language for the story ballet” The Globe and Mail, 2001 “A ballet that will stand for 50 years” The Ottawa Citizen, 2001. The spring season continues with two of James Kudelka’s acclaimed works, The Four Seasons and Cruel World. Set to Vivaldi’s famous sequence of concerti, The Four Seasons is an exploration of the seasons of a man’s life and has been hailed as one of James Kudelka’s finest and most thematically ambitious achievements. Rex Harrington received a Gemini Award in 2001 for his performance for the film version, produced by Rhombus media. “A masterpiece of our time…Rex Harrington was stunning as the protagonist … he and Ms. Hodgkinson brought the house down in their duet in the "Summer" section. Only Mr. Kudelka can infuse passion into virtuosity in this way.” The New York Times, 2000. Set to Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, Cruel World , created in 1994 for American Ballet Theatre, features a constantly shifting pattern of couples caught in a web of emotional complexity and desire. “A near perfect ballet and a total triumph for Mr. Kudelka” The New York Times , 1994. When it was performed by The National Ballet of Canada in 1996, The Globe and Mail stated that, “The sheer ingenuity of the choreography makes the piece a thrilling addition to the National’s expanding repertoire. The flawless interpretation of the choreography with an intensely emotional score by Tchaikovsky crowns Cruel World as something of a masterpiece.” Also in the spring season is another Balanchine masterpiece and another tribute to his centenary, Theme and Variations. George Balanchine created this work as a homage to, and evocation of, the great period of Russian classicism in ballet. The National Ballet of Canada will return to Harbourfront Centre with the popular Ballet by The Water, a series of free, open air performances in August. The National Ballet of Canada will embark on a Western Canada Tour with James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons and The Firebird. The company will tour to Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium (Saskatoon), Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (Edmonton), Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (Calgary), Royal Theatre (Victoria), and Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Vancouver). The National Ballet of Canada makes its annual appearance in Ottawa, presented by the National Arts Centre, with Onegin from March 18 to 20, 2004. The company will also travel to Montreal’s Place des Arts on January 16-17, 2004 to perform Napoli/ Cruel World/The Four Seasons. The Nutcracker returns for the holiday season from December 13 –30th, 2003. 2003-2004 SEASON HARBOURFRONT Ballet by the Water Aug. 19, 20, 21, 2003 WESTERN CANADA TOUR The Four Seasons/ The Firebird Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, Saskatoon September 12-13, 2003 Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton September16-17, 2003 Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary September 19-20, 2003 Royal Theatre, Victoria, September 23, 2003 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver September 25 – 27, 2003 FALL 2003 HUMMINGBIRD CENTRE there, below / Monument / one hundred words for snow Nov. 13-16, Nov. 19, 2003 Onegin Nov. 22, Nov. 26-30, 2003 The Nutcracker Dec. 13- 30, 2003 PLACE DES ARTS, MONTREAL Napoli / Cruel World/ The Four Seasons Jan. 16-17, 2004 WINTER 2004 HUMMINGBIRD CENTRE The Sleeping Beauty Feb. 14-15, Feb. 24- 29, 2004 Serenade/ Alice Feb. 18-22, 2004 NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE, OTTAWA Onegin March 18-20, 2004 SPRING 2004 HUMMINGBIRD CENTRE The Italian Straw Hat May 8-9, 12-15, 2004 The Four Seasons/ Cruel World/ Theme and Variations May 19-23, 2004 Subject to change.

Thanks for posting this -- but do feel free to come back and give us more details when you get the chance Which ballets did you like the best? Which dancers did you see? Which did you like? We're greedy -- we don't read much about this company here.

Thanks. I found your last point especially interesting -- for those of us who aren't familiar with the center, what are the problems? The article you linked to above also referred to it as "less attractive," though there doesn't seem to be an alternative, since the Opera House is being renovated. The Kennedy Center here is in the same situation -- the Opera House is closed for a year, and they're putting programs/concerts in other theaters. It's not exactly the same situation, of course, because it's a theater missing one of its own houses, not a company floating around without a home. But ballet fans aren't happy -- the schedule is cut back, no real appearance by the Kirov this season (just an appearance at a gala), ABT in the Concert Hal, not an ideal venue for dance, etc. In the hopes of keeping subscriptions up, the Center programmed a two-week "international festival," probably in the hopes that people would want to see the stars so badly that they'd keep their subscriptions.

A reminder -- please keep to the art and leave the politics out of it, on this and any other thread on this forum. Thanks!

Then they missed a marketing opportunity. Just say horny music and be done with it!

Thanks for that -- I don't think the turnover is out of the ordinary, though. I meant what's happened with companies (not PNB) where the directorship has changed, and dancers -- either a few real favorites, or a huge percentage of the company, 50% or more -- are suddenly cut. That can sometimes push audiences away.

Not sure what you mean, Mme. Hermine. If it's my post that started the thread, that really is a made up example, not referring to any specific work.

The Tivoli stage is very wide and very shallow. The RDB danced there when the Royal Theatre was being renovated, and there were problems fitting ballets on the stage (although I think with the repertory KayDenmark has posted, this would probably not be a problem). However, I've been told by both dancers and audience members that there isn't a single place in the house where you can sit and see the entire stage, even dead center. There will always be a corner of it out of range. Very wide.

Ah, yes. Contemporary. 50+ years old, but....(I personally think 4Ts DOES still look contemporary in the sense that its aesthetic is alive, but if someone's idea of ballet is pop ballet, I think it will look a bit stilted.) I wondered about the "loud music" too. Maybe they'll just play it loud, or on a synthesizer or something.

Yes -- and they were not at all minimal! But they disappeared very quickly because, according to Reynolds in Rep and Review and other sources, they obscured the lines of the body and inhibited the dancers' movement. (They were very elaborate, almost stuffed costumes, from the photos, variations on medieval themes, the kind of thing that might have worked wonderfully in a demicaractere ballet with simple movements, so that the costumes danced and did a ballet on their own, but not for 4Ts.)

Ari just posted this on today's Links: Just another example of one of the reasons classical ballet is threatened today. Think of it: "We are a ballet company. We're proud to be presenting one of the great ballets of the 20th century. Of course, the best thing about it is it's not a ballet. It's got loud music and is really modern." Or: "We are a tire company. We're proud to be unveiling our newest tires. The best thing about them is that they're not round. They're in really cool shapes and colors."

Leigh, I think Elite Syncopations is new for them this season. (I'm writing that without checking, and may well be wrong.) Ballet Nut! THANK YOU!!!!! The company did Dances here, with a slightly different cast, but I also thought it was too dull. I wrote that it looked as though it had been rehearsed by OSHA -- the part where the women throw themselves at the men that looks wonderfully daring at NYCB looked like a tea party in the SFB production. I'm so happy to read a long review of SFB here -- I hope it will bring out the rest of you Lurkers!!!

I like your choices, too, Ballet Nut. As for your last question -- he's easy. Easy to dance, easy on the eye and mind.

Don't despair, Katja -- I can think of quite a few examples of dancers who get off a plane at noon and are on stage at 8 that night. Welcome, rmcconne. I think there are quite a few companies that run group tours to Russia. We get them coming to the site every once in awhile to promote them I hope you get to go, one way or the other.

Nice -- thanks, Tancos

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Than you very much for this, anoushka. The Royal Ballet certainly does an excellent job with outreach and audience education, judged by the master classes and lectures that you and others have reported on. Did anyone else see this?

I agree. This season, I've seen an excellent Serenade (Washington Ballet) and a soggy Serenade (San Francisco Ballet). Both were a surprise, because I've generally found SFB's Balanchine to be excellent, and Washington Ballet did a hideous Serenade last time out (under different direction). I'd give all of them a rest, actually -- rest in the good sense. Don't bury them, just put them aside for a year or two or three until people start chomping at the bit. Where's Serenade? Where's Romeo and Juliet? Then bring them out, all spanking clean with the dancers hungry to dance them. I haven't seen enough "Firebirds" to be bored with it -- with the exception of the Dance Theatre of Harlem's "Firebird," which they danced every season, whether or not they happened to have a "Firebird" in the house at the moment. But then, I don't think I've ever seen a really good "Firebird".

Yes. Back then, dancers wanted to learn their repertory There are Karsavina's stories about how her class de perfection would beg Johansson to "teach us the steps in the old ballets."

Thank you, Helice! It's wonderful to see posts about this program. PNB is one of our most important companies and there isn't enough about them on this board. We've found in the past that all you need are 2 or 3 people posting, and then another 3 come out of hiding and join in So I very much hope we'll be reading more of you in the future. It does sound like an intriguing program, and a very good chance to see lots of dancers. I'm also surprised that it didn't sell -- has this been a problem in Seattle generally the past two years? Are there theories -- recession, or lack of interest in the arts, etc? PNB is a stable company -- not a lot of dancer turnover, no high profile problems. It should be smooth sailing!

Wait until Nutcracker is replaced by Christmas Dracula on Ice! Then you'll be sorry

Thank you for that, Inga. I'll be interested to hear how you find the ballet, and what the reaction is there. We saw "Notre Dame" in Washington about 10 years ago with Petit's own company -- then the Ballet de Marseille. I saw it several times, and at first I thought it was too simplistic -- just the main characters, with everyone else either Peasant or Villager. But after several viewings I saw more subtlety in it, and thought that was part of its point: to paint a big story in big, broad strokes, and focus on the main characters. And there are good roles, definitely.

You'll find many antipseudofreudians here -- as far as "Swan Lakes" and other 19th century ballets are concerned. To many Americans brought up on the old Royal Ballet version or productions derived from it, both the Grigorovich and the Bourmeister seem especially wrongheaded. The main point seems to be to get rid of every scrap of Petipa, and the secondary one is that the audience is too stupid and unimaginative to understand what is going on. But then, it's hard to find a traditional production these days.

That's a good point. There is the "Flavor of the Month" problem. Every season, there seem to be four or five companies doing a ballet that has been out of rep for awhile, as though some giant, underground bazaar is havng a sale. This year it's "Rodeo" and "Slaughter" in the regions and "Jewels" in the majors. And the regional companies are beginning to acquire "Jewels" too -- it's becoming the new status raiser, I think, the way "Swan Lake" was in the 1960s and "Sleeping B" was in the 1970s or '80s. One year at the Kennedy Center, we had seven -- count 'em -- seven companies doing "Swan Lake." One of them did it seven times.

I liked the "Sinatra Songs," too. It's the only Tharp ballet I've really liked, and I think it was the best thing I saw Baryshnikov do. The pas de deux with Kudo -- thanks for that memory, liebs -- and especially "One for the road."