The National Ballet of Canada Returns to New York City Center for First-time in 15 Years

Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, announced the casting for the tour to New York City Center. The company will present the US premiere of Crystal Pite's Angels' Atlas, the New York premiere of David Dawson's Anima Animus and Kenneth MacMillan's Concerto, March 30 - April 1, 2023.

The tour marks the National Ballet's first appearance at New York City Center in 15 years, last performing at the annual Fall For Dance festival in 2008 with Jiří Kylián's Soldiers' Mass and prior to that in 1998 with a mixed programme of works by Canadian choreographers James Kudelka, Dominique Dumais and John Alleyne.

"The National Ballet's return to New York City Center marks the company's first international tour in more than three years," said Muir. "I am thrilled to present a programme that brilliantly showcases the versatility and talent of our artists and introduces New York audiences to two breathtaking new works in Crystal Pite's Angels' Atlas and David Dawson's Anima Animus on a programme with one of ballet's great legacy works, Kenneth MacMillan's Concerto. I am so pleased to be able to return the company to New York City in my inaugural season and can't wait to share this powerful programme with our US audience."

The award-winning Angels' Atlas was created for the National Ballet in 2020 by internationally acclaimed Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite. A profound work that explores the ephemerality of existence, Angels' Atlas is set to original music by Owen Belton, choral work by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Morten Lauridsen and unfolds against a morphing wall of light created by designers Jay Gower Taylor and Tom Visser.

Anima Animus is the National Ballet's first collaboration with British choreographer David Dawson. This high-octane ballet received rave reviews when it made its Canadian premiere in Toronto on March 3, 2023. Anima Animus explores the fluid space between extremes and opposites and Carl Jung's gendering of The Collective Unconscious as anima and animus and is set to thrilling music by Ezio Bosso.

Created for Deutsche Oper Ballet in 1966, Kenneth MacMillan's Concerto is full of dazzling ensemble work and its sun-kissed palette channels the exuberance and variation in Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major.

Casting

Angels' Atlas

Jenna Savella* and Harrison James (March 30, April 1 at 7:30 pm)
Alexandra MacDonald* and Ben Rudisin (March 31 at 7:30 pm/ April 1 at 2:00 pm)

Jordana Daumec and Jack Bertinshaw* (March 30, April 1 at 7:30 pm)
Chelsy Meiss and Teagan Richman-Taylor (March 31 at 7:30 pm/ April 1 at 2:00 pm)

Hannah Galway and Siphesihle November (March 30, 31, April 1 at 7:30 pm/ April 1 at 2:00 pm)

Genevieve Penn Nabity (March 30, 31, April 1 at 7:30 pm)
Tanya Howard (April 1 at 2:00 pm)

Jack Bertinshaw* and Kota Sato (March 30, 31, April 1 at 7:30 pm/ April 1 at 2:00 pm)

Anima Animus

Calley Skalnik

Genevieve Penn Nabity

Harrison James, Ben Rudisin, Kota Sato, Naoya Ebe

Jeannine Haller, Koto Ishihara, Monika Haczkiewicz, Clare Peterson

Concerto

1st Movement
Koto Ishihara, Siphesihle November (March 30, 31, April 1 at 7:30 pm)
Chelsy Meiss, Naoya Ebe (April 1 at 2:00 pm)

2nd Movement
Tina Periera and Peng-Fei Jiang (March 30, 31, April 1 at 7:30 pm/ April 1 at 2:00 pm)

3rd Movement
Jeannine Haller (March 30, 31, April 1 at 7:30 pm)
Jordana Daumec (April 1 at 2:00 pm)

* Debut

All casting is subject to change.