Martine Lamy retires at 40

[Marga]

Martine Lamy, born in Trois-Rivières, Québec, entered The National Ballet School of Canada in 1975. In 1981 she won 3rd prize in the Junior Women's category in the 4th Moscow International Ballet Competition and, together with Serge Lavoie, the medal for best partnership. There is a partial clip of her dancing Swanilda's variation from Coppélia on the video "Holiday in Ballet", filmed at the competition. You can also see her as an intent student on the National Film Board of Canada's Oscar-winning documentary, "Flamenco at 5:15", recorded at the National Ballet School.

Lamy graduated from the National Ballet School in 1982, continued her dance studies in Europe and New York on a Canada Council grant and joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1983. Her rise through the ranks was rapid as she was promoted to second soloist in 1985, first soloist in 1987 and principal dancer in 1990. Many roles were created on her, including the lead in James Kudelka's controversial "The Contract".

Personally, I admire Lamy's fierce independence in both her onstage and offstage life. She is not the quintessential classical ballerina, nor the embodiment of the modern ballet dancer either, yet she performs in both styles with high technical proficiency, theatrical prowess, supreme self-assurance and stage charisma. Offstage, her breezy, busy, matter-of-fact, pragmatic personality has a lilt to it that is attractive and charming to all who see and interact with her in her everyday life. Her petite physique is pared-down-to-the-bone slim, physically rock-hard and visibly muscular.

Martine Lamy is exceedingly fleet-footed, giving her a sprightly allegro, yet she's no-nonsense all the way, both in studio and onstage. With perfect line and clear, beautiful transitions between positions, she is the breviloquent Strunk and White, dancer's version, whose ballet signature, instead of the grammarians' "omit needless words" is "omit needless movements".

Lamy will be very missed by her fans. She has no equal in persona on any stage in Canada. There are a lot of dancing years left in her. It's unfortunate that her retirement is another one hinged on the economic concerns of the company. The tumultuous ovation given her prior to her official sendoff on Mother's Day has exhibited the love the audience, fellow dancers, and all others at the National have for her. I am eager to see what she will do next!

For one thing, I hope she will do more teaching than she is already doing. For anyone interested in taking class with her, the latest news from Kevin Pugh's "Dance Teq" website is that on May 10th, 2005, Martine is taking over Kevin's Tuesday morning advanced classes. Pugh is Lamy's colleague, former formidable NBofC principal dancer and senior silver medal winner at the 1981 Moscow competition mentioned earlier. Kevin Pugh's open-classes program "Dance Teq" at the Walter Carsen Centre studios of the National Ballet has been immensely popular since he began it nearly a decade ago. It's Toronto's concise version of "Steps on Broadway", commensurate with the dancer population ratio of Toronto to New York.

To Martine Lamy, a hearty and appreciative thank you and brava! for all the pleasure and special moments at the ballet you have given us. May you spur on countless others to follow in your footsteps.

[Leigh Witchel]

Lamy is an extraordinary dance actress as well. She's given many of the best performances I've seen in Toronto.

Obviously, this is a better way to leave than Kimberly Glasco, but I'm left with a lot of questions here. Per her own interviews, Lamy offered to take a pay cut or work part-time. Kudelka didn't go for it.

I'm also wondering why she's second cast at her own farewell season. Thursday night and Sunday matinee? She couldn't get a Friday or Saturday night, or the first cast men?

Obviously, I'm not backstage and who knows the whole story, but what's the deal? This is not the way to send out a 22 year vet.

[Paquita]

There's an interesting article on Lamy here:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005...tire050504.html

It seems that it was primarily a financial issue on Kudelka's part. As with Glasco, it appears that seasoned principal dancers are too expensive to keep.

I have been taking her class at Dance Teq for about a year now. She has said in class that she would like to focus a lot more on teaching now. She will still be dancing on the side, she mentioned an upcoming gig with Robert Glumbek. Perhaps she will continue to perform in Roberto Campanella's "ProArte Danza" group? (the new company's performances have included Rex Harrington and Evelyn Hart among others). I will certainly miss her as a performer, and hope that she does not disappear from the stage. She is still in very fine form, as we saw in her performances in Etudes.

[tigger]

I was surprised by the low-key treatment too. There was more in the media about Italian Straw Hat than about Lamy's retirement. It's too bad her last performance was on Mother's Day, because many people would have already made other plans. Last year Rex Harrington got a large picture on the front of the Arts and Entertainment page when he retired... although as I recall, his last performance was also a Sunday afternoon?

Also, why can't the company afford to keep one of their biggest stars when they have the money to expand the company when they move in 2006? It's sad.

I saw her on Thursday, and she was wonderful! There was a very long standing ovation. She is indeed a consummate actress--as soon as she steps on the stage, she commands your attention. She also has a marvellous voice. I hope she keeps performing (in Canada.) She mentioned in one article an interest in dancing in Europe.

[Paquita]

Well, in the new opera house they are going to need more dancers since there will be more performances. A dancer of Lamy's experience can be "replaced" by say, 4 corps de ballet members for the same price. The same argument was presented in some of the new articles regarding the Kim Glasco affair. It is certainly a flawed argument of course. Lamy was one of the few dancers left to have worked with Erik Bruhn and many of the company's influential choreographers. Her knowledge and artistry are invaluable. I haven't heard anything about her coaching at the NBoC or anything like that, which is a shame. If she is being forced to retire to make room for a generation of younger dancers, then she should at least be able to pass down her expertise IMO. It reminds me of Evelyn Hart's recent departure from the Royal Winnipeg.

[Alexandra]

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