Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada has announced a 2023-24 season that blends new works and collaborations with its repertoire of beloved classics.
“Planning every new season is exhilarating and that is especially true this year, as I balance The National Ballet of Canada’s commitment to storytelling and the classical tradition with exciting new works and collaborations,” said Muir in a statement.
“For the 2023/24 season, I am thrilled to introduce five new choreographic voices to the company, two of them Canadian, as well as two new creations and four acquisitions. It’s an honour to offer this rich artistic experience to our audiences and our dancers, advancing the company’s creative growth and building relationships for the future.”
The new season opens in November 2023.
Emma Bovary (Helen Picket) World Premiere & Passion (James Kudelka) Canadian Premiere — November 11 – 18, 2023
Helen Pickett’s Emma Bovary explores the psychology of the titular character of Flaubert’s famous novel, with an original score by Peter Salem. The piece is paired with Kudelka’s Passion, acquired by the NBC for Principal Dancer Piotr Stanczyk to mark his retirement from a stellar 25-year career with the company.
Onegin (John Cranko) — November 22 – 26, 2023
Passionate characters and emotions are reflected in the dance in Onegin, considered one of Cranko’s masterpieces of ballet since its premiere in 1965. Based on Alexander Pushkin’s 19th century verse novel Eugene Onegin, it tells a tragic story of one-sided love.
The Nutcracker (James Kudelka) — December 8 – 30, 2023
Toronto’s holiday favourite returns in December 2023 with elaborate sets and costumes from Santo Loquasto and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Christopher Wheeldon) — March 6 – 17, 2024
Christopher Wheeldon’s entertaining Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland returns just in time for March Break 2024. The production, developed in 2011 as a co-production with The Royal Ballet in London, incorporates puppetry and video projections in a spectacular design.
New Work by William Yong incl World Premiere & Islands (Emma Portner) North American Premiere & Suite en Blanc (Serge Lifar) Canadian Premiere — March 20 – 24, 2024
Toronto choreographer William Yong’s eclectic works kick off the Winter Mixed Programme, including a world premiere in his first commission for the NBC. Also on the programme is Canadian choreographer Emma Portner’s islands, a duet for two women that premiered with Norwegian National Ballet in 2020. Closing the programme is Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc, a technically challenging work set to music excerpts composed by Édouard Lalo.
Don Quixote (Carlos Acosta) North American Premiere — June 1 – 9, 2024
Cuban-born Carlos Acosta is an acclaimed dancer, and Basilio, the young lover in Don Quixote, was one of his signature roles. As a choreographer, Acosta created his own Don Quixote after the style of French-Russian choreographer Marius Petipa, whose version of the windmill tilting knight was created for the Bolshoi in 1869. It was remounted for Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2022, where Acosta is now Artistic Director.
Jewels (George Balanchine) — June 15 – 22, 2024
George Balanchine’s ballet triptych closes the season. Its three parts, Emerald, Rubies, and Diamonds, evoke the magic of the precious stones, each set to different music (Gabriel Fauré for Emeralds, Igor Stravinsky for Rubies, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for Diamonds). The ballet will be presented in its entirety.
Tickets for the next season are on sale now here.
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