Past Events › Dance

George Balanchine’s Apollo is one of the signal moments in both the choreographer’s oeuvre and in the legacy of cultural modernism. The famous collaboration between Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky produced some of ballet’s most legendary works, and perhaps none was as groundbreaking nor realized their aims of a neo-classical art form, as this 1928 ballet. The work almost singlehandedly established a new aesthetic that brought the language of classical ballet into a modern context, merging the past with the future in a…

Few books of any kind are as unique and have left such an imprint on culture as Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Beneath its surface blend of fantasy, nonsense, outlandish characters and a vivid dreamworld—an irresistible blend, especially for children—the book has a subterranean reach extending into the realms of philosophy, language, psychology and even mathematics. This has always made it an attractive text for other creative artists and choreographers are no exception. The renowned British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon has…

An Exquisite Spectacle of Musical Genius & Tormented Soul The immortal music and agonized life of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky are cast in a bold new light through the eyes of Russian choreographer Boris Eifman. Returning for their fourth anticipated Toronto engagement, the dramatic intensity and exquisite artistry of Eifman Ballet invites viewers into the brilliant mind and tumultuous struggles of the unparalleled composer, Tchaikovsky. Hailed as “a swirling, vivid panorama of emotions and settings” (New York Times) this emotionally gripping production,…

However you choose to see William Forsythe—willful provocateur, poet of the anti-ballet, master of anarchic beauty—there is no doubt that he has extended the reach and possibility of modern dance as few other contemporary choreographers have done. The three works that compose this programme exemplify the extraordinary range and flavour of his work. The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude is a short, but fiercely demanding work created by the choreographer in 1996 for his Ballet Frankfurt company. Set to the final movement…

A frothy blend of whimsical comedy, romance and the delights of the Parisian Belle Époque in all its effervescent splendor, The Merry Widow is popular ballet at its finest. Based on the 1905 operetta of the same name by Franz Lehár, The Merry Widow sets out to entertain and amuse at every step and never puts a foot wrong. The story imagines a fictional Balkan principality, Pontevedro, which is on the brink of economic disaster. In an effort to prevent certain ruin, a…

Giselle is the quintessential Romantic ballet with a haunting story of love, betrayal, madness and remorse that has captivated audiences since its Paris premiere in 1841. Nearly 180 years later, the title role is still among the greatest in the classical repertoire, demanding exquisite technique and emotional range in equal measure. The National Ballet of Canada performs the widely celebrated staging by Sir Peter Wright after Marius Petipa. Casting Giselle Svetlana Lunkina (November 6 at 7:30 pm/November 9 at 2:00 pm) Elena…

Join us to celebrate our 15th anniversary season with the Toronto premiere of The 9th!, a 21st century perspective on Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. This bold, provocative work pays homage to the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, in a fitting tribute to the thrilling physicality of Beethoven’s iconic music. Roberto Campanella, the award-winning choreographer of the Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water & the company's Artistic Director, and four-time Dora Mavor Moore nominee Robert Glumbek explore social…

Artists have long been fascinated with the Greek myth of Orpheus, the gifted musician who rescues Eurydice from death only to lose her again in a moment of doubt. At its core, theirs is a story about love, trust and the redemptive potential of art. With Orpheus Alive, Choreographic Associate Robert Binet brings a fresh perspective to the myth, casting Orpheus as a woman, Eurydice as a man and the audience as gods of the underworld who decide their fate.

Etudes Set to piano exercises by Carl Czerny, Harald Lander’s Etudes turns the spotlight on ballet class as the foundation for brilliant performances. Over the course of one act, the dancers progress from simple barre exercises through increasingly challenging steps and variations to a thrilling finale. Created in 1948 for The Royal Danish Ballet, Etudes is Lander’s most popular work, a showstopping celebration of ballet technique. Piano Concerto #1 Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto #1 is the third part of his Shostakovich Trilogy, which pays tribute to…

Crystal Pite, the Olivier Award-winning choreographer of Emergence creates a brand new work for The National Ballet of Canada. Angels' Atlas, the highly anticipated world premiere comes as Pite gains international acclaim for riveting work that is both aesthetically inventive and deeply human. Often manipulating large groups of dancers, she is fascinated not only with pattern and space but also with the emotional register of the body and the stories that it holds.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season. The production is true to the colour and character of 16th century Verona and jampacked with dancing – fast footwork, expressive pas de deux and gorgeous ensemble pieces blending classical and folkdance elements. Romeo and Juliet is pure Ratmansky, a thoughtful and visually striking revival of one of ballet’s great narrative works.

Toronto Premiere Guillaume Côté, Principal Dancer and Choreographic Associate at The National Ballet of Canada, is one of the most electrifying and in-demand dancers of his generation. Côté is also an incisive multidisciplinary artist, celebrated for his choreographic talent displayed in the riveting and complex creations, Frame By Frame and Le Petit Prince.Featuring the music of Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson and infused with theatre and technology, Côté’s latest cutting-edge contemporary dance creation is a ground-breaking work that explores forced displacement and the human…

Set to Tchaikovsky’s glittering score, Swan Lake is the epitome of classical ballet, beloved the world over for its lyricism, musicality and masterful choreography, and for a love story that is both symbolic and intimate. Artistic Director Karen Kain gives renewed emphasis to the romance of Swan Lake – to Prince Siegfried and his beloved Odette – in a brand new staging, choreographed after Erik Bruhn’s landmark version in celebration of her 50th Anniversary with The National Ballet of Canada.

Angels’ Atlas Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite created Angels’ Atlas for The National Ballet of Canada in March 2020 to rapturous reviews. The ballet unfolds against a morphing wall of light that carries the illusion of depth and a sense of the natural world. Here, the dancing body becomes a sign of humanity’s impermanence and – equally – its vitality within a vast, unknowable world. Set to original music by Owen Belton and choral pieces by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Morten Lauridsen, Angels’ Atlas is a…

Tennessee Williams received the Pulitzer Prize in 1948 for his gritty Broadway play, A Streetcar Named Desire. Richly characterized and simmering with violence, the story follows the demise of Blanche DuBois, a southern belle transplanted in a hostile, impoverished landscape she cannot accept. John Neumeier, the brilliant Director and Chief Choreographer of The Hamburg Ballet, created a striking adaptation of Streetcar for ballet in 1983, forgoing chronology to delve deep inside the mind of the play’s tortured heroine.

Elite Syncopations Overview Sir Kenneth MacMillan created Elite Syncopations for The Royal Ballet in 1974 during his tenure there as Artistic Director. The score features ragtime favourites by Scott Joplin and other composers of the era, played onstage by musicians participating in the dancehall scene. The choreography is flirtatious with an air of spontaneity and carries the influence of social dances of the 1920s. Skyward by Alysa Pires Overview Skyward is an uplifting new work from Choreographic Associate Alysa Pires, her first main…

Rudolf Nureyev put The National Ballet of Canada on the map when he staged his own version of The Sleeping Beauty for the company in 1972. Showy and opulent, it set off an unprecedented period of international touring and acclaim for the young company and its dancers and it remains a jewel in the National Ballet repertoire today. Full of dazzling variations and set to Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score, The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet lover’s dream

Set to Tchaikovsky’s glittering score, Swan Lake is the epitome of classical ballet, beloved the world over for its lyricism, musicality and brilliant choreography and for a love story that is both symbolic and intimate. Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain gives renewed emphasis to the emotion and humanity of Swan Lake in a new staging inspired by Erik Bruhn’s landmark version but in her own bold vision. A gesture of love to a company and artform that has been her home for over 50…

Based on the beloved Canadian novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables – The Ballet™ follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, an orphan girl sent to live on a farm in the fictional town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island.

The National Ballet of Canada is proud to present its first acquisition from Alonzo King, the visionary Founder, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco.

Wayne McGregor, the multi-award-winning choreographer of Chroma and Genus, has joined forces with one of the world’s greatest living writers, Margaret Atwood, to create a thrilling new ballet triptych for The National Ballet of Canada.

British choreographer David Dawson created Anima Animus for San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound Festival of new work in 2018. An instant success, it has since toured throughout the US and to the UK.

James Kudelka’s Cinderella balances tradition with modernity in a unique rendering of the story that discards the rags-to-riches scenario to put Cinderella on equal footing with Prince Charming, both confined by their respective circumstances and in search of a simpler life.

Featuring Miha Matevzic, Raoul Wilke, and Sarah Tumaliuan, DanceWorks Education presents a performance highlighting the connections between vernacular jazz, hip hop, and house dance. Audience members are invited to join in this interactive experience at the COC.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Under the direction of Robert Lepage, the legendary Québécois playwright, actor, film and stage director, Frame by Frame pays homage to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, whose pioneering advancements in animation led to a prolific career with the National Film Board of Canada and influenced filmmakers worldwide.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

Alexei Ratmansky created his stunning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season.

The Elora Festival and The Elora Singers are thanking the community for their support, by throwing our first ever Barn Dance!

Award-winning dance company PointeTango and acclaimed ensemble Payadora light the way through the shadows of Buenos Aires.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

The world premiere of Emma Bovary marks an exciting first partnership between The National Ballet of Canada and award-winning choreographer, director and dancer, Helen Pickett.

John Cranko’s extraordinary Onegin is a ballet which the very best artists of our age aspire to perform.

John Cranko’s extraordinary Onegin is a ballet which the very best artists of our age aspire to perform.