Nijinsky - The National Ballet of Canada

Ballet Notes
The 2012/13 season is dedicated to the memory
of The National Ballet of Canada’s greatest patron
Walter Carsen, O.C.
Nijinsky
March 2 – 8, 2013
Otto Bubenicek and Anna Polikarpova
of The Hamburg Ballet.
Photo by Holger Badekow.

Celia Franca, C.C., Founder
George Crum, Music Director Emeritus
Karen Kain, C.C. Kevin Garland
Artistic Director Executive Director
David Briskin Rex Harrington, O.C.
Music Director and Artist-in-Residence
Principal Conductor
Magdalena Popa Lindsay Fischer
Principal Artistic Coach Artistic Director,
YOU dance / Ballet Master
Peter Ottmann Mandy-Jayne
Senior Ballet Master Richardson
Senior Ballet Mistress
Aleksandar Antonijevic, Guillaume Côté,
Greta Hodgkinson, Jiˇrí Jelinek, Zdenek Konvalina*,
Evan McKie*, Heather Ogden, Sonia Rodriguez,
Piotr Stanczyk, Jillian Vanstone, Xiao Nan Yu
Kevin D. Bowles, Lorna Geddes, 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, Brett van Sickle
Jordana Daumec, Alexandra MacDonald,
Chelsy Meiss, Alejandra Perez-Gomez,
Jenna Savella, Christopher Stalzer
James Applewhite, Jack Bertinshaw, Skylar Campbell,
Adji Cissoko, Jonathan Davidsson, Shaila D’Onofrio,
Krista Dowson, Nadine Drouin, Jackson Dwyer,
Francesco Gabriele Frola, Giorgio Galli, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo,
Emma Hawes, Juri Hiraoka, Ji Min Hong, Kathryn Hosier,
Rui Huang, Lise-Marie Jourdain, Larissa Khotchenkova,
James Leja, Elizabeth Marrable, Shino Mori, Tiffany Mosher,
Andreea Olteanu, Asiel Rivero, Brendan Saye, Joseph Steinauer,
Dylan Tedaldi, Nan Wang, Aarik Wells, Sarah Elena Wolff
RBC Apprentice Programme / YOU dance:
Jonathan Batista, Trygve Cumpston, Hannah Fischer,
Miyoko Koyasu, Nayara Lopes, Liana Macera,
Tudor Moldoveanu, Felix Paquet, Meghan Pugh, Kota Sato
Lorna Geddes Joysanne Sidimus
Pointe Shoe Manager / Guest Balanchine
Assistant Ballet Mistress Répétiteur
Ernest Abugov Peter Sherk
Jeff Morris Stage Manager, YOU dance
Stage Managers
*Guest Artist
Page 2 national.ballet.ca
Orchestra
Violin 1
Stephen Sitarski,
Guest Concertmaster
Lynn Kuo,
Assistant Concertmaster
Anne Armstrong +
James Aylesworth
Jennie Baccante
Sandra Baron
Sheldon Grabke*
Nancy Kershaw
Sonia Klimasko-Leheniuk
Yakov Lerner
Jayne Maddison
Wendy Rogers
Paul Zevenhuizen
Violin 2
Dominique Laplante,
Principal Second Violin
Aya Miyagawa, Acting
Assistant Principal
Bethany Bergman +
Xiao Grabke
Pam Hinman +
Hiroka Kagawa +
Csaba Koczo*
Ron Mah
Filip Tomov
Sonia Vizante +
Joanna Zabrowarna
Violas
Angela Rudden, Principal
Keith Hamm, Acting
Assistant Principal +
Carolyn Blackwell +
Valerie Kuinka
Johann Lotter
Nicholaos Papadakis +
Beverley Spotton
Larry Toman*
Cellos
Maurizio Baccante,
Principal
Marianne Pack
Olga Laktionova
Andrew McIntosh
Elaine Thompson*
Jill Vitols +
Paul Widner
Basses
Hans J.F. Preuss, Principal
Tom Hazlitt +
Paul Langley
Robert Speer
Cary Takagaki
Rob Wolanski +
Flutes
Leslie J. Allt, Principal
Maria Pelletier
Shelley Brown, Piccolo
Oboes
Mark Rogers, Principal
Karen Rotenberg
Lesley Young, English Horn
Clarinets
Max Christie, Principal
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*
Philip Seguin +
Robert Weymouth
Trombones
David Archer, Principal
Robert Ferguson
David Pell, Bass Trombone
Tuba
Sasha Johnson, Principal
Harp
Lucie Parent, Principal
Timpany
Michael Perry, Principal
Celeste
Edward Connell
Percussion
Tim Francom, Principal
Timothy Borton +
Kristofer Maddigan
Mark Mazur
Smaual Mogenstien +
Orchestra Personnel
Manager and Music
Administrator
Raymond Tizzard
Librarian
Lucie Parent
Assistant to the Music
Director
Jean Verch
* On Leave of Absence
+ Additional Musician

Saturday, March 2 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 3 at 2:00 pm
Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 7 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Friday, March 8 at 7:30 pm
Conductors: David Briskin Music Director and Principal Conductor (Mar 2, 3)
Ormsby Wilkins Guest Conductor (Mar 6, 7, 8)
Nijinsky
A ballet by John Neumeier
Music:
Frédéric Chopin, Prélude in C minor, Op.28 No. 20
Robert Schumann, Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op.26, I. Allegro
Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakov, Scheherazade – Symphony Suite, Op. 35
I. The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship
Dmitri Shostakovich*, Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 147, III. Adagio
Angela Rudden, Viola
Edward Connell, Piano
Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakov, Scheherazade – Symphony Suite, Op. 35
III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess
IV. Festival at Baghdad - The Sea - Shipwreck on the Rocks
Dmitri Shostakovich*, Symphony No. 11 in G-minor, The Year 1905, Op. 103
I. The Palace Square
II. 9 January
III. In memoriam
IV. The Tocsin
*By arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner.
Choreography, Sets*, Costumes* and Lighting Concept: John Neumeier
*based partly on original sketches by Léon Bakst and Alexandre Benois
Staged by: Laura Cazzaniga, Leslie McBeth and Sonja Tinnes
Lighting Reconstructed by: Ralf Merkel
Repétitéurs: Rex Harrington, Magdalena Popa and Peter Ottmann
World Premiere: The Hamburg Ballet, Hamburg, Germany, July 2, 2000
The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: March 2, 2013
Lead philanthropic support for Nijinsky is provided by The Catherine & Maxwell Meighen
Foundation, an anonymous friend of the National Ballet, The Volunteer Committee,
The National Ballet of Canada and The Producers’ Circle.
The Producers’ Circle: John & Claudine Bailey, Susanne Boyce & Dr. Brendan Mullen,
Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, O.C., Julie Medland,
Sandra & Jim Pitbaldo, Sandra L. Simpson and Noreen Taylor & David Staines, O.C.
The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the support of Chanel.
Page 3

The Cast
Vaslav Nijinsky Skylar Campbell (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Guillaume Côté (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
Alexandre Riabko* (Mar 3, 7 eve)
Romola Nijinsky, his Wife Jillian Vanstone (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Heather Ogden (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
Sonia Rodriguez (Mar 3, 7 eve)
Bronislava Nijinska, his Sister Chelsy Meiss (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Jenna Savella (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
Jordana Daumec (Mar 3, 7 eve)
Stanislav Nijinsky, his Brother Francesco Gabriele Frola (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Dylan Tedaldi (Mar 2 eve, 3, 6, 7 eve, 8)
Serge Diaghilev, Impresario and Mentor Piotr Stanczyk (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Jiˇrí Jelinek (Mar 2 eve, 3, 6, 7 eve, 8)
Eleonora Bereda, Nijinsky’s Mother Xiao Nan Yu
Thomas Nijinsky, his Father Jonathan Renna (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Brett van Sickle (Mar 2 eve, 3, 6, 7 eve, 8)
The Ballerina, Tamara Karsavina Elena Lobsanova (Mar 2 mat, 3, 7)
Sonia Rodriguez (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
The new Dancer, Leonid Massine Asiel Rivero (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Francesco Gabriele Frola (March 2 eve, 3, 6,
7 eve, 8)
Page 4 national.ballet.ca
The Dancer Nijinsky
as Harlequin in Carnaval Dylan Tedaldi (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Naoya Ebe (Mar 2 eve, 3, 6, 7 eve, 8)
later in the ballet Jack Bertinshaw and
Christopher Stalzer
as the Spirit of the Rose in Spectre de la Rose Dylan Tedaldi (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Naoya Ebe (Mar 2 eve, 3, 6, 7 eve, 8)
as the Golden Slave in Schéhérazade Patrick Lavoie (Mar 2 mat, 3, 7)
Keiichi Hirano (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
later in the ballet Keiichi Hirano or
Patrick Lavoie
as the Young Man in Jeux Asiel Rivero (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Francesco Gabriele Frola (Mar 2 eve, 3, 6,
7 eve, 8)
as the Faun in L’Après-midi d’un faune Patrick Lavoie (Mar 2 mat, 3, 7)
Keiichi Hirano (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
later in the ballet Keiichi Hirano or
Patrick Lavoie
as Petruschka Aleksandar Antonijevic
Nijinsky’s shadows Naoya Ebe or Dylan Tedaldi,
Dylan Tedaldi or Francesco Gabriele Frola

The World Outside Nijinsky
Guests at the Suvretta House performance Aleksandar Antonijevic, Kevin D. Bowles,
Stephanie Hutchison, Lise-Marie Jourdain,
McGee Maddox, Peter Ottmann,
Alejandra Perez-Gomez, Rebekah Rimsay,
Tomas Schramek, Brett van Sickle or
Jonathan Renna, Xiao Nan Yu
Pianist Edward Connell (Mar 2 mat, 3, 7 eve)
Andrei Steliaev (Mar 2 eve, 6, 7 mat, 8)
Fans of the Russian Ballet Artists of the Ballet
Les Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev
Tamara Karsavina Elena Lobsanova (Mar 2 mat, 3, 7)
as the Sylphide in Les Sylphides Sonia Rodriguez (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
as a young Woman in Jeux
as a Nymph in L’Aprés-midi d’un faune
as the Ballerina in Petruschka
Bronislava Nijinska Chelsy Meiss (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
as a young Woman in Jeux Jenna Savella (Mar 2 eve, 6, 8)
and as the Chosen Virgin in Le Sacre Jordana Daumec (Mar 3, 7 eve)
du printemps
Ballerinas of the Mariinsky Theatre Jillian Vanstone or Alexandra MacDonald,
Elena Lobsanova or Tina Pereira
Partners McGee Maddox or Nan Wang,
Jonathan Davidsson
Corps de ballet Artists of the Ballet
Character Dancer Giorgio Galli
Dancers in Schéhérazade Jordana Daumec or Rebekah Rimsay,
Ji Min Hong, Stephanie Hutchison,
Lise-Marie Jourdain, Chelsy Meiss or
Krista Dowson, Stacey Shiori Minagawa or
Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Tiffany Mosher,
Andreea Olteanu, Alejandra Perez-Gomez or
Jenna Savella
Jack Bertinshaw, Etienne Lavigne,
James Leja, Jonathan Renna or
Brett van Sickle, Christopher Stalzer,
Robert Stephen
*Guest Artist
Wedding Guests Artists of the Ballet
Figures of Nijinsky’s Inner World Artists of the Ballet
The Doctor Jonathan Renna (Mar 2 mat, 7 mat)
Brett van Sickle (Mar 2 eve, 3, 6, 7 eve, 8)
The War Artists of the Ballet
Page 5

Synopsis
On January 19, 1919 at five o’clock in the afternoon in a ballroom of the Suvretta House Hotel
in St Moritz, Switzerland, Vaslav Nijinsky danced publicly for the last time. He called this
performance his Wedding with God.
My ballet Nijinsky begins with a realistic recreation of this situation. The choreography
which follows however, visualizes his thoughts, memories and hallucinations during this last
performance.
Act I
Prompted by the imagined appearance of his
former mentor, impresario and lover, Sergei
Diaghilev, Nijinsky recalls images of his
sensational career with the Ballets Russes.
Dancers, as aspects of his personality,
perform fragments from his most famous
roles. Harlequin, the Poet in Les Sylphides,
the Golden Slave in Schéhérazade and the
Spectre de la Rose merge and mingle with
characters from his private life. His sister
Bronislava (later a choreographer), his older
brother Stanislav (trained also to be a dancer,
but marked from childhood by signs of
madness), and his mother, the dancer
Eleonora Bereda, who along with his father
Thomas were the children’s first teachers,
also appear in his dreamlike fantasy.
In another scene of the ballet, Nijinsky
remembers his search for a new choreographic
language. His experiments with movement
result in his own original ballets L’Après-midi
d’un faune, Jeux, Le Sacre du printemps and
later Till Eulenspiegel.
A woman in red, Romola de Pulsky who
will later become Nijinsky’s wife, crisscrosses
his confused recollections. He relives their first
encounter on a ship to South America and
their abrupt marriage – an event causing the
ultimate break with Diaghilev and the Ballets
Russes.
Page 6 national.ballet.ca
Act II
Nijinsky’s madness drives him more and more
inside himself. Memories of childhood, family,
school, and the Mariinsky Theatre blend with
nightmare visions of World War I – and his
wife’s infidelity. The scandalous premiere
of his ballet Le Sacre du printemps appears
juxtaposed with the brutality of World War I
and his brother Stanislav’s death. Romola
is with him through difficult and bad times.
In Nijinsky’s eyes, it is the world around him –
not Nijinsky that has gone mad…
The Suvretta House performance and
my ballet end with Nijinsky’s last dance –
the War.
Running Time
ACT I – One hour
Intermission – 20 minutes
ACT II – One hour
John Neumeier
The performance will run approximately
2 hours 20 minutes.

Nijinsky’s Famous Roles
The Golden Slave Harlequin Spectre de la Rose
Nijinsky’s animal magnetism
and athletic virtuosity
combined with potent effect
when choreographer Michel
Fokine cast him as the
alluring Golden Slave in his
exotic, sexually-charged,
1909 harem ballet,
Schéhérazade.
Photo: Nijinsky as the Golden
Slave in Schéhérazade, 1911.
Although Nijinsky was not in
the original 1910 version of
Fokine’s commedia dellarte-themed
ballet, Carnaval,
his portrayal of Harlequin in
a later Ballets Russes revival
became one of his most
popular roles. Nijinsky’s sly
characterization, a mix of
endearing puckishness
and unsettling mischief,
captivated audiences.
Photo: Nijinsky as Harlequin
in Carnaval, 1915.
Fokine’s 1911 Le Spectre
de la Rose was a short
romantic confection made
memorable by Nijinsky’s
electrifying athleticism as
he depicted the spirit of
a rose, conjured up in the
imagination of a young
woman. His first entry,
vaulting high and effortlessly
through an open window,
routinely drew gasps from
the audience.
Photo: Nijinsky as the title role
in Le Spectre de la Rose, 1911.
Page 7

Petruschka The Faun
Audiences enraptured by
Nijinsky’s classical dancing
were in for a surprise when
Fokine unveiled his
Stravinsky-scored Petruschka
in 1911. In the title role,
Nijinsky, through twitchy,
angular movement,
poignantly portrayed a
traditional Russian fairground
puppet, magically but briefly
brought to life.
Photo: Nijinsky as the title role in
Petrushka,1911.
Page 8 national.ballet.ca
Nijinsky caused a scandal
portraying the title role in his
1912 debut choreography,
L’Après-midi d’un faune.
The deliberately stylized,
minimalist movement,
two-dimensionally flattened
to evoke ancient bas reliefs,
was alien to ballet lovers.
Worse still, the graphic
depiction of a sexually
aroused half-man, half-goat
was too much – even for
Parisians!
Photo: Nijinsky as the Faun in
L’Après-midi d-un Faune, 1912.
Vaslav Nijinsky
1890 – 1950
Known as ‘Le Dieu de la
Danse’, Vaslav Nijinsky was
the first male dancer to
achieve fame the world over.
A ground-breaking dancer
and choreographer known
for his erotic magnetism
and gravity-defying leaps,
he both thrilled and shocked
audiences. The impact of
his too-short career changed
the art of ballet forever.
Diagnosed with schizophrenia
in his prime, he gave his last
performance in 1919 at the
age of 29 and spent the
rest of his life in and out
of sanatoriums.
Photo: Vaslav Nijinsky c. 1910.

Nijinsky in Rehearsal Photos by Bruce Zinger.
Guillaume Côté and Heather Ogden.
Artists of the Ballet.
Artists of the Ballet.
Naoya Ebe.
Page 9

John Neumeier, Guillaume Côté and Jiˇrí Jelinek.
Guillaume Côté and Sonia Rodriguez.
John Neumeier and Guillaume Côté.
Page 10
national.ballet.ca
Keiichi Hirano.

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 Artistin-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.
John Neumeier
Choreographer, Set,
Costume and Lighting
Designer
John Neumeier was born in
1942 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
where he received his first
dance training. He continued
his dance studies in Chicago
as well as at Marquette
University in Milwaukee
where he created his first
choreographic works. After
further ballet study, both in
Copenhagen and at The Royal
Ballet School in London, John
Cranko invited him in 1963
to join Stuttgart Ballet, where
he progressed to soloist and
continued his choreographic
development. In 1969,
Ulrich Erfurth appointed
Mr. Neumeier Director of Ballett
Frankfurt, where he soon
caused a sensation due to
his new interpretations of such
well-known ballets as The
Nutcracker and Romeo and
Juliet. In 1973, he joined The
Hamburg Ballet as Director
and Chief Choreographer
and, under his direction, The
Hamburg Ballet became one
of the leading ballet companies
on the German dance scene
and soon received international
recognition. In 1972, he set
his first work for The National
Ballet of Canada, Don Juan
with Rudolf Nureyev in the title
role and in 1993, he created
Now and Then for Karen Kain.
As a choreographer, Mr.
Neumeier has continually
focused on the preservation
of ballet tradition, while giving
his works a modern dramatic
framework. His ballets range
from new versions of full-length
story ballets to musicals and
to his symphonic ballets,
especially those based on
Page 11

Gustav Mahler’s compositions,
as well as his choreographies
to sacred music. His latest
creations for The Hamburg
Ballet, Purgatorio and Liliom,
premiered in 2011. Mr.
Neumeier holds the Dance
Magazine Award (1983), Order
of Merit of the Federal Republic
of Germany and French Order
of Arts and Letters and the
Legion of Honour. In 2006, he
was awarded the prestigious
Nijinsky Award for Lifetime
Achievement. He received
the Herbert von Karajan
Musikpreis in 2007 and the
Deutscher Jubiläums Tanzpreis
in 2008. In 2007, he was
made an honorary citizen
of the city of Hamburg.
Laura Cazzaniga
Staging
Laura Cazzaniga was born
in Cassano d'Adda, Italy. She
trained at Princess Grace
Academy in Monte Carlo and
The School of The Hamburg
Ballet. She joined The Hamburg
Ballet in 1988 and was
promoted to Soloist in 1993
and to Principal Dancer in 1998.
She became Ballet Mistress
in 2008 and has staged
John Neumeier’s ballets for
companies around the world
including Third Symphony
of Gustav Mahler for the Paris
Opera Ballet, A Streetcar
Named Desire for the
Norwegian National Ballet and
the Pittsburg Ballet Theatre,
and Sylvia for Het National
Ballet.
Leslie McBeth
Staging
Leslie MacBeth was born in
Oregon, US and trained at
The School of American Ballet
in New York. She danced with
Sacramento Ballet and Ballet
National de Marseille and was
Page 12 national.ballet.ca
a Principal Dancer with
Milwaukee Ballet from 1974
to1980, Soloist with Stuttgart
Ballet from 1980 to1985,
Principal Dancer with Zurich
Ballet from1985 to 1987,
Guest Principal Dancer with
Ballet Arizona from 1988 to
1991 and Principal Dancer
with Ballet du Nord, France
from 1991 to 1995. Ms.
MacBeth was Ballet Mistress
with Alberta Ballet from 1996
to 2003 and is currently Ballet
Mistress with The Hamburg
Ballet. In addition to staging
works she has been a guest
teacher at companies around
the world including Singapore
Dance Theatre, Universal
Ballet of Korea, The Playhouse
Dance Company in South
Africa, Gothenburg Ballet in
Sweden, Philippines Ballet
Theatre, Ballet Aspen, Ballet
British Columbia, Milwaukee
Ballet, Les Grands Ballets
Canadiens de Montréal and
Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Sonja Tinnes
Staging
Sonia Tinnes was born in
Zurich, Switzerland and trained
at The Royal Ballet School.
She received the Benesh Prize
for Dance Notation from the
Benesh Institute of Choreology
in London. She has been a
Choreologist for The Hamburg
Ballet since 1996 and has
assisted John Neumeier in
staging Romeo and Juliet
for The Royal Danish Ballet,
The Odyssey for The Finnish
National Ballet, The Seagull
for Deutsche Oper Berlin and
Sylvia for Het Nationale Ballet
among others.
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 most
recently with such companies
as New York City Ballet and
San Francisco Ballet. Later
this season, he will make his
debut at Covent Garden in
London conducting The Royal
Ballet. He has appears with
The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago,
Houston Ballet, Les Grands
Ballets Canadiens de Montréal
and Alberta Ballet, among
others. 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. In addition, he served
for six years as Music Director
of the Masterwork Chorus
and Orchestra in New York.
Mr. Briskin attended the
prestigious Indiana University
School of Music and received
a Bachelor of Music Degree
in Orchestral conducting from
the University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of
Music and a Master’s Degree
from Queens College, City
University of New York.
Ormsby Wilkins
Guest Conductor
A native of Sydney, Australia,
Ormsby Wilkins has been
Music Director of American
Ballet Theatre since 2005.
After taking his music studies
at the Conservatories of
Sydney and Melbourne, Mr.
Wilkins joined The Australian
Ballet and became Resident
Conductor in 1982. Moving
to Europe in 1983, he was
appointed Conductor with
England’s Sadler’s Wells
Royal Ballet (now called the
Birmingham Royal Ballet).
With Sadler’s Wells, Mr. Wilkins
toured North and South
America, Eastern Europe,
Israel and South East Asia.
Mr. Wilkins continued his
association with The Australian
Ballet, having been invited to
guest on many occasions for its
extensive engagements. Other
international engagements
have included Teatro all Scala,
Milan, the Rome Opera Ballet,
the Ballet of Teatro San Carlo
of Naples and the Royal
Swedish Ballet. Mr. Wilkins has
conducted many orchestras
around the world, both in
association with ballet and
in concert. They include the
Philharmonia and Royal
Philharmonic Orchestras of
London, The Royal Opera
House Orchestra, Winnipeg
Symphony, Calgary
Philharmonic, Edmonton
Symphony, Hong Kong
Philharmonic, Melbourne
Symphony, Tokyo
Philharmonic and National
Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa.
Prior to his appointment at
American Ballet Theatre,
Mr. Wilkins spent 16 years as
Music Director and Principal
Conductor of The National
Ballet of Canada where he
received much critical acclaim
for his conducting of the
National Ballet orchestra.
During his tenure at the
National Ballet, Mr. Wilkins
traveled with the company
to Israel, Asia and Europe.
He has also worked with the
one of the top brass bands in
North America, the Hannaford
Street Silver Band.
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 4000 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
City. 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
Page 13

of James Kudelka’s The Four
Seasons, Cinderella, and An
Italian Straw Hat, Jean-Pierre
Perreault’s The Comforts of
Solitude, Alexei Ratmansky’s
Romeo and Juliet, Aszure
Barton’s Watch her and Jorma
Elo’s Pur ti Miro, Matjash
Mrozewski’s Monument and
Wolf’s Court as well as works
by John Cranko, William
Forsythe, George Balanchine,
Sir Frederick Ashton, John
Neumeier and Jerome
Robbins.
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 USA 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
New! Ballet Talks
Now in the theatre
Now one hour before the performance.
Our hugely popular pre-performance Ballet Talks now take place in the
theatre to accommodate more people.
The Talks will take place in R. Fraser Elliot Hall in the Four Seasons Centre
ONE HOUR before every performance.
All ticket holders are welcome.
Enhance your experience and learn more about our productions from
National Ballet artists and ballet experts.
Seats for everyone!
Page 14 national.ballet.ca

Alexandre Riabko, Anna Polikarpova and Otto
Bubenicek of The Hamburg Ballet in Nijinsky.
Photo by Holger Badekow.
The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges
the support of Chanel.
Page 15