Cinderella - The National Ballet of Canada

Performance
The National Ballet of Canada
Cinderella
Summer 2014
Sonia Rodriguez.
Photo by Christopher Wahi.
Contents
4 Cinderella: From Ashton to Kudelka
A Fairy Tale Reflects its Time
8 The National Ballet of Canada
Takes Manhattan with
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
centre Today’s Performance
12 Dancer Biographies
Second Soloist
Chelsy Meiss.
Photo by Sian RIchards.
Performance
The National Ballet of Canada
Winter 2014
National Ballet Editors: Julia Drake and Belinda Bale
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Cinderella
From Ashton to Kudelka
A Fairy Tale
Reflects its Time
by John Reardon
Page 4
national.ballet.ca
C
hildhood’s eternal parable about deliverance from the
shackles of familial injustice and beauty and goodness rising
from the ashes, Cinderella has enthralled its readers and worked
its way under the skin of our culture in a way few fairy tales have.
Like all the most potent of childhood fables, it works on us both
consciously and unconsciously, allowing us to rationally sort out
and process its fantastic and realistic elements, absorbing and
appreciating its twin appeal of satire and romance, but touching
as well the hidden terrain of our pre-theoretical selves.
That most of us encounter the story as children is what gives
it its longevity and makes it a lifelong touchstone. Even when
appropriated and heavily distorted by, say, the commercial film
industry or re-interpreted in a variety of other media, once it has
entered the lexicon of our earliest cultural references, it stays
with us as an enduring narrative of hope and the possibility of a
better condition of life.
It is no wonder, then, with that universal sense of yearning at
its heart (and with its inescapable intimations of revenge, too)
that versions of the Cinderella story can be found in many cultures around the world or that so many artists in different mediums have been drawn to it as a subject. In ballet, the Charles
Perrault fairy tale has had a rich and long history of interpretation, dating back to 1813. Landmark versions have included an
1893 adaptation staged by the Mariinsky Theatre, featuring
choreography by Ivanov and Petipa to music by Boris FitihofSchell, and a Michel Fokine staging of the story for the original
Ballets Russes in 1938.
But with Sergei Prokofiev’s score for the story, commissioned
by the Kirov Ballet in 1940 and completed in 1944, Cinderella
(left) Sonia Rodriguez.
Photo by Christopher Wahl.
(above) Guillaume Côté.
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Page 5
Lorna Geddes.
Photo by
Aleksandar Antonijevic.
Page 6
achieved an entirely new level of success and popularity.
Composed in the Soviet Union amid the calamity and desperation
of the Second World War, the ballet, first staged at the Bolshoi
Theatre in 1945, became a Politburo-pleasing parable not just
of Russia’s victory in the conflict, but also of the purity and
nobility of spirit of the Russian people and Soviet ideology.
Transplanted to England in 1948, Prokofiev’s Cinderella
would find fertile soil at Sadler’s Wells Ballet. Although not the
first English attempt at a dance version of the story (a one act
adaptation, choreographed by Andrée Howard to music by
Carl Maria von Weber, had been staged for Ballet Rambert
in London in 1935) it would be Sir Frederick Ashton’s first
full-length work and would come to be seen as a landmark
work in British ballet. Freed from its original political context,
Ashton’s Cinderella introduced more broadly comic elements,
particularly in the form of pantomime-inspired en travesti roles
for the stepsisters, eliminated the third-act divertissement
section entirely and presented to its war-weary audience
a timely and resonant story of a beleaguered populace
emerging from years of austerity to embrace a richer future.
But Ashton’s version of the ballet wasn’t a purely localized
achievement. With minor variations it found homes in companies
around the world and became the standard conception for
the ballet in the west for the next several decades, including
the one staged and re-choreographed by Celia Franca for the
National Ballet in 1968. Ben Stevenson’s 1970 version for
National Ballet of Washington and a less conventional adaptation
by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Peter Anastos for American Ballet
Theatre in 1983 are among the many other attempts to
engage with the score and story over the years.
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Few choreographers in the west, however, have challenged
the dominance of the Ashton aesthetic with the panache and
vigour of James Kudelka in his witty, imaginative and affecting
re-imagining of the ballet, created for The National Ballet
of Canada in 2004. Kudelka has made key alterations in his
approach. In addition to jettisoning the dated and hackneyed
drag element, Kudelka also restores the third-act divertissement
section, which features the Prince travelling throughout the world
hoping to find the woman whose foot will fit the glass slipper.
But Kudelka uses the divertissement not, as it might
traditionally be employed, simply as a bit of exotic entertainment.
While never shying away from the pleasures of pure dancing
that it affords, he makes the Prince’s journey through the world
function as a form of sentimental education, opening his eyes
to circumstances and people his sheltered life has kept from him.
Giving the Prince this crucial piece of character development
prepares the ground for another of the ballet’s important
changes. Rather than have the story pivot on the conventional
rags-to-riches theme, with its implicit endorsement of – among
other things – an awkward and outmoded gender dynamic,
the Prince and Cinderella meet in the end as equals, each
having escaped the prisons of their respective circumstances
to find a new way of life together.
The impact of Kudelka’s revisions is to give the story a more
convincing dramatic logic and to allow it to speak more genuinely
to a contemporary audience. While sacrificing nothing of the
ballet’s inherent comedy or romance, the National Ballet’s version
reconceptualizes both of these elements by heightening the
emphasis on character growth and the opposition of an innocent
natural world to a fallen and debauched civilization. Re-invigorated
at both these levels, and supported magnificently by David
Boechler’s luminous art-deco designs, Kudelka’s Cinderella
returns the story – and the ballet – to its origins: a work of lavish
and generous entertainment that makes you think. (left) Rebekah Rimsay
and Tanya Howard.
Photo by
Aleksandar Antonijevic.
(above) Sonia Rodriguez
and Artists of the Ballet.
Photo by
Cylla von Tiedemann.
Page 7
From a Bear to the Sugar Plum Fairy
The National Ballet of Canada
Takes Manhattan
with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
by Caroline Dickie
Co-Presenting Sponsors
Page 8
L
incoln Center is one of the most recognizable arts venues
in the world, with its iconic reflecting pool, fountain and plaza
set between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues in the heart
of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. First opened in the 1960s,
the complex recently underwent a $1.2 billion renovation to
expand and modernize its facilities. Today the Center lives up
to its reputation as the “world’s largest cultural complex” by
serving an astonishing 11 resident organizations, among them
The Julliard School, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City
Ballet, New York Philharmonic, New York Library for the
Performing Arts and School of American Ballet. Lincoln Center
is also a leading presenter of the best arts programming from
around the world – including, this September, performances
of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by The National Ballet
of Canada.
The production that first brought the National Ballet to
Lincoln Center over 40 years ago was Rudolph Nureyev’s The
Sleeping Beauty, which, like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,
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captured the world’s attention with is glorious sets and
choreography, setting-off an historic period of international
touring. Artistic Director Karen Kain danced with Nureyev in
that all-important performance at the Metropolitan Opera
House in 1973, and she is the first to acknowledge the
invaluable opportunities for artistic development that touring
affords. She has made it her mission to generate similar
experiences for the company today, strategically expanding
the repertoire with the work of leading choreographers like
Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky. Increasingly,
these are the ballets that the world wants to see. In the past
five years alone, the National Ballet has received touring offers
from prestigious venues in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C.,
London, England and now New York City.
Together with The Joyce Theater Foundation and
co-presenting sponsors Thomson Reuters and TD Bank
Group, the National Ballet will present seven performances
of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at Lincoln Center this fall.
A co-production with The Royal Ballet, the ballet has been
a triumph artistically and at the box-office. Every performance
at the North American premiere in 2011 was sold-out. With
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Mr. Wheeldon sealed his
reputation as one of very few choreographers today who can
stage new, full-length story ballets with such a high degree
of success. The ballet enlivens Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories
with deft choreography, a new score by Joby Talbot (performed
by a 64-piece orchestra), and awe-inducing sets and costumes
by Bob Crowley, to irresistible effect. “Alice’s Adventures in
(opposite page)
Greta Hodgkinson.
Photo by Christopher Wahl.
(below)
Jillian Vanstone and
Aleksandar Antonijevic.
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Page 9
Tanya Howard.
Photo by Bruce Zinger.
You can help
get us there
national.ballet.ca/
newyork
Wonderland is a big, exuberant, highly theatrical ballet full of
brilliant dance and phenomenal stage craft,” confirms Karen
Kain. “I think New Yorkers will love it.”
A ballet of this size and scope requires considerable talent
onstage and off, particularly as the company prepares to
transport the production in its entirety from Toronto to Manhattan.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland involves 112 dancers, artistic
staff and crew members, and requires nine trucks to transport
the 32 crates of set pieces, props, lighting, footwear, 193
costumes and 534 pointe shoes to Lincoln Center. There are
also shoes to be dyed and hotels to book, among many other
considerations. The National Ballet has launched a special
fundraising campaign to help cover the costs of touring to
New York by inviting donors to sponsor everything from dancer
airfares to baggage fees and ground transportation.
On arrival, the National Ballet will have the distinction of
performing in the David H. Koch Theater, formerly The New
York State Theater or, as it is commonly known, “the house
that Balanchine built” for its long association with New York
City Ballet. Renovated and renamed in 2008 for its benefactor,
the philanthropist David H. Koch, the theatre not only hosts the
best ballet companies in the world, but is also home to several
pieces in Lincoln Center’s extensive collection of modern art.
Visitors can expect to find works by Jasper Johns, Lee Bontecou
and Reuben Nakian in addition to the stunning performances
onstage. It would be difficult to imagine a more fitting venue
for Alice’s Adventures of Wonderland, which is itself a work of
high style and visual appeal, and an important contribution to
the cultural landscape that Lincoln Center strives to present. Page 10
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Dancer Biographies
Aleksandar Antonijevic
Svetlana Lunkina
Sonia Rodriguez
Principal Dancer
Born: Pozarevac, Yugoslavia
Trained: National Ballet
School (Yugoslavia)
Joined National Ballet: 1991
Promoted to Principal
Dancer: 1995
Principal Guest Artist
Born: Moscow, Russia
Trained: Moscow
Choreographic Academy
Joined Bolshoi Ballet: 1997
Principal Dancer: 2005 –
2012
Principal Dancer
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Trained: Princess Grace
Academy (Monaco)
Joined National Ballet: 1990
Promoted to Principal
Dancer: 2000
Guillaume Côté
Evan McKie
Piotr Stanczyk
Principal Dancer
Born: Lac-Saint-Jean, Québec
Trained: Canada’s National
Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 1999
Promoted to Principal
Dancer: 2004
Principal Guest Artist
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Trained: Canada's National
Ballet School, Kirov Academy
and John Cranko School
Ballet
Principal Dancer with
Stuttgart Ballet
Principal Dancer
Born: Poznan, Poland
Trained: State Ballet School
(Poland), Canada’s National
Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 1998
Promoted to Principal
Dancer: 2008
Sponsored by Emmanuelle Gattuso
and Allan Slaight
Sponsored by The Frank Gerstein
Charitable Foundation
Greta Hodgkinson
Heather Ogden
Jillian Vanstone
Principal Dancer
Born: Providence,
Rhode Island
Trained: Canada’s National
Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 1990
Promoted to Principal
Dancer: 1996
Principal Dancer
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Trained: The Richmond
Academy of Dance
Joined National Ballet: 1998
Promoted to Principal
Dancer: 2005
Principal Dancer
Born: Nanaimo, British
Columbia
Trained: Kirkwood Academy
(Nanaimo), Canada’s National
Ballet School
Joined National Ballet: 1999
Promoted to Principal
Dancer: 2011
Sponsored by Ira Gluskin &
Maxine Granovsky Gluskin
Page 12
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Ballet Notes
Cinderella
June 4 – 15, 2014
Sonia Rodriguez.
Photo by Christopher Wahl.
Orchestra
Celia Franca, C.C., Founder
George Crum, Music Director Emeritus
Karen Kain, C.C.
Barry Hughson
Artistic Director
Executive Director
David Briskin
Rex Harrington, O.C.
Music Director and
Principal Conductor
Artist-in-Residence
Magdalena Popa
Lindsay Fischer
Principal Artistic Coach Artistic Director,
YOU dance / Ballet Master
Peter Ottmann
Senior Ballet Master
Mandy-Jayne
Richardson
Senior Ballet Mistress
Aleksandar Antonijevic, Guillaume Côté,
Matthew Golding+, Greta Hodgkinson, Evan McKie*,
Svetlana Lunkina*, Heather Ogden, Sonia Rodriguez,
Piotr Stanczyk, Jillian Vanstone, Xiao Nan Yu
Kevin D. Bowles, Lorna Geddes,
Alejandra Perez-Gomez, Rebekah Rimsay,
Tomas Schramek, Hazaros Surmeyan
Naoya Ebe, Keiichi Hirano, Tanya Howard,
Stephanie Hutchison, Etienne Lavigne,
Patrick Lavoie, Elena Lobsanova, McGee Maddox,
Stacey Shiori Minagawa, Tina Pereira,
Jonathan Renna, Robert Stephen
Skylar Campbell, Jordana Daumec,
Alexandra MacDonald, Chelsy Meiss,
Tiffany Mosher, Jenna Savella, Brendan Saye,
Christopher Stalzer, Dylan Tedaldi
James Applewhite, Jack Bertinshaw, Trygve Cumpston,
Shaila D’Onofrio, Krista Dowson, Nadine Drouin, Jackson Dwyer,
Hannah Fischer, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Giorgio Galli,
Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Emma Hawes, Juri Hiraoka,
Ji Min Hong, Kathryn Hosier, Rui Huang, Harrison James,
Lise-Marie Jourdain, Larissa Khotchenkova, Miyoko Koyasu,
James Leja, Elizabeth Marrable, Shino Mori, Jaclyn Oakley,
Andreea Olteanu, Asiel Rivero, Joseph Steinauer, Nan Wang,
Aarik Wells, Sarah Elena Wolff
RBC Apprentice Programme / YOU dance:
Rhiannon Fairless, Liana Macera, Elenora Morris, Felix Paquet,
Meghan Pugh, Ben Rudisin, Kota Sato. Martin ten Kortenaar,
Mimi Tompkins, Ethan Watts
Robert Binet
Guillaume Côté
Lorna Geddes
Choeographic Associates
Ernest Abugov
Jeff Morris
Pointe Shoe Manager /
Assistant Ballet Mistress
Joysanne Sidimus
Stage Managers
Guest Balanchine
Répétiteur
Tiffany Fraser
Peter Sherk
Assistant Stage Manager Stage Manager, YOU dance
* Principal Guest Artist
+ Guest Artist
Maternity leave
Page 2
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Violin 1
Jeremy Mastrangelo, Guest
Concertmaster
Lynn Kuo, Assistant
Concertmaster
Anne Armstrong+
James Aylesworth
Jennie Baccante
Sheldon Grabke*
Nancy Kershaw
Sonia Klimasko-Leheniuk
Yakov Lerner
Jayne Maddison
Aya Miyagawa
Wendy Rogers
Paul Zevenhuizen
Violin 2
Dominique Laplante,
Principal Second Violin
Aaron Schwebel, Assistant
Principal
Bethany Bergman+
Xiao Grabke
Hiroko Kagawa+
Csaba Koczó
Ron Mah
Filip Tomov
Sonia Vizante+
Joanna Zabrowarna
Violas
Angela Rudden, Principal
Josh Greenlaw
Assistant Principal
Valerie Kuinka
Johann Lotter
Rory McLeod+
Beverley Spotton
Larry Toman
Cellos
Maurizio Baccante,
Principal
Marianne Pack
Peter Cosbey+
Olga Laktionova
Elaine Thompson
Andrew McIntosh
Paul Widner
Clarinets
Max Christie, Principal
Colleen Cook+
Gary Kidd*, Bass Clarinet
Emily Marlow*
Mara Plotkin+
Bassoons
Stephen Mosher, Principal
Jerry Robinson*
Elizabeth Gowen,
Contra-Bassoon
Horns
Gary Pattison, Principal
Vincent Barbee*
Derek Conrod
Diane Doig+
Christine Passmore+
Scott Wevers
Trumpets
Richard Sandals, Principal
Brendan Cassin+
Mark Dharmaratnam
Robert Weymouth*
Trombones
David Archer, Principal
Robert Ferguson
Dave Pell, Bass Trombone
Tuba
Sasha Johnson, Principal
Harp
Lucie Parent, Principal
Tympani
Michael Perry, Principal
Percussion
Tim Francom, Principal
Kristofer Maddigan
Mark Mazur
Piano/Celeste
Edward Connell
Andrei Streliaev
Orchestra Personnel
Manager and Music
Administrator
Raymond Tizzard
Basses
Hans. J.F. Preuss, Principal
Tom Hazlitt+
Paul Langley
Robert Speer
Cary Takagaki*
Librarian
Lucie Parent
Flutes
Leslie J. Allt, Principal
Shelley Brown, Piccolo
Maria Pelletier
* On Leave of Absence
+
Additional Musician
Oboes
Mark Rogers, Principal
Karen Rotenberg
Lesley Young, English Horn
Assistant to the Music
Director
Jean Verch
Wednesday, June 4 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, June 5 at 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Friday, June 6 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, June 7 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 8 at 2:00 pm
Friday, June 13 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, June 14 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 15 at 2:00 pm
Conductors: David Briskin, Music Director and Principal Conductor
(June 4, 5 mat, 6, 7 mat, 8, 14)
Martin West, Guest Conductor (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
Cinderella
Choreography: James Kudelka, O.C.
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Set and Costume Design: David Boechler
Lighting Design: Christopher Dennis
Répétiteurs: Mandy-Jayne Richardson, Magdalena Popa, Peter Ottmann, Lindsay Fischer
and Rex Harrington
Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, May 8, 2004, Toronto
Cinderella is a gift from The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada.
For Celia, with my deepest gratitude. JK
Sonia Rodriguez.
Photo by Bruce Zinger.
Page 3
The Cast
Cinderella
Sonia Rodriguez (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Jillian Vanstone* (June 5 mat, 7 mat, 14 mat)
Xiao Nan Yu (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
Her Prince Charming
Guillaume Côté (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Naoya Ebe* (June 5 mat, 7 mat, 14 mat)
McGee Maddox (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
Another Hired Escort
Piotr Stanczyk or Keiichi Hirano or
Patrick Lavoie
Fairy Godmother
Lorna Geddes
The Garden
Blossom
Stacey Shiori Minagawa (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Shino Mori (June 5 mat, 7 mat, 14 mat)
Jordana Daumec (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
Act I
The Kitchen
Groom, Justice of the Peace, Father of the
Bride, Ring Bearer, Bridesmaids
Artists of the Ballet
Her Stepmother
Alejandra Perez-Gomez* (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Rebekah Rimsay (June 5, 7, 13, 14 mat, 15)
Her Stepsister
Tanya Howard (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Stephanie Hutchison (June 5 mat, 7 mat,
14 mat)
Krista Dowson (June 5 eve, 7 eve)
Alejandra Perez-Gomez* (June 13, 15)
Her Other Stepsister
Rebekah Rimsay (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Tiffany Mosher (June 5 mat, 7 mat, 14 mat)
Shaila D’Onofrio* (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
A Jeweler
Trygve Cumpston or Jackson Dwyer
Petal
Elena Lobsanova (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Chelsy Meiss (June 5 mat, 7 mat, 14 mat)
Hannah Fischer * (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
Moss
Tina Pereira (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Jordana Daumec (June 5 mat, 7 mat, 14 mat)
Jenna Savella (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
Twig
Sarah Elena Wolff (June 4, 6, 8, 14 eve)
Tanya Howard (June 5 mat, 7 mat, 14 mat)
Kathryn Hosier * (June 5 eve, 7 eve, 13, 15)
Garden Creatures
Artists of the Ballet
Pumpkins
Artists of the Ballet
INTERMISSION
A Dressmaker
Keiichi Hirano or James Leja
His Assistant
Tomas Schramek
A Makeup Artist
Shaila D’Onofrio or Elizabeth Marrable
A Dancing Instructor
Francesco Gabriele Frola or Giorgio Galli
A Hired Escort
Etienne Lavigne or Jonathan Renna or
James Leja
Act II
The Ball
A Photo Journalist
Kevin D. Bowles
Four Officers
Nan Wang, Giorgio Galli, Trygve Cumpston,
Keiichi Hirano or Dylan Tedaldi,
Skylar Campbell, Robert Stephen,
Francesco Gabriele Frola
Bachelors and Ladies
Artists of the Ballet
INTERMISSION
Page 4
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Act III
The Search
A Shoe Salesman
Tomas Schramek
The Shoemakers
Jonathan Renna or Jack Bertinshaw,
James Leja or Christopher Stalzer,
Robert Stephen or Joseph Steinauer
A Customer
Tiffany Mosher or Jenna Savella or
Andreea Olteanu
Ladies With (or Without) Shoes
Artists of the Ballet
The Wedding
Justice of the Peace and Wedding Guests
Artists of the Ballet
*Debuts
All casting is subject to change.
Running Time
ACT I
Intermission
ACT II
Intermission
ACT III
34 minutes
20 minutes
37 minutes
20 minutes
32 minutes
The performance will run approximately
2 hours.
Synopsis
Act I
Not so very long ago, in a suburb of a rich
and fashionable capital city, a young orphaned
woman called Cinderella lived with her
stepmother and two ambitious stepsisters.
Cinderella tried to keep house for this small
family but no matter how hard she worked,
her stepsisters flew through the house like
whirlwinds and turned any order she might
create into chaos. Whenever she had a chance
to rest, which was not very often, Cinderella
would sit and dream by the hearth or go into
her kitchen garden, for she always felt happiest
amongst the vegetables and herbs.
One day, the Prince’s advisors decided
to have a ball for all the well-born, well-to-do
young people of the land so the Prince could
choose a bride. Cinderella’s stepsisters were
accomplished social climbers and somehow
they managed to wrangle invitations for themselves. Because they wanted to present
themselves in the most glamorous and
fashionable light, they hired the most expensive
and well-trained dressmakers, makeup artists
and escorts from the very best agency in the
city – the best agency they could afford.
Once the Stepsisters were on their way
and Cinderella had settled in at the hearth,
something very magical indeed happened
(unless, of course, Cinderella was only dreaming).
Her Fairy Godmother appeared and summoned
the creatures of the garden – Blossom,
Petal, Moss and Twig – as well as the moths,
butterflies and other insects who so
mysteriously transform themselves from one
shape to another as the seasons change.
Each creature brought something for
Cinderella to wear to the ball but her Fairy
Godmother warned Cinderella to return home
by midnight lest something dreadful happen
to her. It’s not safe in palaces late at night.
Page 5
Act II
In the palace, the Prince was very uncomfortable.
He was depressed by the chic young women
vying for his attention, seeking fame and riches.
He felt like a complete outsider even at his
own party. All the Prince really wanted was
a quiet life with a woman he could love deeply
and he saw no such person until Cinderella
and her attendants arrived. The Prince and
Cinderella instantly fell in love but all too soon
it was midnight.
As the clock struck 12 the courtiers
underwent a horrible transformation into
Pumpkinheads, attacking the terrified
Cinderella. In her desperate attempts to
escape, Cinderella lost all of her finery except
one of her beautiful new slippers. The other
slipper was all that the Prince could find
to remind him of the woman he had come
to love so suddenly.
Act III
The Prince and his aides searched all around
the world to find the woman who had lost that
slipper. They found countries where women
wore wooden shoes, boots with blades for
gliding on the ice, long thin wooden slats for
sliding over snow, riding boots and every kind
of footwear you can imagine, but never did
they find a woman who could wear the slipper
that the Prince’s ideal woman had lost.
Meanwhile, Cinderella was back home in
the suburbs where the kitchen itself had been
miraculously transformed into a place of order
and her stepsisters didn’t seem to be such a
nuisance anymore. But all she had to remind
her of the ball was that slipper. She couldn’t
bear to take it off but, not wanting to draw
attention to it, she covered it up with a sock.
Finally it occurred to one of the Prince’s
aides to check out the suburbs of the capital
city just in case they’d missed anyone. And
there, in his own back yard, and quite literally
in Cinderella’s own back garden, the Prince
and Cinderella found each other again. They
had a fairly fashionable afternoon wedding –
even Princes can’t completely ignore the
conventions – but then, instead of a lavish
honeymoon abroad, the Prince and Cinderella
did what each of them would love best for
the rest of their lives, they retired quietly to the
garden where they would always find peace
and love in making their garden grow.
– Penelope Reed Doob
Sonia Rodriguez.
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Page 6
national.ballet.ca
Cinderella
Ten Years
of Magic
T
he National Ballet of Canada’s highly
acclaimed production of Cinderella
celebrates 10 years of magic this year.
Choreographed by James Kudelka in 2004
with spectacular Art Deco designs by David
Boechler, Cinderella has been hailed “a
masterpiece... the finest Cinderella in the
world, bar none” (The Globe and Mail).
Principal Dancer Sonia Rodriguez created
the role of Cinderella in 2004 and to this day
it remains one of her favourites. She tells us
more about this special ballet:
Sonia Rodriguez.
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
What is different about James Kudelka’s
version of the famous story of Cinderella?
SR: This is not your average fairy tale. There
is so much depth to all of the characters and
their problems and complicated relationships
are in no way sugar-coated. It is not about
the Prince elevating Cinderella to glory, as in
traditional versions. In a way she elevates him.
Describe Cinderella’s character
SR: Cinderella is the one constant in the ballet.
She is a feisty young woman who stands up
for her ideals and refuses to be a product
of her environment. She dreams of a better
future where love and understanding prevail.
Tell us about the symbolic importance
to Cinderella’s pointe shoes.
SR: There is the obvious symbolism of the
rags to riches element of the story. Being
barefoot in the first act represents the huge
gap between her world and that of the Prince.
It also defines – someone who is down to earth
and not impressed by fame or materialistic
Guillaume Côté and Sonia Rodriguez.
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
things. She receives her pointe shoes from
her Fairy Godmother while getting ready
for the ball and in a way they are the bridge
between the two worlds, as it is the only item
that remains after the clock strikes 12.
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Cinderella has an unforgettable entrance
to the ball. Describe it for us.
SR: Cinderella’s entrance to the ball is truly
breathtaking. I get to ride in an oversized
pumpkin that floats down to the stage as
fairies guide it with silk ribbons. It gently lands
in the middle of the ball.
Do you have a favourite moment
in the ballet?
SR: Hearing the audience gasp as I make
my entrance to the ball truly makes me feel
like Cinderella.
Cinderella and the National Ballet
1968 – National Ballet Founding Artistic Director
Celia Franca premiered her version of Cinderella
with designs by Jürgen Rose. The same year,
Director Norman Campbell produced a television
version for the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation, earning an Emmy Award.
1973 - Sadly, the costumes for Ms. Franca’s
Cinderella were destroyed by a fire in the
wardrobe department.
1995 – The National Ballet presented the
company premiere of Ben Stevenson’s
Cinderella using sets and costumes borrowed
from Houston Ballet. This production, with
designs by David Walker, was well received
by Toronto audiences and demonstrated
a renewed interest in this timeless tale.
Norman Campbell and
Celia Franca examining
Cinderella set model
for the CBC television
production (1968).
Veronica Tennant
and Jeremy Blanton
in Cinderella (1969).
Photo by Ken Bell.
(below)
Sonia Rodriguez and
Artists of the Ballet (2004).
Photo by
Cylla von Tiedemann.
2004 – The National Ballet premiered a new
production of Cinderella by then Artistic Director
James Kudelka featuring stunning sets and
costumes by Canadian designer David Boechler.
A wonderful showcase for the talents of dancers,
this production was rapturous received by
audiences and critics alike.
2014 – The National Ballet celebrates the
10th anniversary of James Kudelka’s Cinderella.
For more information and video of this production visit national.ballet.ca
Page 8
national.ballet.ca
Selected Biographies
Karen Kain, C.C., LL.D,
D. Litt., O.Ont.
Artistic Director
Long recognized as one of the
most gifted classical dancers
of her era, noted for her
compelling characterizations
and versatility as a performer,
Artistic Director Karen Kain
is one of Canada’s most
renowned and committed
advocates for the arts. Born
in Hamilton, Ontario, Ms. Kain
received her training at
Canada’s National Ballet
School in Toronto, joining
The National Ballet of Canada
in 1969. She was quickly
promoted to Principal Dancer
with the company after her
sensational debut as the
Swan Queen in Swan Lake. In
1971, Ms. Kain was awarded
the Silver Medal in the
Women’s Category at the
prestigious International Ballet
Competition in Moscow
and, along with her frequent
partner at the time, Frank
Augustyn, received a special
prize for Best Pas de Deux.
Subsequently, she embarked
on a remarkable international
career during which she
performed many of ballet’s
greatest roles with such
companies as Paris Opéra
Ballet, Roland Petit’s Le Ballet
de Marseilles, the Bolshoi
Ballet, London Festival Ballet
and Vienna State Opera
Ballet. Throughout her career
she also developed a close
creative partnership with Rudolf
Nureyev and often performed
with him. A favourite of some
of the world’s most prominent
choreographers, she premiered
many new and important
works during her time as a
dancer. Ms. Kain retired from
dancing following a farewell
tour in 1997 and took up the
position of Artist-in-Residence
with the National Ballet, a role
that was later expanded to
that of Artistic Associate. In
2004, she restaged Rudolf
Nureyev’s landmark version
of The Sleeping Beauty for the
company and the following
year was named Artistic
Director. Ms. Kain has
received many Canadian and
international awards throughout her career, testifying to
her accomplishments both as
an artist and an advocate for
the arts. She is a Companion
of the Order of Canada, the
first Canadian recipient of the
Cartier Lifetime Achievement
Award and was named an
Officer of the Order of Arts
and Letters by the Government
of France. In 1997, Ms. Kain
was honoured with a Governor
General’s National Arts Centre
Award and received a Governor
General’s Award for Lifetime
Artistic Achievement in 2002.
From 2004 to 2008, she was
Chair of the Canada Council
for the Arts. In 2007, she was
presented with the Barbara
Hamilton Memorial Award
for demonstrating excellence
and professionalism in the
performing arts. In 2008, the
Karen Kain School for the
Arts officially opened, a tribute
to Ms. Kain’s ongoing
contributions to the cultural
life of her country, and in
2011, Ms. Kain was honoured
by the International Society for
the Performing Arts with the
Distinguished Artist Award.
James Kudelka, O.C.
Choreographer
James Kudelka is widely
acknowledged as one of North
America’s most innovative
choreographers. His mastery
of both classical ballet and
modern, contemporary dance
has earned him commissions
from companies – some 25
in all – as stylistically diverse
as American Ballet Theatre,
Chicago’s Hubbard Street
Dance and Les Ballets Jazz
de Montréal. Even as a student
at Canada’s National
Ballet School, Mr. Kudelka
demonstrated a choreographic
interest in exploring innovative
approaches. While adept in the
classical ballet vocabulary, he
infuses it with a contemporary
sensibility acquired from
his intense interest in modern
movement idioms. Mr. Kudelka’s
work covers an impressive
range, from virtuoso pas de
deux, through large-scale and
always arresting adaptations
of such classics as Swan Lake,
The Nutcracker and Cinderella,
to boldly innovative creative
collaborations with dancers,
designers and musicians.
Mr. Kudelka has never been
afraid to tackle psychologically
challenging subject matter
in his story ballets – he views
dance as a primary medium of
Page 9
artistic discourse – and through
his gift for movement metaphor
infuses poetic, emotional
meaning into his many
non-narrative works. After nine
distinguished years as Artistic
Director of The National Ballet
of Canada (1996 to 2005), Mr.
Kudelka continues to undertake collaborative projects that
engage and challenge him
as a choreographer.
David Boechler
Set and Costume Designer
David Boechler has designed
sets and costumes across
Canada for every major regional
theatre. His recent design
work includes La Traviata
(Pacific Opera), Song of a
Wayfarer (Alberta Ballet),
Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity
(Drayton Entertainment),
quondam (Royal Swedish
Ballet), Julius Caesar (Stratford
Festival), Courageous
(Tarragon Theatre/Citadel)
and The Princess and the
Handmaiden (Young People’s
Theatre). Career highlights
include seven seasons at the
Shaw Festival (The Man Who
Came To Dinner, Getting
Married, The Old Ladies, Time
and The Conways and Diana
of Dobson’s) and four seasons
at the Stratford Festival (South
Pacific, Cabaret and My One
and Only). Mr. Boechler has
been a regular collaborator at
Theatre Calgary (Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels, Trying, Private
Lives and MacBeth) and was
Resident Costume Designer
for Alberta Theatre Project’s
playRites Festival for three
years. His exceptional career
has taken him to Neptune
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Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre
Company, Factory Theatre,
Tarragon Theatre, Canadian
Stage, Mirvish Productions,
The Grand Theatre, Manitoba
Theatre Centre, National Arts
Centre, Citadel Theatre, Blyth
Festival, Globe Theatre, Arts
Club Theatre Company and the
Belfry Theatre, among others.
His many awards include
a Dora Mavor Moore Award,
two Betty Mitchell Awards and
a Sterling Award. Mr. Boechler’s
work has been extensively
archived in the Toronto
Reference Library’s Canadian
Theatre Collection.
Christopher Dennis
Lighting Designer
Christopher Dennis served as
the Resident Lighting Designer
and Lighting Coordinator at
The National Ballet of Canada
for 14 seasons, before joining
San Francisco Ballet as
Technical Director in 2010 and
is currently Production Director.
He created memorable and
evocative lighting designs for
many of the National Ballet’s
productions, including Aszure
Barton’s Watch her, James
Kudelka’s Cinderella, Matjash
Mrozewski’s A Delicate Battle
and Jean-Pierre Perreault’s
The Comforts of Solitude. His
work for San Francisco Ballet
includes Yuri Possokhov’s The
Rite of Spring, Francesca
da Rimini and RAkU, as well
as Helgi Tomasson’s Trio.
Mr. Dennis’ lighting designs
are in the repertoires of ballet
companies around the world,
including American Ballet
Theatre, Boston Ballet, West
Australia Ballet, Coleman
national.ballet.ca
Lemieux & Compagnie,
ProArteDanza and Moonhorse
Dance Theatre. In addition to
his work in dance, Mr. Dennis
has designed lighting for the
Shaw and Stratford Festivals
as well as other regional opera,
theatre and film productions
throughout Canada. Mr. Dennis
served as Lighting Director for
Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White
Oak Dance Project and was
Assistant Resident Lighting
Designer for the Metropolitan
Opera’s 2009/10 season.
David Briskin
Music Director and
Principal Conductor
One of the foremost ballet
conductors at work today,
David Briskin is renowned
for the scope of his repertoire
and the depth and beauty of
his interpretations. Whether in
the classical or contemporary
idiom, from works steeped
in tradition to cutting edge
modern compositions, Mr.
Briskin brings a sure hand and
a sensitive understanding to
the dramatic and choreographic
life of the music he conducts.
Before joining The National
Ballet of Canada in 2006, Mr.
Briskin served as conductor
with American Ballet Theatre
in New York City for seven
years, directing performances
at the Metropolitan Opera
House, City Center and
numerous ballet and opera
houses around the world. In
demand as a guest conductor,
Mr. Briskin has worked with
such companies as New York
City Ballet, San Francisco
Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet,
Houston Ballet, Les Grands
Ballets and Alberta Ballet. He
appears regularly at Covent
Garden in London with The
Royal Ballet, most recently
conducting the world
premiere of Christopher
Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale
(a co-production with The
National Ballet of Canada)
featuring an original score
by Joby Talbot. For three
seasons, Mr. Briskin served
as Music Director of Pittsburgh
Ballet Theatre and was
Conductor for The Juilliard
School’s Dance Division from
1993 to 2005. In 2008,
Mr. Briskin was appointed
Assistant Professor and
Director of Orchestral Studies
at the University of Toronto
Faculty of Music. Mr. Briskin’s
versatility has also seen him
conduct symphony and opera
productions throughout the
Americas, Europe and Asia,
with such orchestras as the
Pittsburgh, Detroit, Baltimore,
Indianapolis and Windsor
Symphony Orchestras, the
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
and the National Symphony
Orchestra of Costa Rica, and
with such opera companies
as Calgary Opera, Manitoba
Opera, Opera Carolina, Lake
George Opera and Sarasota
Opera.
Martin West
Guest Conductor
Martin West is acknowledged
as one of the foremost
conductors of ballet, garnering
critical acclaim throughout
the world. Born in Bolton,
England, he studied math
at St. Catharine’s College,
Cambridge University, before
studying at the St. Petersburg
Conservatory of Music and
London’s Royal Academy
of Music. In fall 1997, West
made his debut with English
National Ballet and was
immediately appointed Resident
Conductor, and from 2004 to
2007 he held the position of
Principal Conductor. In recent
seasons, he has worked with
many companies such as The
Royal Ballet, New York City
Ballet, Houston Ballet, Miami
City Ballet as well as The
National Ballet of Canada.
Since 2005, Mr. West has
been Music Director and
Principal Conductor of San
Francisco Ballet. He has made
numerous recordings with the
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
including the award winning
DVD of John Neumier's The
Little Mermaid.
Ernest Abugov
Stage Manager
Ernest (Ernie) Abugov has
served as Stage Manager of
The National Ballet of Canada
since 1973, working with
every Artistic Director in the
company’s history from Celia
Franca to Karen Kain. He has
traveled with the company
all over the world touring to
Israel, Asia, Europe, Mexico
and throughout North America.
Mr. Abugov has worked with
many of the world’s most
renowned choreographers
who have created original
works for the National Ballet
including Alexei Ratmansky,
John Neumeier, William
Forsythe and Glen Tetley. Mr.
Abugov was born in Montréal,
Québec. Before beginning
his long association with the
National Ballet, he worked
with Les Feux Follets, The
Charlottetown Festival,
La Poudriere Theatre and The
Studio Lab Theatre. He worked
at Expo ’67 in Montréal, stage
managing over 4,000 puppet
shows. Mr. Abugov also
toured with Harry Belafonte.
In what little spare time that
he has, Mr. Abugov guestlectures to theatre students.
Jeff Morris
Stage Manager
Born in Toronto, Jeff Morris
studied technical theatre
production and administration
at Ryerson’s Theatre School.
After leaving Ryerson, he
became Production Stage
Manager for Toronto Dance
Theatre (1990 – 1995). With
Toronto Dance Theatre he
toured extensively, stage
managing the company’s
debuts in Berlin, Warsaw,
Beijing, Tokyo, and at the
Joyce Theater, New York.
He was Production Stage
Manager for Dancers For Life
(AIDS Committee of Toronto,
1991 – 1997), Stage Manager
for Theatre Passe-Muraille
(Never Swim Alone,
Metamorphosis of a Shadow)
and for the Fringe Festival of
Independent Dance Artists.
Mr. Morris joined The National
Ballet of Canada in 1995 and
has since stage-managed a
wide range of the company’s
unique classical and
contemporary repertoire,
including the world premieres
of James Kudelka’s The Four
Seasons, Cinderella, and An
Italian Straw Hat, Jean-Pierre
Page 11
Perreault’s The Comforts
of Solitude, Crystal Pite’s
Emergence, and Alexei
Ratmansky’s Romeo and
Juliet. Company premieres
include John Neumeier’s
Nijinsky and Christopher
Wheeldon’s Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland.
Tiffany Fraser
Assistant Stage Manager
Tiffany Fraser has been
Assistant Stage Manager
with the Canadian Opera
Company for the past
12 seasons including
La Bohème, Rigoletto,
La Clemenza di Tito, Die
Fledermaus, L’Amour de Loin,
A Florentine Tragedy, Gianna
Schicchi, Death in Venice,
Iphigénie en Tauride and
more. Ms. Fraser was recently
Stage Manager with Opera
Hamilton for Barber of Seville
and The Pearl Fishers and
with The National Ballet of
Canada for Swan Lake and
Innovation.
The National Ballet of
Canada Orchestra
The National Ballet of Canada
is privileged to have its own
full Orchestra with over 60
members. The Orchestra has
performed in each of the
National Ballet’s seasons and
is led by Music Director and
Principal Conductor David
Briskin. The company’s first
Music Director was George
Crum who, along with
Founder Celia Franca, was
a pioneer of the company.
Mr. Crum held the position
from the company’s inception
in 1951 to 1984, when he
was appointed Music Director
Emeritus. The Orchestra was
led by Ermanno Florio from
1985 to 1990. Ormsby
Wilkins was Music Director
and Principal Conductor from
1990 to 2006. The National
Ballet of Canada Orchestra
has toured extensively with
the company through Canada,
the US and Europe. Over
the years, the Orchestra has
received much acclaim from
audiences and critics alike
and has recorded two CDs of
Michael Torke’s compositions
for The Contract (The Pied
Piper) and An Italian Straw
Hat. The Orchestra made their
concert debut at Koerner
Hall on April 3, 2012, in
celebration of the company’s
60th anniversary.
For more information, visit
national.ballet.ca
Page 12
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The National Ballet of Canada
on Tour
O
ne of the National Ballet’s most
significant achievements in recent
history is our return to international touring.
Artistic Director Karen Kain has always said
that the best ballet companies demand to
be seen on the world stage, and she has
pursued this goal for the National Ballet
tenaciously, as a true visionary.
Today, the National Ballet enjoys an
international reputation for excellence, with
exquisite artists, a first-class production team
and a dynamic, growing repertoire that is
generating prestigious offers to tour. The
momentum continues in the coming months
with performances of Romeo and Juliet at the
Los Angeles Music Center in July, and Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland at New York City’s
Lincoln Center in September.
With these touring engagements come
boundless opportunities for creative and
organizational development, not to mention
the cultivation of new friends and audiences.
We have the good fortune to build on
a wonderful foundation right here at home,
where we benefit daily from the generosity
of our donor community. On behalf of
The National Ballet of Canada, thank you
for making the seemingly impossible task
of touring grand-scale ballets not only
achievable, but also thrilling and historic.
Our return to New York City marks the first
time in 26 years that the National Ballet will
present a full-length work in Manhattan. You
can help get us there. Donate today to help
us continue to shine on the world stage.
— Diana Reitberger, CFRE
Director of Development
Donate to the New York Tour Today
• national.ballet.ca/newyork
• 416 345 9595
• The National Ballet of Canada – 470 Queens Quay West,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5V 3K4
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Page 14
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