Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, and Barry Hughson, Executive Director, have announced that the company will tour to Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France from October 12 to 15 2024. The Paris dates come on the heels of previously announced engagements at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.
The NBC will perform a program of all-Canadian works, both newly acquired and created specifically for the company, by choreographers Crystal Pite, James Kudelka and William Yong.
“I am delighted that The National Ballet of Canada will return to Paris this autumn for the first time since 2017. This exciting engagement will follow a Sadler’s Wells performance series in London with both programmes featuring all-Canadian choreographies. The repertoire will showcase the range and artistry of our dancers and celebrate the extraordinary talent in Canada,” said Muir in a statement.
The last time the National performed at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées was in 2017 with John Neumeier’s Nijinsky.
The Works
Angels’ Atlas (Crystal Pite)
The Dora Award-winning ballet Angels’ Atlas was created by Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite for the NBC in February 2020, and was highly regarded by audiences and critics. A wall of light that adds the illusion of depth plays an important role in a ballet about humanity’s impermanence.
Owen Belton supplies original music, along with choral pieces by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Morten Lauridsen.
Passion (James Kudelka)
Canadian choreographer James Kudelka created Passions for Houston Ballet in 2013. The ballet follows the music of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano in D, Op. 61A (first movement), and spotlights two couples (one described as classical, the other contemporary), who dance in and out of the Corps de Ballet. Their movements reflect complicated human relationships.
Kudelka said that he developed each of the two couples and the Corps de Ballet separately. “It was very important, almost necessary, that each group not know what each other group was doing, so that everyone felt they owned the floor.”
UtopiVerse (William Yong)
UtiopiVerse is Toronto-based choreographer William Yong’s first commission for The National Ballet of Canada, and the company premiered the work in Toronto in March 2024. It’s a ballet with futuristic outlines, showcasing Yong’s background as a multi-disciplinary artist. The dancers have to be versatile in this work by Yong, who has developed an international career as dancer, choreographer, and director.
The National Ballet of Canada’s tour to Paris is presented by Productions Internationales Albert Sarfati as part of the TranscenDanses series, in collaboration with the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
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