National Ballet of Canada 2022-2023 season

[California]

The National Ballet of Canada has announced their 2022-2023 season: https://national.ballet.ca/Tickets/Next-Season

 

 

[volcanohunter]

I'm not thrilled, but I guess this reflects Hope Muir's tastes.

I am curious about the game plan for for Symphony in C, because it’s a bit of a stretch for the company to put 40 women on stage. When the National Ballet first performed the ballet in the 1980s, there were joint performances with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. 

[Xiaoyi]

5 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

I'm not thrilled, but I guess this reflects Hope Muir's tastes.

I am curious about the game plan for for Symphony in C, because it’s a bit of a stretch for the company to put 40 women on stage. When the National Ballet first performed the ballet in the 1980s, there were joint performances with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. 

I take the two mixed-bill as reflection of Hope Muir's tastes.

The other four programmes are all planned by Karen Kain, for cancelled 2020-21 Season ( (MADDADDAM, Cincerella, Frame by Frame) or cut short 2019-20 Season (R&J).

[volcanohunter]

And I realize that if the company has already paid for licensing agreements, it doesn't want that money to go to waste, especially in the wake of a year and a half without box-office revenue. But given that I don't care for Kudelka's work, have no use for Côté's and detest Ratmansky's Romeo and Juliet, I can't get very excited about the season.

[Dégagé E.]

There are a number of regular contributors to this board who seem to confidently object to Muir’s programming yet have also previously objected to Kain’s programming. In fact, these same contributors also object to the presence of Kudelka (or Coté) in any programming.

It does cause one to ponder who they believe programmed well, if ever, at the NBOC. 

As someone admittedly new to the art of ballet going I must admit I find the next season a step forward. There is less of the pandering (Pinocchio) and less of the political obligation (Binet) and I think that is good thing. I do share the curiosity of how they would get Symphony in C onstage. 

[mom2]

I logged into my account today to learn that the price has gone up fairly significantly (just over 20%).  On the one hand I'm not surprised, but I do wish NBOC gave subscribers a bit of a heads up about these things.  They did something similar a number of years ago when they changed the "zone" (and hence the price point) of my seat.

I've been a subscriber for a long time and I really like the location of my seat, but I don't know if I want to pay $200 per performance...

[volcanohunter]

I know from experience that letting a subscription lapse can be a point of no return. I suppose it would depend on how invested you are in the season. Perhaps a reduced subscription? Seats in all areas tend to be available almost until the last minute, so I have little doubt that you could move your subscription to a less expensive part of the hall.

[Rosie2]

I was anticipating a price increase (after all everything else is) so built in the extra in my budget just i case.     As for the season - very happy to see MacMillan's Concerto back,  a brilliant work, and same with Balanchine's Symphony  in C.   Where the extra dancers will com from could be an interesting guessing game over the summer.   I prefer Cranko's R & J but Ratmansky still has some gorgeous choreography, unhappily  hidden by some unfortunate costumes in the corps.    Kudelka"s Cinderella  is one my favorites so no problem there but I'll miss Rodriguez in the role.   As for the rest, all unknown.    I've yet to be impressed by Cote but since I've not seen Frame By Frame I'll give it a chance.   I've watched some of Dawson's Anima Animus on YouTube and liked what I saw - looking forward to this one.    Never been a fan of McGregor but still intrigued  by collaboration with Atwood on  MaddAddam.      The rest is all unknown but who knows there may be some hidden gems there.    Wait and see.       I'm hoping by next year the company will have had the time required to get fully back in top conditioning after the two year break.  There was some mighty sloppy dancing in the last run of Sleeping Beauty, totally forgiven considering what they've been through.   A little nervous about how they will manage the upcoming Swan Lake.   Fingers crossed.    There should be an announcement soon about promotions and I'm betting there maybe some outside hires in the male principal rank.

 

Edited May 9, 2022 by Rosie2
spelling

[DPell]

National Ballet of Canada is going to be at The New York City Center March 30-April 1 2023. https://national.ballet.ca/Media-Room/News/2022-23/The-National-Ballet-of-Canada-Tours-to-New-York-Ci

[volcanohunter]

The National Ballet of Canada has posted detailed casting for Wayne McGregor's MADDADDAM, which is a co-production with the Royal Ballet. As I think is usual for McGregor, there are only two casts, and it will be a marathon for the first cast: 5 shows in the first four days, particularly demanding for Siphesihle November as Jimmy, but also for Harrison James, who is scheduled to dance Crake in all performances.

With only a few days to go before opening night, the program is far from sold out, and thus far the top ring has been opened only for the Saturday evening performance on November 26. For the final performances the top two rings are closed for now. Audiences have been informed that the show is unsuitable for children, which is probably putting a bit of a dent in ticket sales. And perhaps some are afraid of something resembling two and a half hours of Chroma, though in reality McGregor's full-length works aren't like that.

Jimmy
Siphesihle November (Nov 23, 24, 25, 26 eve, 30)
Spencer Hack (Nov 26 mat, 27, 29)

Oryx
Koto Ishihara (Nov 23, 24, 25, 26 eve, 30)
Svetlana Lunkina (Nov 26 mat, 27, 29)

Crake
Harrison James

Toby
Heather Ogden (Nov 23, 24, 25, 26 eve, 30)
Alexandra MacDonald (Nov 26 mat, 27, 29)

Ren
Tanya Howard (Nov 23, 24, 25, 26 eve, 30)
Tina Pereira (Nov 26 mat, 27, 29)

Amanda
Jenna Savella (Nov 23, 24, 25, 26 eve, 30)
Jordana Daumec (Nov 26 mat, 27, 29)

Blanco
Piotr Stanczyk (Nov 23, 24, 25, 26 eve, 30)
Donald Thom (Nov 26 mat, 27, 29)

and many others

Those who choose to sit in the back rows of the top ring on Saturday night are being warned that they will get a partial view, presumably because of the designs. If it's an issue in Toronto, I suspect it will be an issue in the upper amphitheatre of the Royal Opera House as well.

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by volcanohunter

[Xiaoyi]

17 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

Those who choose to sit in the back rows of the top ring on Saturday night are being warned that they will get a partial view, presumably because of the designs. If it's an issue in Toronto, I suspect it will be an issue in the upper amphitheatre of the Royal Opera House as well.

The last two rows of the top ring and the 6 seats closest to the stage of each floor are marked "Partial View" for all productions at Four Seasons Center. 

[Xiaoyi]

MADDADDAM Premiere:

I did not expect much of this new production so was not disappointed either.

The first act was the most miserable part with duets without chemistry between Oryx (Ishihara) and Jimmy (November). The second act was closest to McGregor's style (i.e. Chroma) with crisp and vibrant movement / music. The third act led to a hopeful ending with unimpressive corps and multiple short duets. 

There were some nice choreography bits here and there, like those danced by Adam One (Ben Rudisin), Mad Adam (Christopher Gerty) & Crake (Harrison James). 

I will go again for the second cast with Svetlana Lunkina. She will add some highlights but will not overturn my impression as there is no dominant role in the choreography. 

The set and costume design was cool but not overly distracting.

I overheard some seniors complain during the performance. However, it received a standing ovation as all other productions at the end. It was a daring move of National Ballet of Canada and will bring a lot of publicity however the review goes.

[Rosie2]

Margaret Atwood seems to approve - so I'll take that as a positive.    I don't see this till Sunday so will watch the reviews with interest.  I really don't like McGregor's work so was never eagerly waiting this production.   However I'm willing to sit there Sunday and see what happens on stage with an open mind.   Perhaps I'll find it "astounding" as Margaret Atwood just posted.

[volcanohunter]

I think the ballet's biggest liability is the music. It's frequently meandering, sometimes bordering on muzaky. The exception is the retro electronica in the middle section of the second act. (Between the orchestra and the recorded parts, it's very loud. I recommend earplugs. I know I pulled mine out of my bag in a hurry.) By the time it got to the futuristic, utopian third act, the music became very sappy. At one point the violins repeated a passage again and again, while the rest of the orchestra grew progressively louder, and I wanted to cry: enough already! Historically some composers perfected this technique to an art, but Max Richter is not among them, and a crescendo rossiniano or even John Adams this was not.

Do I think the ballet is a masterpiece? No. Would I venture out to see revivals of it every few seasons? Probably not.

P.S. The New Age-y music at the beginning of the second act is positively nauseating. 

Edited November 26, 2022 by volcanohunter

[Rosie2]

A good friend of mine was there this afternoon and his opinion - "Brilliant"    Well I'll see for myself tomorrow.   S

[volcanohunter]

I think the second cast is stronger. Spencer Hack (Jimmy) and Svetlana Lunkina (Oryx) always give layered performances that suggest complex personalities underneath. As Toby, Alexandra MacDonald is stylistically more McGregorian, but Heather Ogden in the first cast comes across as a real person. Without Harrison James, who is Crake in Every. Single. Performance., the run would collapse.

I think the videos and projections dwarf and overwhelm the dancers. I was happier sitting closer, where I could ignore the video show altogether and get a better view of the scenes that take place behind a front scrim.

The program includes no synopsis, and I have to admit I haven't read any Margaret Atwood since my Canadian literature course at university. Several excerpts from the novels are recorded--the program says by Tilda Swinton and Josh Davidson, presumably combined, digitally altered and made to sound like a corrupted recording of a child, not especially easy to understand. But why is this voice speaking Estuary English? Again, I haven't read the novels, and I don't know whether there are any geographical references, but I suppose I assumed the setting was Canadian or generally North American. (And the diction of children in Toronto is a lot clearer than the diction of children in London.)

On second viewing I think the work is quite weak. The first act is a little confusing on first viewing, and the slow motion opening, depicting the cataclysm of the Great Rearrangement, is hokey. The third act is treacly, especially the overly long and not particularly inventive puppet show depicting some sort of ancestor worship. I agree with Xiaoyi that Crake's second-act solo is a terrific piece of dancing by James.

Canadian critics basically never write bad things, and Canadian audiences always give standing ovations, but I have a feeling that London dance writers may savage it.

I also came away thinking that ballet lighting, meaning: obscure, may have to be reconsidered. Siphesihle November has dark skin, plus the basic Jimmy costume includes a black t-shirt, and the back of the stage is also black. The standard dark and murky lighting does him no favors. (In short, Hack is a lot easier to see.) Same goes for Harrison James' Crake, who is dressed entirely in black during the first act and the end of the second, meaning that only his head, hands and, fleetingly, his waist are visible. Maybe lighting designers have to consider that not all dancers are pasty white and sort of glow in the dark. Or if choreographers are married to dark and murky lighting, don't dress dancers in black!

Edited November 27, 2022 by volcanohunter

[mom2]

was at the performance today.  We saw 2nd cast.

My observations were that the dancers did well with the material they were given.  I do not think this work should have been created as a ballet.  (My opinion).  There was a great deal of disturbing content - which may and probably should have a place in the art world, however it is not my comfort zone - cannibalism for example is not something I look for on the ballet stage.  I did enjoy a lot of the choreography, and the music (the parts that the orchestra played, not the narration bits).  The narration did help one understand the narrative, however it was a child's voice narrating some pretty adult content.

volcanohunter:  my seat is quite close, and at times I couldn't make out all the text on the screen.  Wondered if I'd missed something.  I also hadn't read the Atwood books; but I don't think the theme is something I would gravitate towards...

I guess I'm an old lady, but this was nuts in my opinion. I almost want to see Nutcracker.

[volcanohunter]

The projected text in Act 2 identified the characters in the Extinctathon, plus the year being depicted. But these were not in chronological order, and if you aren't familiar with the role each character plays in the story, these names are meaningless anyway. Except perhaps for the killing of Jimmy's mother, which tells you he's an orphan.

MacGregor had already introduced Jimmy, Oryx and Crake. In typical fashion, the women are besieged and the men who look like Mad Max wannabes are their tormentors. Although it seems to me that Crake and Oryx are the really baddies for, you know, engineering the eradication of the human race.

After watching Maddaddam three times, I decided I'd be happier pretending I was watching three plotless works.

[Rosie2]

Well I can't offer an opinion as I missed my show yesterday.  Woke up with a raw throat and head congestion so, of course,  did the sensible thing and stayed home.   I had a long conversation with a friend who saw the Sat. night show and she had a  very positive opinion about the production.   She loved the score and went on at length about the composition etc. - she's a professional musician, I am not.  Most of it was way over my head.    So I'll have to wait until it's back in a year or two.   With the amount of money spent on the production and the generally positive reviews I expect it back, if not next season, then certainly the season after.   I have to check if they are doing an Ottawa run - if so I may catch some shows there.    Even though I'm not a fan of McGregor's work, I'm intrigued by this production as there are so many conflicting opinions and now I  just want to see it for myself.    

[Xiaoyi]

On 11/26/2022 at 7:36 PM, volcanohunter said:

I think the second cast is stronger. Spencer Hack (Jimmy) and Svetlana Lunkina (Oryx) always give layered performances that suggest complex personalities underneath.

I prefer the second cast too, mainly for Svetlana Lunkina's part. She was more vulnerable and attractive for Act 1, sophisticated for Act 2 and forgiving in Act 3. I feel Oryx's presence in choreography more significant with her dancing. The accentuation of main duets also made the structure clearer. The duet with Crake (Harrison James) in the Act 2 was sharp and edgy (similar to Chroma's style) and was my favorite part of the ballet. However, I still did not like choreography of duets in Act 1 although it was more beautifully presented.

Unfortunately, the second cast had weaker male dancers for Adam, Zeb & Blanco. Jack Bertinshaw and Jiang Peng-fei (Adam & Zeb) lacked sharpness needed for McGregor. Donald Thom (Blanco) did not portray the toxic masculinity as clearly as Piotr Stanczyk.

On 11/26/2022 at 7:36 PM, volcanohunter said:

I also came away thinking that ballet lighting, meaning: obscure, may have to be reconsidered. Siphesihle November has dark skin, plus the basic Jimmy costume includes a black t-shirt, and the back of the stage is also black. The standard dark and murky lighting does him no favors. (In short, Hack is a lot easier to see.) Same goes for Harrison James' Crake, who is dressed entirely in black during the first act and the end of the second, meaning that only his head, hands and, fleetingly, his waist are visible. Maybe lighting designers have to consider that not all dancers are pasty white and sort of glow in the dark. Or if choreographers are married to dark and murky lighting, don't dress dancers in black!

The lighting for Act 1 was dim and dancers looked smaller than other productions. I enjoyed the second viewing more thanks to a closer seat. I think this ballet was designed for frontal view rather than a bird view.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Xiaoyi

[Rosie2]

Oh wow - Evelyn Hart is dancing (acting?) the Stepmother and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella.  I checked my dates and will see her twice.   Emma Hawes is also guesting but I can't make any of her dates work for me with such short notice.  I would so loved to have seen her again...darn!   

[volcanohunter]

Early in this video Kevin O'Hare mentions that the Royal Ballet's new production of Frederick Ashton's Cinderella is a co-production with the National Ballet of Canada, which confirms that the current run of James Kudelka's version is its last.

 

[nysusan]

NBoC just announced casting for their NY City Center appearances and I am super bummed that none of the dancers I'd hoped to see are dancing (ie. Ogden, Cote and, of course, Lunkina). With the exception of the MacMillan the programing is not at all up my alley so I would never have bought tickets had I known I wouldn't get to see any of my favorites.

I guess I will just hope to enjoy it anyway, unlike the last NYCC Ballet program by PNB which I absolutely hated.

 

Casting here

[volcanohunter]

None of those dancers has been on stage during its home performances this month. The company's site still has Côté listed for Symphony in C, but so far he's been replaced in his scheduled performances.

Ogden and Lunkina share a role in Angels' Atlas, but Jenna Savella and Alexandra MacDonald are making debuts in New York in their stead.

[mom2]

Looking at the casting, I'd say you'll do well whichever performance you might choose.

Enjoy!

 

mom2