The National Ballet Of Canada 2024-2025 Season, Shows, Reviews

byCherilyn J. Lee

January 1, 2020 - Updated on May 31, 2024

The National Ballet of Canada

♦ Location: Toronto, Ontario – Canada

♦ Artistic Director: Hope Muir

♦ Orchestra: The National Ballet Orchestra

♦ Founded in 1951 by Celia Franca

♦ Official Website of The National Ballet of Canada

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The National Ballet of Canada 2024-2025 Season

Artistic Director Hope Muir announced today The National Ballet of Canada 2024-2025 season, which also marks Guillaume Côté’s final season with the company after 26 years.

“Our 2024/25 season demonstrates the artistry and ambition of The National Ballet of Canada today, as we balance our classical legacy with heightened innovation and involvement with the international dance community.
I have sought richness and complexity across movement and music, introduced important choreographic voices and new collaborations that extend our creative lineage and, above all, to bring a sense of freshness, familiarity and meaning to our stage.
This season will mark the farewell of an outstanding artist in Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté. His brilliant international career encompasses multiple areas of the art form, reflecting his unique talent as a performer, choreographer, director, composer and musician. Guillaume retires from the National Ballet this season with an unforgettable legacy and equally bright future.”
Hope Muir, Artistic Director of National Ballet of Canada

Before the season officially begins, the company returns to Sadler’s Wells in London for the first time in eleven years with Passion by James Kudelka, islands by Emma Portner, and Angels’ Atlas by Crystal Pite.

The fall season opens with a mixed program featuring:

the Canadian premiere of Silent Screen by choreographic duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, a profound theatrical experience set to the music of Philip Glass
the Canadian premiere Sir Fredrick Ashton’s Rhapsody as part of Ashton Worldwide, an international festival celebrating Ashton on the 120th anniversary of his birth
a special solo performance by Guillaume Côté, Body of Work

Then the company will showcase two full-length classical ballets – Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle, a work they have performed since 1970, followed by James Kudelka ‘s production of The Nutcracker. The third, Karen Kain’s Swan Lake, will return in the spring.

For their first program in 2025, the company will featuring the North American premiere of David Dawson’s The Four Seasons in the same program with the world premiere of Marco Goecke’s Morpheus’ Dream set to a soundscape by pianist Keith Jarrett and distinctive vocals of Lady Gaga, and Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading in honor of its 50th anniversary and the company’s first staging since 1995.

In celebration of Côté’s retirement after 6 years with the company, the dancer will choreograph and perform a multidisciplinary solo, Into the fade, with long-time collaborator filmmaker Ben Shirinian. Also on the program is his Boléro and world premieres by the company’s newest Choreographic Associate, Ethan Colangelo and Toronto-born Jennifer Archibald.

“Although my career with The National Ballet of Canada is ending, I carry with me the most beautiful memories of people, places and moments that have shaped who I am and will stay with me forever.
For my final performance, I wanted to work with a very close collaborator, film director Ben Shirinian. Ben and I have worked on many films together including Lost in Motion and Lulu and I thought it would be very special to ask Ben to create a film element as I say farewell.”

The season closes with the North American premiere of Christian Spuck’s Anna Karenina inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s novel of the same name and set to a score by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Witold Lutoslawski.

Source: The National Ballet of Canada