This is an archived event from Culture Days 2020.
Images
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Heather Ogden in Lulu. Photo by Lookout. -
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Spencer Hack in Lake Maligne. Photo by Lookout. -
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Christopher Gerty in In Between. Photo by Lookout.
Expansive Dances
Digital
Dance Digital & new media Film & video Music PerformanceDate and time
Location
Old Toronto, ON
Access
Free.
Offered in English.
About
The National Ballet of Canada’s virtual season kicks off with Expansive Dances, a series of three dance films created in isolation by the company’s Choreographic Associates, Guillaume Côté, Alysa Pires and Robert Binet. Directed by acclaimed Canadian director Ben Shirinian and produced by Mr. Shirinian and Jared Cook of Lookout, the films unfold in expansive spaces that subvert the state of confinement brought on by the pandemic, heralding hope for a brighter future.
Organizer
The National Ballet of Canada
One of the top international ballet companies, The National Ballet of Canada was founded in 1951 by Celia Franca. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led by Artistic Director Karen Kain, one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation, since 2005.
Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers. The company’s repertoire includes works by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Rudolf Nureyev, John Neumeier, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Wayne McGregor, Alexei Ratmansky, Crystal Pite, Christopher Wheeldon, Aszure Barton, Guillaume Côté and Robert Binet.
Canada's premier dance company performs annual Fall, Winter and Summer seasons plus The Nutcracker. The National Ballet has toured in Canada, the US and internationally with appearances in London, Paris, Hamburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
The National Ballet is committed to outreach and education for families and youth who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the joys of ballet. The company has a wide range of age appropriate programmes designed to engage with schools and children in the Greater Toronto Area and communities across Canada. YOU dance, the National Ballet’s signature programme, is designed to introduce students in grades four, five and six to the world of dance through free workshops and performances.
The National Ballet employs 120 artists, dancers and musicians, as well as production and administrative staff. All of the costumes and sets are built at The Gretchen Ross Production Centre. As a pre-eminent builder of full productions for ballet in North America, the National Ballet regularly rents out sets and costumes to ballet companies around the world.