NAC Dance with Cathy Levy: Recent Episodes
Canada's National Arts Centre
From ballet to contemporary dance, these podcasts feature fascinating conversations between NAC Dance Producer Cathy Levy and some of the world's most exciting dance artists, all of whom will be appearing, or have appeared, at the National Arts Centre.
In this special podcast episode, Annabelle Cloutier, Executive Director of Strategy and Communications at Canada’s National Arts Centre, chats with Cathy Levy about her career at the NAC as Executive Producer of Dance. Over the course of her 22.5 years with the institution, she programmed 23 amazing seasons highlighting the depth and breadth of the world of dance. Cathy reflects on her love of the art form, the Canadian and international dance companies and artists that graced the NAC stages, the privilege of working for the National Arts Centre, the people who inspired her, and the role of the NAC as a leader in the field and a place of experimentation and learning.
This episode of NAC Dance with Cathy Levy features a fascinating conversation with Wen Wei Wang, Artistic Director of Ballet Edmonton, choreographer, and NAC Associate Dance Artist. Born and raised in Xi’an, China, Wen Wei dedicated his life to dance at a very early age upon seeing the famous Chinese ballet The White-Haired Girl. He trained at the Langzhou Army School and the prestigious People’s Liberation Army Academy of Art. A five-month cultural exchange in Vancouver led him to return for good a few years later with the help and support of his mentor and friend Grant Strate. The following decades saw him perform with Judith Marcuse Dance Company, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Ballet BC; create his own company Wen Wei Dance; and accept the artistic leadership of Ballet Edmonton.
Cathy chats with internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Gregory Maqoma on the eve of the National Arts Centre presentation of Broken Chord, a work created in collaboration with composer and musical director Thuthuka Sibisi and inspired by the multi-media installation The African Choir 1891: Re-imagined. Gregory speaks of his upbringing in Soweto, a township of Johannesburg, South Africa, and how he channeled the trauma he experienced and witnessed through dance. Wanting to be part of the solution, he creates works that explores the human condition and our relationship to the earth, works that evoke and provoke emotions and inspire discourse, feeling greatest pride in seeing audiences take in and appreciate it and changing perceptions.
Hope Muir became Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada on January 1, 2022, replacing Karen Kain who had served in this position since 2005. During her first NAC visit for the company’s February 2023 presentation of Romeo and Juliet, Hope spoke with Cathy Levy over the course of a public pre-show chat about how dance shaped her life and career, about her vision for and commitment to The National Ballet of Canada and being a female leader in the world of ballet.
Carleton University Professor Janne Cleveland and playwright Lawrence Aronovitch engage Cathy Levy in conversation about her exceptional 22 and a half-year career at the helm of the National Arts Centre Dance Department as she approaches the end of her term. The discussion touches on audience development, the collaborative nature of dance, the severe impact the COVID pandemic had on dancers and how the NAC and NAC Dance responded, and the fine art of programming.
This ‘Next Stages’ podcast, produced by CKCU-FM (Ottawa), is brought to you by the Carleton University Drama Studies Program in the Department of English.
Cathy Levy chats with Vancouver-based multi-dimensional performer, creator and educator Shay Kuebler about his performing arts influences and trajectory, his philosophy of life and movement, and the massive importance he attaches to education and building awareness and appreciation of creativity.
Cathy Levy chats with world-renowned Greek artist Dimitris Papaioannou on the eve of the North American exclusive National Arts Centre presentation of his new work Transverse Orientation. He speaks of his early years as a visual artist and student of the iconic Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis, his introduction to the world of movement and the successes that led him to direct the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. He credits Claire Verlet with launching his international career which exploded after presenting Still Life at Théâtre de la Ville in 2014. Several works followed including co-commissions with many international theatres. He then became the first artist to create a full-length work for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. Lastly, he shares the very personal origin of and issues at play in creating Transverse Orientation.
In this special NAC Dance podcast, Cathy Levy (Executive Producer of Dance at Canada’s National Arts Centre), Nathalie Bonjour (Director of Performing Arts at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre), and Jim Smith (Artistic and Executive Director of Vancouver’s DanceHouse) chat with Alan Lucien Øyen, one of Norway’s most exciting multi-talented and in-demand artists, about his art and bringing Story, story, die to Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto in June 2022 as part of Nordic Bridges, a celebration of Nordic art, culture and ideas across Canada in 2022. Alan describes how the remounting of this work that speaks to our isolation and how we present ourselves depending on who we are with and the situation we are in, feels like a victory after the postponements and setbacks imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He expresses gratitude for having been able to work in both theatre and dance; for the deeply moving experience of remounting Pina Bausch’s Sweet Mambo on Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch; for a future filled with exciting projects; and to be given the freedom and agency to look at things differently at a moment in time when the world seems to be rotating backwards.
Mélanie Demers’s fascination with creation led her early on the path of the performing arts, eventually choosing contemporary dance. A successful decade-long dancing career with O Vertigo gave her the confidence to have her own company, tell her own stories, embrace chaos. She is adamant to militate with her art. She achieves this with beautiful and complicated collaborations that are wonderfully rewarding. Her conversation with Cathy Levy touches on her approach to choreography, how being a Black person affects the way she sees the world and creates work, and "La Goddam Voie Lactée", presented at Canada’s National Arts Centre in early March 2022. A work about the state of the world seen through the eyes of women. A work born out of the politically and socially charged period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the death of George Floyd and Montreal’s third wave of #MeToo. What does she want the audience to take away from seeing it? The sensation that the end is near and everything we do is important.
Dana Gingras, Artistic Director of Animals of Distinction and a boundary-pushing choreographer, chats with Cathy while her latest multimedia work FRONTERA is presented at the NAC. The conversation touches on how Dana’s formative years influence the nature of her artistic practice, her work with The Holy Body Tattoo, her love of music and collaboration with cultural icons and artists such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fly Pan Am and the UK-based United Visual Artists (UVA), and the creation of FRONTERA which she hopes will generate dialogue around important issues of our time.
In this podcast interview, the incomparable Louise Lecavalier chats with Cathy about her initial encounter with dance, the guidance she received as a novice, and how Edouard Lock came to invite her to join La La La Human Steps where she performed for 18 years, revolutionizing dance and doing guest appearances with superstars David Bowie and Frank Zappa in the process. In 1999, she parts with the company to seek pleasure in new beginnings and embarks on a career interpreting works by Tedd Robinson, Benoît Lachambre, Crystal Pite and Nigel Charnock, amongst others. In conclusion, Louise tells us about creating her own choreographic works starting with So Blue in 2012 followed by Mille batailles/Battleground and Stations.
The sublime Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson spoke with Cathy Levy in December 2019 on the eve of her retirement from The National Ballet of Canada following an extraordinary 30-year career with the company. Dance found her at a very early age and she credits Principal Artistic Coach Magdalena Popa, leading choreographers and the full range of classic and contemporary ballet repertoire offered to her for her artistic success. She talks about her pre-show ritual, her favourite ballet, guesting, her longevity, juggling family and career, and her decision to retire. The conversation closes on her next project and with advice to aspiring dancers.
Over the course of a fast-paced conversation with Cathy Levy, Helsinki-born Mikko Nissinen, Artistic Director of Boston Ballet, describes how he stumbled into dance and how a strong technique and infectious enthusiasm for the art form rapidly led him to soloist roles with The Finnish National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Basel Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Having always aspired to be an artistic director, he assumed this position with Marin Ballet and Alberta Ballet before joining Boston Ballet in 2005 as an agent of change. The company has since grown exponentially in size, purpose and reputation, enticing most recently the great William Forsythe to make it his home.
Guest host Lindsay Lachance, Artistic Associate with the National Arts Centre’s brand new Indigenous Theatre Department, chatted with Margaret and Andrew Grenier of the family-led Indigenous dance company Dancers of Damelahamid a few days before its NAC debut and world premiere presentation of Mînowin. Margaret explains how she grew up among the Gitxsan people of the Northwest coast of British Columbia immersed in the knowledge and practice of her family’s lineage and tradition. Aware of the role that each generation plays in continuing the practice, she and Andrew are dedicating their lives to the process of revitalization. Their contemporary dance work Mînowin, generations in the making, looks at what emerges from the epic loss and imbalance of the past.
Cathy Levy’s conversation with acclaimed Canadian contemporary dance performer, choreographer, master teacher and mentor Peggy Baker opens with memories of Wim Wenders and Pina Bausch. From there, Peggy speaks of her youth, her fateful encounter with Patricia Beatty, her professional dance career that brought her to Toronto’s Dancemakers and then to New York’s Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mark Morris and the White Oak Dance Project. She returned to Toronto in 1990 to form her own company to support her solo career and has been choreographing for small ensembles since 2010. Her most recent creation who we are in the dark that features Sarah Neufeld and Jeremy Gara of Arcade Fire was performed at the NAC in April 2019.
Cathy converses with internationally acclaimed, award-winning Vancouver dance artist Crystal Pite following the NAC opening night performance of Revisor, her most recent choreographic work co-created with Canadian actor/writer Jonathon Young. They touch on Crystal’s childhood aspiration to be a complete dance artist, her early choreographic career, the founding of her company Kidd Pivot in 2002 that united the dancer and choreographer in herself, and life-work balance. Crystal has created over 50 works for her company and others such as Ballet British Columbia, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater and The Royal Ballet. In great demand internationally, her immediate future includes a tour of Revisor and commissions by The Paris Opera Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada and Nederlands Dans Theater.
In this NAC 50th Anniversary podcast, Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, and Rex Harrington, Artist-in-Residence, both acclaimed former principal dancers with the company, share memories about performing at the National Arts Centre and during Karen’s farewell tour across Canada. Throughout her career, opportunities came to Karen through artists Rudolph Nureyev, Erik Bruhn, John Neumeier, Glen Tetley and Jiří Kylián and her exquisite performances were made all the more memorable by Rex’s innate gift for magical and magnetic partnering. Under her artistic directorship, The National Ballet of Canada has become one of the top international companies in the world. Both she and Rex explain how this was achieved. In closing, Rex speaks of the rewards of coaching and passing on knowledge while Karen shares her vision for the coming years.
Cathy Levy chats with Jean Grand-Maître, Artistic Director of Alberta Ballet, choreographer and recent recipient of the Order of Canada, about the full-evening portrait ballet Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and the Drum that will close the National Arts Centre 2018-2019 Dance season. Co-created with the iconic singer-songwriter —who celebrated her 75th birthday in 2018— the work, which addresses war and environmental neglect, was initially produced in celebration of Alberta Ballet’s 40th Anniversary. Jean describes his first encounter with Joni, their relationship, past and present, her approach to creation, her extensive contribution to the ballet, her passion for humanitarian causes, and the degree to which she has inspired him. This original venture unexpectedly opened the door to similar collaborations with or about other supreme popular music artists such as Sir Elton John, Gordon Lightfoot, The Tragically Hip, k.d. lang and Sarah McLachlan. The conversation concludes with a few anecdotes about the entertainment industry’s homage to Joni’s life and career held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles in November 2018, and the legacy of Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle of the Drum.
Cathy Levy leads a captivating conversation with Alonzo King the day of his company’s NAC presentation of SUTRA, an ensemble work created in honour of the 35th Anniversary of Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Born in Albany, Georgia, to a prominent 1960s civil rights family with ties to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, Mr. King learned early on the importance of aligning actions with beliefs. His natural love of movement led to a passion for dance and the eventual creation of his San Francisco-based contemporary ballet company, known for breaking the structure of the art form and for its intelligent and powerful dancers. Collaborative ventures are key and SUTRA showcases the unique talent of the tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and master sarangi musician Sabir Khan. Mr. King’s other passion, education, saw him partner with Dominican University of California to create a four-year BFA, and a host of education and outreach programs for pre-professional dancers, youth and the community.
Cathy Levy chats with NAC Associate Dance Artist Tedd Robinson, choreographer and artistic director of 10 Gates Dancing Inc, and composer Charles Quevillon on the eve of the NAC presentation and premiere of their latest creation Love & Other Things… a drama for flower, clay and bone. The two met in 2010 when Tedd was commissioned to produce a work for LADMMI and while Charles was at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. They have since collaborated on over 20 works. The conversation touches on creative highlights, the genesis and concept for this new work and how it was influenced by Charles’ three-month residency in Japan where he studied with Yoshito Ohno, and Tedd’s lifelong obsession with Madame Butterfly. The May 26 to June 1st performances, to be accompanied by a graphic novel written by Tedd, were preceded by a two-week residency in the Alan & Roula Rossy Pavilion supported by NAC Dance.
Cathy chats with Canadian-born Aaron S. Watkin one day before the National Arts Centre debut of Semperoper Ballett Dresden with his production of Swan Lake. Since graduating from the National Ballet School of Canada in 1988, Aaron has enjoyed a dizzyingly rich and varied classical and contemporary dance career with The National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt and Nacho Duato’s Compania Nacional de Danza. He speaks of his close association with Forsythe; making the leap from dancer to guest teacher and finally to artistic director of Semperoper Ballett in 2006 where he proceeded to build the company’s contemporary repertoire and modernize its troupe. In his ongoing attempt to erase the border between classical and contemporary dance, he introduced his Dresden audience to Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe and Mats Ek, among other choreographers. He also developed a passion for reimagining classical ballets.
Cathy speaks with contemporary dance performer and choreographer Daina Ashbee on the eve of the presentation of her first creation Unrelated, a dark duet inspired by the fate of Indigenous women in Canada. A native of Nanaimo, British Columbia, of Cree, Metis and Dutch descent, Daina credits Michael Jackson with awakening her passion for dance. She moved to Vancouver in her late teens to study at Modus Operandi and then dance with Raven Spirit Dance and Kokoro Dance before moving to Montreal where her career and reputation rapidly blossomed. Unrelated was followed by the installation When the Ice Melts, Will We Drink the Water? that earned two Prix de la Danse de Montréal and the Prix du CALQ for Best Choreography, the solo Pour, and her newest installation Serpentine. Daina speaks of her work and reach, her inability to separate her personal life from her art, and the support and stimulation her current association with l’Agora de la danse, Centre de Création O Vertigo and The Yulanda M. Faris Choreographers Program brings her.
On the occasion of the October 2017 National Arts Centre return of the Finnish contemporary dance troupe Tero Saarinen Company, Cathy Levy has a fascinating conversation with artistic director, dancer and choreographer Tero Saarinen. Tero came late to dance but quickly went from dance school to joining the ranks of the Finnish National Ballet, to studying Nepalese dance as well as traditional Japanese dance, butoh and martial arts, to creating on himself. An early duet caught the attention of Ohad Naharin who invited him to choreograph for Batsheva Dance Company. Over 40 works for his Helsinki-based troupe and commissions for world-renowned companies such as Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT1), Lyon Opéra Ballet, Gothenburg Opera Ballet and the National Dance Company of Korea, followed. Tero describes his company motto Aware, Alert and Attentive, the Tero technique, and how music is an endless source of inspiration. He then touches on his upcoming projects, one with Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen and the other with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, both premiering in early 2018.
Cathy Levy, Executive Producer of Dance at Canada’s National Arts Centre, chats with Adolphe Binder, the new Artistic Director of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, on the eve of the company’s NAC presentation of Pina’s iconic Café Müller and The Rite of Spring. Adolphe describes her introduction to the world of dance and her past involvement with a number of prestigious German opera houses, publishers and special events, including Hannover’s EXPO2000 and, most recently, Gotenburg Danskompani. The opportunity to lead Tanztheater Wuppertal was entirely unexpected and a huge mantle to take on given Pina’s legacy and gigantic body of work. Adolphe took on the challenge with the assistance of company members and supporters. Her 2017-2018 season for Tanztheater Wuppertal, includes several works by Pina Bausch and two commissioned works by Dimitris Papaioannou and Alan Lucien Øyen.
In this bilingual panel discussion on Creation and Collaboration that preceded the world premiere of ENCOUNT3RS (April 20-22, 2017), animator Catherine Clark speaks with the six Canadian artists involved in this historic NAC dance-music commission celebrating Canada 150. Following a discussion between Executive Producer of Dance Cathy Levy and Music Director Alexander Shelley in 2015, choreographer Jean Grand-Maître (Alberta Ballet) and composer Andrew Staniland; choreographer Emily Molnar (Ballet BC) and composer Nicole Lizée; and choreographer Guillaume Côté (The National Ballet of Canada) and composer Kevin Lau were invited to create three new one-act ballets and three original orchestral scores to be performed by the NAC Orchestra under Alexander’s baton. The outcome was an extraordinary dance and music triple bill. The panel conversation centred on the genesis and creative process for each collaboration; the choreographer-composer relationship; the ground-breaking nature of this project; the impact this rare opportunity had on the creators and performers; the role art plays in helping us better understand the world we live in and in bringing us closer together; and the legacy of ENCOUNT3RS. In closing, the artists praised the NAC for commissioning a project of such magnitude and for its unrelenting urge to see it through.
On the occasion of the November 2016 National Arts Centre presentation of Fractus V by Eastman, Dr. Yana Meerzon, Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre at the University of Ottawa, chats with Guy Cools, Belgian dance dramaturge and author of the books In-Between Dance Cultures: On the Migratory Artistic Identity of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Arkam Khan and The Ethics of Arts: ecological turns in the performing arts. The conversation touches on the role of dance dramaturge, the ark of the creation process of Sidi Larbi that led him to Fractus V, some of his associations, collaborations and influences including Alain Platel’s Les Ballets C. de la B., María Pagés, Antony Gormley, Patricia Bovi, and the Royal Ballet of Flanders, and on Guy’s two written works.
In this captivating NAC Dance podcast interview, Cathy Levy talks with New Yorker Michelle Dorrance, tapper extraordinaire and recipient of a MacArthur Genius grant, on the eve of her company’s National Arts Centre debut. Michelle always knew she was destined to be a tapper. Her mentor Gene Medler exposed her early to numerous tap legends including Jimmy Slyde, Jeni Legon, Henry Le Tang, Fayard and Harold Nicholas as well as to cutting edge artists like Savion Glover who would later invite her to become a founding member of his group Ti Dii. Work and praise followed as her knowledge and interest in the history and tradition of tap deepened. Through her company Dorrance Dance, founded in 2010, she pushes the boundaries of the art form through imaginative collaborations and pursues her lifelong commitment to education.
Cathy Levy speaks with Catalan dance artist María Muñoz on the eve of her National Arts Centre debut in April 2016. María explains the significance of her separate encounters with Japanese dance theatre artist Shusaku Takeuchi, and with Pep Ramis, her long-time partner, collaborator and co-founder of the group Mal Pelo. In 2001, Muñoz and Ramis acquired a historic property in Gerona which they converted to a centre for multidisciplinary creation and research named L’animal a l’esquana. On a more personal level, María talks about the challenges of performing and tells us why she chose a Glenn Gould recording to accompany her intimate solo Bach.
In this NAC Dance podcast, Cathy Levy chats with Madeleine Onne, Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet, on the occasion of the company’s March 2016 National Arts Centre debut. Madeleine notes that dance chose her from an early age and explains how a passion for this art form led her to the role of principal dancer with the Royal Swedish Ballet, the creation of its offshoot Stockholm 59 Degrees North, and her eventual appointment as Artistic Director of the RSB. In 2009, she embraced the opportunity to join Hong Kong Ballet where she has worked diligently to develop the company of 40 dancers of various nationalities that specializes in classical and contemporary work and tours extensively. She looks forward to a future where it will have a permanent home from which to welcome the world.
A panel discussion, January 28, 2016
Cathy Levy hosts a pre-show talk with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Artistic Director André Lewis, choreographer Mark Godden, novelist Joseph Boyden, Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq, and composer Christos Hatzis on the genesis, development and collaborative process of the ballet Going Home Star –Truth and Reconciliation. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet created this contemporary full-length work relating to the legacy of residential schools with the aim of bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous people closer together. As they describe their own individual contribution and creative process, the panelists pay homage to Winnipeg Elder Mary Richard, actress, producer and Indigenous activist Tina Keeper, and Steve Wood & the Northern Cree Singers. The closing remarks by Tanya and André are both sobering and hopeful.
Meet Pontus Lidberg, Sweden’s award-winning young dancer, choreographer and filmmaker. Over the course of this interview, he relates his early desire to create contemporary dance works and the opportunities that followed withStockholm 59°North, The Norwegian National Ballet, Morphoses, The Royal Swedish Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and his own company Pontus Lidberg Dance. He describes his dance language, choreographic process and passion for filmmaking as well as his connection to the U.S.A. In closing he comments on the two works his company presented at the National Arts Centre on April 14, 2015: Snow, commissioned in 2013 by Sweden’s NorrlandsOperan for its centenary presentation of Stravinsky’s score The Rite of Spring, and Written on Water, a trio originally conceived as a pas-de-deux for American Ballet Theater principal ballerina Isabella Boylston that will soon form part of a new film.
In this second of two episodes, the artists featured in Face 2 Face 2015, Experiences of Africa, describe the work they have done in their respective countries –alongside successful international careers-- in an effort to develop contemporary dance on the African continent. The podcast ends with a reflection on the term ‘African dance’ and how this art form has evolved over the last decade.
In this first of 2 episodes of a bilingual podcast, we meet the 5 artists featured in the National Arts
Centre's 2015 Face 2 Face series, Experiences of Africa. They speak of their background and how they
came to work in dance.
National Arts Centre Executive Producer of Dance Cathy Levy speaks with Lourdes Lopez, Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet, shortly before the company’s March 5-7, 2015 NAC presentation. Lourdes talks about her early introduction to ballet and her 24-year career with New York City Ballet where she danced under the legendary George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. A brief career in television follows. She then leads The George Balanchine Foundation and co-founds the innovative dance company Morphoses with Christopher Wheeldon. In 2012, she succeeds Edward Villella at Miami City Ballet. Lourdes outlines her goals and long-term plans for the company and describes a typical day in her life as artistic director.
Lourdes Lopez, Miami City Ballet
La productrice de la Danse au Centre national des Arts Cathy Levy s’entretient avec Lourdes Lopez, directrice artistique du Miami City Ballet, avant les représentations de la compagnie les 5, 6 et 7 mars 2015 au CNA. Mme Lopez parle ici de son introduction à la danse et de ses 24 années au sein du New York City Ballet, où elle a dansé pour les légendaires George Balanchine et Jerome Robbins. Elle a ensuite entamé une brève carrière à la télé avant d’assumer la direction de la Fondation George Balanchine et de cofonder la compagnie de danse novatrice Morphoses avec Christopher Wheeldon. En 2012, elle succède à Edward Villella au Miami City Ballet. Elle nous fait part de ses objectifs et plans d’avenir pour la compagnie, et décrit une journée typique dans sa vie de directrice artistique.
Cathy Levy talks with Virginia Johnson, artistic director, founding member, and former principal dancer of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. They discuss her career, the life of the dance company, the school, founding Pointe Magazine, and becoming Artistic Director of Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Cathy Levy chats with dancer-choreographer Kyle Abraham who was at Canada’s National Arts Centre in February 2014 to perform The Radio Show with his company Abraham.In.Motion. Kyle talks about his childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and how his passion for music led him to dance. With the support and guidance of his parents and teachers he pursued dance studies and eventually joined David Dorfman Dance and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Kyle explains how The Radio Show, originally conceived as an homage to his father, also became a tribute to the Pittsburgh radio station WAMO. He then reflects on the accolades and awards he and his work received in late 2000 in the form of a Bessie Award and an important mention in Dance Magazine, as he and his company were struggling. Kyle Abraham also talks about his collaboration with world-class ballerina Wendy Whelan as well as the significance of receiving a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, being named the 2012-2014 New York Live Arts Resident Commissioned Artist, and being labeled the “best and brightest creative talent to emerge in New York City in the age of Obama”. Finally, he gives us a sneak peak at his works in development.
In this third and final episode, Aakash Odedra describes his projects in development, including Murmur, an exploration of dyslexia through dance and technology, and Inked, a solo created in collaboration with French-Belgian choreographer Damien Jalet, about the markings on the body of Aakash’s grandmother. In closing, Aakash explains his need to balance life on and off the stage.
In this second of three episodes, Aakash talks about his first encounter with celebrated British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan and how their meeting changed the course of his destiny. In 2011, Akram and world-renowned choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Russell Maliphant each made a solo for Aakash who also contributed his own work to create the full evening program Rising. Aakash then speaks of his involvement in the choreographic project James Brown: Get on the Good Foot.
In this first of three episodes, Cathy Levy speaks to the up-and-coming young star of British dance Aakash Odedra who performed Rising at Canada’s National Arts Centre in February 2014. Aakash describes his early obsession with dance and the degree to which his family recognized his gift and supported him. He explains how he trained in the classical Indian dance styles of Kathak and Bharat Natyam in India and the United Kingdom, never differentiating between dancing and choreography.
In this final episode, Akram Khan explains the origin and development of his first full-length solo piece, the autobiographical DESH, which took him and his team of close collaborators including Tim Yip, Jocelyn Pook, Michael Hulls and Karthika Nair to Bangladesh, the homeland of his parents. He then reveals his intention to create one last solo work. In closing, he describes how the experience of choreographing a section of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony altered the way he looks at creation.
In this second episode, Akram Khan describes his fascination with learning about the science of movement and the similarities and contradictions of ballet, contemporary dance and kathak. This exploration leads to the development of his signature style and the creation of a short solo followed by a more substantial piece that attract media and public attention. Akram comments on his jewel relationship with Farooq Chaudhry, producer and co-founder of Akram Khan Company, and his collaborations with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Israel Galván, Juliette Binoche and Sylvie Guillem.
In this first of three episodes, the celebrated British choreographer-performer Akram Khan talks about his very early training and performing in kathak, the north Indian classical dance form. At the age of 10 he joins the acting cast of the stage adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, and at 13 he tours the world with Peter Brook’s The Mahabharata. His return home at 15 is followed by an extreme and solitary journey into dance. While seeking admission to the contemporary dance program of De Montfort University in Leicester (UK), he discovers the work of Pina Bausch and DV8. This first exposure to contemporary dance leaves him shocked.
In this third and final episode, Emily Molnar describes the tremendous opportunity she saw in heading Ballet BC at a turning point in its history. She outlines the three-year plan she developed before taking on its artistic directorship out of concern for its survival and place in the dance landscape of British Columbia and Canada. She attributes the success achieved to date to a small but strong group of highly committed individuals willing to reevaluate everything. Since July 2009, Ballet BC brought in 28 new works into its repertoire and implemented a successful resident-choreographer program. In closing, Emily defines her life-long fascination with the potential of the body and the expression of the body. And, prompted, she sketches her next three-year plan for Ballet BC.
In this second of three episodes, Emily Molnar speaks about the difficult decision of leaving Frankfurt Ballet, as she was turning 26, to branch out on her own. After contemplating quitting dance altogether, she chooses to become a principal dancer with Ballet BC where she interprets many roles, guided by then artistic director John Alleyne, including Puck in the production of The Fairie Queen. Emily talks about her work as an independent choreographer for, among others, Alberta Ballet, Ballet BC, and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and the tricky process of creating commissions. She mentions her collaboration with Gioconda Barbuto to make and perform the duet Lifelines, and describes the huge influence of her mentor, Canadian dance icon Margie Gillis. In 2009, Emily accepts the artistic directorship of Ballet BC at a time when the company’s financial difficulties have brought it to a halt.
In this first of three episodes, Cathy speaks to Emily Molnar, Artistic Director of Ballet BC, the day after the company’s return to the National Arts Centre Southam Hall stage following a 10-year absence. Emily recalls her early dream of becoming a prima ballerina; her training at the National Ballet School; and her subsequent four years at the National Ballet of Canada where she was discovered by William Forsythe commissioned by The National to create The Second Detail. At 21, Emily relocates to Germany to dance with Frankfurt Ballet. She describes the intense learning curve she faced and the incredible experience of working with William Forsythe, its famous artistic director, at a time when his company is taking the world by storm.
In this final episode, Stanton Welsh speaks about his full-length classical ballet Marie based on the life of the legendary 18th-century French queen Marie Antoinette. He comments on the task of finding new talent, and describes the Houston Ballet Center for Dance, the company’s new state-of-the-art facility. In closing, he reveals his next choreographic project and his 10-year plan for Houston Ballet.
In this second of three episodes, Stanton Welch shares his impressions of Houston, Texas, its people and its arts and culture. He touches on his artistic vision, comments on his dual role of choreographer and artistic director, and tells us what he looks for in a dancer.
In this first of three episodes, Stanton Welsh, Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, reminisces about his youth in Australia, his ballet training, and his career as a dancer. Since turning to choreography in 2000, he has created an impressive number of works. He was appointed Artistic Director of Houston Ballet in 2003. Stanton speaks of the company’s early years, its unique place among American ballet companies, and the immense contribution made by its first Artistic, Director Ben Stevenson.
In this second of two episodes, Masazumi Chaya talks about the 21-year tenure of Judith Jamison –former star dancer and muse to Alvin Ailey– as Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He describes his own 40-year contribution to the company as well as his future plans, and speaks about the company’s touring and pioneering in the fields of outreach and education. In closing, he talks about Robert Battle, AAADT’s current Artistic Director.
In this first of two episodes, Masazumi Chaya, former dancer, rehearsal director and current Associate Artistic Director at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, reminisces about his young life in Japan, his move to New York City in 1970, and his early years at the company. Chaya shares fond memories of the American contemporary dance icon Alvin Ailey and his fabled dance creations, including the critically-acclaimed and enduring Revelations.
In this second of two episodes, Marie Chouinard reacts to the view that her early solo work was provocative, and that she pushes her dancers to extremes, referring in particular to bODY_rEMIX / gOLDBERG_vARIATIONS. She talks about her latest choreographic achievement, THE GOLDEN MEAN (LIVE), which premiered at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, and about her collaboration with Montreal composer Louis Dufort. In closing, Marie touches on her dual role within Compagnie Marie Chouinard.
In this first of two episodes, we are introduced to Marie Chouinard, choreographer and Artistic and Executive Director of Montreal-based Compagnie Marie Chouinard and NAC Associate Dance Artist. Marie describes her fascination with the human body and recalls her introduction to dance and choreography, explaining that her 15-year solo career began with a chance meeting with Dena Davida. Marie then tells us about her transition to group works and describes her creative process.
In this second of two episodes, we learn that London has been a city of opportunity for Hofesh Shechter. In 2007 its three major venues, Sadler’s Wells, Southbank Centre and The Place, invite him to develop and present a full evening of work. He creates the complex piece In your rooms. Hofesh chats about the choreographies he has since created for companies such as Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Scottish Dance Theatre and Carte Blanche, as well as for the UK Chanel 4 series Skins. He shares some details of his full-length work that premiered at the Brighton Festival in May 2010. In closing, he comments on his return to Israel with Hofesh Shechter Company.
In this first of two episodes, Israeli-born and UK-based contemporary artist Hofesh Shechter, former rock drummer and dancer with Batsheva Dance Company, talks about striking out on his own as a choreographer. An encounter with John Ashford, Theatre Director at The Place in London, UK, mentor to numerous artists and presenters, results in an invitation to become an associate artist of The Place where he creates a group piece that receives an audience award. Hofesh goes on to describe his early and ongoing relationship to music.
In this final episode, Edouard Lock talks about his collaborations with David Bowie and Frank Zappa, and creating work for the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris. He expands on his notion of evolution and revolution in the context of Amelia and Amjad, tells us about the process of transposing Amelia to film, and shares some details of his new work. Prompted, he talks about music, the significance of honours and awards and audience feedback.
In this second of three episodes, Edouard Lock challenges the notion that the movement vocabulary of his early works is violent and explains how the accompanying music contributed to this perception. He then talks about his other choreographies, what inspires him to create, his first international commission for the Het Nationale Ballet of Holland –directed at the time by Rudi Van Dantzig—and the introduction of pointe work into his productions.
In this first of three episodes, Edouard Lock, choreographer and Artistic Director of Montreal-based La La La Human Steps, recalls his family’s move to Canada and the period and events that led to the creation of La La La Human Steps including his involvement with Le Groupe Nouvelle Aire and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. Edouard comments on first choreographies Lily Marlene in the Jungle, Oranges and Businessman in the Process of Becoming an Angel and the sensation they caused. The episode concludes with Edouard speaking about his muse Louise Lecavalier.
In this last episode, Wayne McGregor talks about his future projects, including his first full-length piece for Paris Opera Ballet, his first virtual reality ballet, his collaboration with Mark-Anthony Turnage, and Big Dance Trafalgar Square for the 2012 London Olympics. Wayne describes his involvement in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, opera, and with Dame Judi Dench and Andrew Lloyd Webber. We also learn about Akili, the retreat on an island along the coast of Kenya which he founded in 2006, and the significance of receiving a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire).
In this second episode, Wayne McGregor reflects on his dancing career, describes the point of departure in his creative process, and what fascinates him as a contemporary choreographer. He then speaks of his groundbreaking collaborations and ongoing investigations into the relationship between body and space with British and American cognitive scientists which is contributing to his artistic development. Also, he touches on his association with The Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada.
In this first of three episodes, Wayne McGregor, choreographer and Artistic Director of UK-based Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, talks about his youth and his early and active involvement with dance, theatre and computers. Summer employment during his studies in choreography and semiotics at the University of Leeds triggers a lifelong interest in exploring the connection between body and brain. Following a brief stay in New York, he returns to London and forms his company. Wayne explains the role that John Ashford, Theatre Director of The Place, played in his early career and success.
In this final episode, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui describes his introduction to the world of oral traditional music and the place music occupies in his creative process. He also comments on his reaction to first seeing the work of Akram Khan, Pina Bausch and Dave St-Pierre, and to receiving the Alfred Toëpfer Stiftung Kairos prize in recognition of his artistic philosophy and quest for cultural dialogue.
In this second episode, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui explains that his dance work Babel is a continuation of Foi, Myth, Zero Degrees and Sutra. He then comments on his collaborations with the monks of China’s Shaolin temple, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Cullberg Ballet, and The Royal Danish Ballet.
In this first of three episodes, Flemish-Moroccan choreographer-dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui speaks about his late introduction to dance and how winning a Belgian dance contest put him on the path of Wim Vandekeybus and Alain Platel. While studying at PARTS, the school founded by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Bernard Foccroulle, Larbi is exposed to the work of William Forsythe, Trisha Brown and Pina Bausch which combines sociological knowledge and dance. This approach resonates deeply with him. He joins les ballets C de la B and, within a few years, creates a series of highly-acclaimed dance works.
In this third and last episode, Alain Platel explains how Gerard Mortier persuades him to resume his choreographic career with the creation of the controversial theatre work Wolfe based on Mozart for the Ruhrtriennale. This work is followed by the equally grand vsprs and pitié! with music by Fabrizio Cassol, and Out of Context - for Pina named production of the year by Ballet-Tanz. Alain tells us what moved him to add the words “for Pina” to the title. The interview ends with personal thoughts on influence and posterity.
In this second episode, Alain Platel elaborates on the international success of Bonjour Madame and reflects on the ephemeral nature of a theatre performance. He then explains that encounters with creative individuals throughout his career have inspired the development of new work. At the height of his career and following Moeder en Kind, La Tristeza Complice, Bernadetje, lets op Bach, and Allemaal Indiaan, Alain shocks the world of dance by announcing his retirement.
In this first of three episodes we meet Alain Platel, the trailblazing founder and director of Belgian contemporary dance company les ballets C de la B. Alain describes the period leading up to his initial career as a remedial educationalist, how a theatre hobby quickly turns into a full-time choreographic career and the founding of les ballets C de la B, and the creation of its breakthrough piece Bonjour Madame. He comments on the Flemish choreographic art of the period and its influence on contemporary dance.
In this final episode, Cathy Levy talks about the growing diversity in the world of dance. Prompted, she shares anecdotes on high, challenging and hilarious moments in her 10-year career as NAC Dance Producer. She then comments on dance for youth and using dance to address controversial subjects. She concludes the interview with her wish list for the coming 10 years.
In this second episode, Cathy Levy describes her early love of dance which leads to dance studies at the University of Waterloo and Simon Fraser University. She outlines her path to becoming a dance producer, and defines the position and her mandate for presenting Canadian and international dance artists. She then comments on the value of cultivating relationships with and supporting artists and companies, both established and emerging.
In this first of three episodes, Cathy Levy, Dance Producer at Canada’s National Arts Centre, reflects on her goals and accomplishments since joining the NAC in 2000, and on the place dance occupies within the NAC. She describes ongoing efforts to build on the existing NAC audience base, answers the question of the day “Is ballet over?”, and comments on cinema broadcasts and dance on film.
In this final episode, Tedd Robinson talks about the period from 1994 to 2000 during which he becomes a practicing Zen monk, and his subsequent move to a farm in the Pontiac region of Quebec which he converts into a centre for creation, mentoring and site-specific performance and names La B.A.R.N. Tedd speaks of past and future projects and collaborations, including those with local b-boys, Mako Kawano, Louise Lecavalier and Margie Gillis. In closing, he pays homage to the National Arts Centre.
In this second episode, Tedd Robinson reflects on his six years as Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers and on his decision to leave to company in 1990 to begin a new chapter in his artistic life in Ottawa where he becomes resident artist at Le Groupe Dance Lab. An unexpected opportunity kick-starts his solo career. Tedd speaks of this period of newfound independence as a dancer, choreographer, mentor and teacher.
In this first of three episodes, Tedd Robinson shares his gradual journey to becoming an artist working in dance and comments on the lasting influence the inspirational teacher of dance and mime Lindsay Kemp has had on his work. Following an audition with Rachel Browne in 1979, Tedd joins Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers as a dancer. In a span of a few years he launches his choreographic career and becomes the new artistic director of the company.
Straight Talk: What is the role of art as a vehicle of social change and Canada's barometer of acceptance? A panel discussion produced by the NAC's Dance department -- With Lloyd Newson, Founding Artistic Director, DV8 Physical Theatre; Dr. Brent Hawkes, Metropolitan Community Church, Toronto; and Joanne St. Lewis, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa.
In this final episode, Crystal Pite talks about the dual role of choreographer-performer, the creation process, her attachment to Canada’s National Arts Centre, and her enduring passion for the art of choreography. In closing, she touches on her upcoming commissions for Cullberg Ballet, the 2010 Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver, Nederlands Dans Theater and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and the presentations of Kidd Pivot at Sadler’s Wells (UK) and Jacob’s Pillow (USA).
In this third episode, Crystal Pite speaks of her collaborations with The National Ballet of Canada, Sweden’s Cullberg Ballet, BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, and Vancouver-based composer Owen Belton. She explains the origin of the name Kidd Pivot and comments on the company’s work, opportunities and challenges.
In this second episode, Crystal Pite recalls her move to Germany in 1996 to join William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet and the ensuing five years of growth as a performer and choreographer. This is also a time of exposure to the work of Pina Bausch, Wim Vandekeybus, Jan Fabre, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Meg Stuart and Rui Horta. She leaves Germany in 2001 and realizes her dream of forming her own company, Kidd Pivot, where she is free to create and perform her own work.
In this first of four episodes, Crystal Pite, Vancouver-based dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director of Kidd Pivot and NAC Associate Dance Artist, tells us about her early years of training, performance and choreographing. She embarks on her professional career at 17 upon joining Ballet British Columbia as a dancer. Within a few years, she seizes the opportunity to choreograph for the company as well as for Ballet Jörgen and Alberta Ballet. She receives the Clifford E. Lee Award in 1995, the first of numerous prizes she will be presented with during the course of her young career.
In this fourth of four podcasts with Karen Kain, the NAC's Cathy Levy and Gerald Morris talk to former prima ballerina Kain about The Sleeping Beauty, the role of personal interpretation in performing the classics, the arc of Kain's career, alternate career choices, her relationship with the NAC, and her favourite roles.
In this third of four podcasts with Karen Kain, the NAC's Cathy Levy and Gerald Morris talk to former prima ballerina Kain about the launch of her international career in Moscow in 1973 and her glorious years with partner Frank Augustyn. Karen Kain shares her memories of Rudolf Nureyev's decade with The National Ballet of Canada and the company's association with Mikhail Baryshnikov -- and her pivotal role in his 1974 defection to the West. She also discusses the restaging and refurbishment of the company's lavish production of The Sleeping Beauty.
In this second of four podcasts with Karen Kain, the NAC's Cathy Levy and Gerald Morris talk to former prima ballerina Kain about her rebellious behavior at the National Ballet School, her first performances and early years with The National Ballet of Canada, and the role of talent, hard work, preparation, opportunity, and sheer luck in her career. Kain also discusses motivation and confidence (and the consequences of the lack of it) and the value of a male dance partner.
In this first of four podcasts with Karen Kain, the NAC's Cathy Levy and Gerald Morris talk to former prima ballerina Kain about her early years: growing up in Ancaster ON, the joys and challenges of her seven years at the National Ballet School, and her audition to join The National Ballet of Canada. Ms Kain also discusses what a dancer needs to succeed in the profession.