Kitimat

ANASTASIA
March 3, 2018 – Kitimat Concert Association
National Presenting Partner

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July 12, 2018
Register at:
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Urban/Commercial
A Message from Bengt Jörgen, Artistic Director & CEO
I am pleased to welcome you to this performance of
Anastasia. Created in commemoration of Canada’s Ballet
Jörgen 20th Anniversary and received with acclaim across
North America, CBJ is delighted to bring back this original
production, restaged for our 30th Anniversary season.
The idea for Anastasia grew out of a personal interest
in Russian history — Anastasia Nikolaevna was a real
historical figure, the rambunctious, free spirited youngest
daughter of the last Russian Tsar and a young woman
full of personality. The story of her life has become
a remarkable myth transcending facts, reason, and any
attempts to bottle her up in the footnotes of history and
continues to fascinate people close to 100 years after her disappearance in July
1918. The real human drama of a young girl cast adrift in one of the cataclysmic
events of the 20th century is a story I found impossible to resist.
I am indebted to The Michael Young Family Foundation for their extraordinary
financial support of this production. Additional funding for Anastasia was
generously provided by the Canada Council for the Arts, and numerous
foundations, corporations and individuals from across the country. The original
score for Anastasia was made possible with the support of The John D. McKellar
Charitable Foundation. This performance is made possible with the support of
The Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council’s Touring Programs
and our National Presenting Partner, BMO Financial Group.
Thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy the show.
Warmest regards,
Bengt Jörgen
georgebrown.ca | canadasballetjorgen.ca | georgebrowndance.ca
Cover: Saniya Abilmajineva by: Karolina Kuras
canadasballetjorgen.ca | 3

About Canada’s Ballet Jörgen
Canada’s Ballet Jörgen is a classical ballet company that aims to make ballet
accessible and relevant to 21st century audiences.
Canada’s Ballet Jörgen delivers programming in all 10 of Canada’s provinces as
well as into the United States. Every year the Company tours from coast to coast
travelling over 50,000 km to reach underserved communities. Canada’s Ballet Jörgen
enriches our lives by bringing professional ballet to communities — large and
small, urban and rural. Known for the warmth and beauty of its productions, CBJ
reaches every province, delivering more than 1,000 performances, ballet classes
and community engagement events involving over 150,000 participants annually.
About George Brown Dance
Canada’s Ballet Jörgen is also home to George
Brown Dance. Our programs offer exceptional
professional technical training in the heart of
downtown Toronto. With over fifty percent
of dance contracts in Ontario, Toronto offers
extraordinary opportunities to aspiring performers. Students can Earn their College
Diploma or Certificate specializing in: Classical Ballet, Contemporary Dance and
Urban/Commercial Dance
The unique leadership of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen’s expert instructors produces
dancers with the skills, confidence and connections necessary for employment in
this wide range of dance performance settings. George Brown College is rated #1
among GTA employers and our graduates are working in all aspects of the arts and
entertainment industry.
Learn more at canadasballetjorgen.ca and georgebrowndance.ca.
Photos from left to right: Saniya Abilmajineva & Daniel Da Silva by Johnny Vong, Saniya Abilmajineva & Daniel Da Silva
by Kevin Vagg
canadasballetjorgen.ca | 4
Canada’s Ballet Jörgen Artistic Staff
Artistic Director & CEO Bengt Jörgen
Company Dancers Saniya Abilmajineva, Anna Benko°, Erik Bruendl°, Junior Gaspar Caballero˘,
Kenny Chung˘, Hannah Mae Cruddas˘, Daniel Da Silva, Akari Fujiwara˘, Elizabeth Gagnon˘^,
Taylor Gill˘, Gustavo Hernandez˘, Adrián Ramírez Juárez˘, Annelie Liliemark,
Heather Lumsden-Ruegg~˘,Momoka Matsui˘, Leandro Prado, Ayva Rossouw-Holland~˘^,
Hiroto Saito, Isaac Wright+
Ballet Master Hiroto Saito
Principal Ballet Coach Svea Eklof
Stage Direction Heinar Pillar
Artistic Working Group Daniel Da Silva,Taylor Gill, Hiroto Saito
Footwear Assistant Annelie Liliemark
Mentorship Student Kimberly Dyer~
+ Appears Courtesy of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
° RBC Foundation Apprentice Dancer
˘ Past RBC Foundation Apprentice Dancer
^ Sponsored by Pivot Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics through the Sponsor-a-Dancer Program
~ George Brown Dance Graduate
Canada’s Ballet Jörgen Staff
General Manager Stephen Word
Director of Touring Cameron Smillie
Education Manager Clea Iveson
Production Manager Cindy Smith
Business Services Audrey Kwan
Program Manager, George Brown Dance Derek Sangster
Dance Program Coordinator Kia Kotsanis
Education Coordinators Melinda Doherty & Elise Tigges
Marketing Services Dana Ginsberg
Bookkeeper Irene Lockrey
Stage Manager Martine Beland+
Technical Director Christopher Axford
Lighting Director Adam Jules
Wardrobe Supervisor Chelsea Conn
Hamilton & Kitchener Coordinator Allyson Wenzowski
Ottawa Coordinator Kita Szpak
Saskatoon Coordinator Jim Hodges
+ Appears Courtesy of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
Board of Directors
Chair Mara L. Nickerson
Vice-Chair Rob D. Brouwer
Past Chair David Aylward
Chair, Finance & Audit Committee Heather Baker
Directors Salvatore Badali, Heather Baker, George Bothwell, Jane Cooke-Lauder,
Kevin Goldthorp, Daisy Heungˆ (Director in training), Elaine M. Todres, Helene Vukovich,
David Windross
Special Advisor to the Artistic Director & CEO Alden Hadwen
Atlantic Advisory Board Janice Flemming, Leila Kovacevic, Eddy Ng, candice prior
Honorary Trustees Steven Carter, Richard W. Dodds, William B. Harris, Buchanan Henderson,
Corey Keeble
Co-Founders Bengt Jörgen & Susan Bodie
ˆ Girls On Boards, G(irls)20 Programs
canadasballetjorgen.ca | 5

Synopsis
Act 1
Prologue
A young girl and a lady are looking at a photograph album. The woman talks about the
photographs and the young girl sits transfixed, hanging on every word.
The gardens of the Alexander Palace at Tsarsko Selo, the Imperial residence – 1914
The young Grand Duchess Anastasia is playing with her companion Dimitry, the son of
a palace kitchen maid. Anastasia is quite a tomboy and the two begin roughhousing.
Anna, the imperial Nursemaid, enters and scolds her charge for carousing with a peasant.
She chastises Anastasia and chases Dimitry out of the garden. In his hurry, he leaves
behind his slingshot — which Anastasia retrieves for safe keeping.
she created so many years ago. A commotion stirs her from her daydream. A dirty,
dishevelled peasant staggers into the garden clutching stolen goods from the palace.
He freezes at the sight of Anastasia and drops his bundle to the ground. It is Dimitry.
He is being pursued by the palace guards.
Anastasia retrieves his bundle and places it firmly back into his arms. Dimitry gratefully
acknowledges her gesture and moves to exit but realizes he is surrounded by the guards.
Anastasia quickly hides him and when the guards enter the garden, she assures them that
she is alone. After they exit, the two have a soft moment together before Dimitry runs off.
St. Petersburg
Struggling under extreme conditions, the workers gather and demonstrate, begging for
food and peace for Mother Russia. Revolutionaries lead the call for change, andtensions
mount. As the protests grow larger, authorities spring into action andchaos and panic
ensue. The demonstration ends with arrests and
injured Revolutionaries.
Some of the demonstrators who escape take refuge underground. They tend to their
wounds and regroup — a revolutionary urges them to take up armed and outright
struggle with the regime. Dimitry is amidst this group of passionate, working class rebels.
Their outrage against the pain and suffering of their people becomes a battle cry as
weapons are distributed.
A drawing room within the palace
Meanwhile, Anastasia prepares for her debut at court. Still playful, she rebels against
wearing the overblown dress coat to her first ball. She is a becoming a young woman:
Poised and beautiful. The Tsar enters and he presents to his daughter a beautiful tiara,
before escorting her to the grand ballroom.
The Tsaritsa enters the gardens, accompanied by an Orthodox priest. Her stately elegance
and quiet reserve is in complete contrast to that of her young daughter, Anastasia.
Shortly after her arrival, Anastasia’s sister Tatiana enters the garden looking for her
mother. Tender moments between mother and daughters are interrupted by the arrival
of a military messenger. Russia is going to war. The Tsaritsa shares the news with her
companions; as the news reverberates through the Imperial household, all fall to their
knees, praying for Mother Russia.
Throughout the Empire, Russians gather as the troops march off to war.
The gardens of the Alexander Palace at Tsarsko Selo, two years later.
Anastasia and her sister Tatiana are more mature, and are busy at work. They are
organizing medical supplies for the wounded at the hospital set up by the Tsaritsa and
her daughters on the grounds of the Imperial residence. The seriousness of their work
is tempered somewhat by talk of Tatiana’s attraction to a handsome young officer.
The officer enters the garden to offer his assistance. He escorts Tatiana offstage with the
medical supplies, leaving Anastasia alone with her thoughts. She remembers the affections
she had for her childhood playmate Dimitry, and reminisces. Suddenly she remembers!
The slingshot from so long ago is still there. Anastasia retrieves it from the hiding spot
In the palace ballroom all manner of aristocrats adorn the palatial ballroom, enjoying the
festivities. It is a stark contrast to the struggle of the working class. The gathered assembly
sink into curtsies and bows as the royal family is announced. Anastasia is formally
presented before the court. After her first dance, and as the Tsar and Tsaritsa lead the
guests in the Grand Waltz, a military officer offers Anastasia his hand. The merriment
grows and then — a tremendous commotion brings the ball to a halt! Revolutionaries
rush in, Dimitry amongst them. The Imperial family is seized and Dimitry ordered to
arrest Anastasia. They are face to face before she
is led away.
Act 2
Prologue
–INTERMISSION–
The Imperial family and their entourage are led into captivity
Ipatiev House – Ekaterinburg
Peasants and soldiers mill about, and the Imperial Family is led to their new quarters.
The sight of the humbled former rulers causes the working class to celebrate — power
has shifted, and the empire is no more. Downstairs, the atmosphere is disrupted by
Anastasia’s entrance. She asks for food for the family, and a reluctant solider is ordered to
Photos from left to right: Gustavo Hernandez & Kelsey Miller by Ian Donaldson, Adrián Ramírez Juárez by Lawrence Ho
canadasballetjorgen.ca | 6
canadasballetjorgen.ca | 7

ing her some bread. The soldier demands payment and Anastasia is forced to hand
over her tiara. An officer intervenes and returns the tiara to Anastasia. He dismisses the
crowd, leaving Anastasia alone with two guards. Anastasia laments the bleak situation of
her family, before retiring upstairs. Grabbing the bread, she inadvertently leaves her tiara
behind.
Newly promoted from within the ranks, Dimitry enters. He has arrived from Moscow and
now carries an execution order for the Imperial Family. He dismisses his escorts and his
distress becomes visible, even more so upon discovering the tiara that Anastasia left
behind.
Anastasia returns to retrieve her jewels and catches Dimitry off-guard. His happiness to see
her is met only with Anastasia’s cold anger. Dimitry implores her to listen — he wishes to
talk to her. On seeing his pain she allows herself a brief moment of hope, and then realizes
the futility of the situation that they are in. She turns away. Dejected, Dimitry lets his
frustration show, realizing that he is the only one can help his childhood friend. Soldiers
enter, awaiting their orders and a military official picks up the execution command.
Dimitry is in charge of the operation.
Upstairs Quarters
The Imperial Family is told that the frontline of the civil war is rapidly approaching the city,
and that they are to be moved. They gather for a short prayer. Dimitry and the soldiers
enter and the Imperial Family exits with the soldiers. Dimitry seizes the opportunity by
grabbing Anastasia, holding her back. Desperate, he begs Anastasia to listen to him. He
shows her the execution order and pleads with her to save herself. She knows she may
already be too late to help her family and — overwhelmed by panic and confusion — she
breaks down. Dimitry knows he must move quickly. He disguises Anastasia and hides her.
He cuts his own arm to draw blood, and then throws open the window. He raises the alarm
and the guards burst into the room – he indicates that Anastasia has escaped through the
open window. As the guards rush off, Dimitry grabs her from her hiding place and ushers
her out of the room while pretending to join the search.
Dimitry leads the search party but now he has a young soldier at his side. He dispatches the
remaining troops so that only the young soldier remains. It is Anastasia, and she is terrified.
Leading her off, into the woods, they hear the sound of gunshots, and then it is silent.
Anastasia wildly tries to run towards them — she is frenzied, devastated. Dimitry must
restrain her and he tries to settle her. The two realize the hopelessness of their situation,
and they cling to each other for comfort before escaping further into the woods.
The next morning, a nearby convent
The two young lovers approach the convent gates. A nun comes out and watches a tearful
farewell. She ushers Anastasia into the sanctuary of the convent walls, but Dimitry is left
alone at the convent gate. He sends a final prayer for Anastasia’s safe keeping.
Anastasia Cast (in order of appearance)
OLDER LADY
*ANASTASIA’S DAUGHTER
ANASTASIA
DIMITRY
NURSE MAID
TSARITSA – ALEXANDRA FYORODOVNA
ORTHODOX PRIEST
TATIANA
YOUNG OFFICER
REVOLUTIONARY AGITATOR
TSAR – NICHOLAS II OF RUSSIA
*BALLROOM ATTENDANTS
BOLSHEVIK OFFICER
DOCTOR
CHAMBER MAID
NUN
SOLDIERS, SERVANTS & WORKERS
*SERVANTS & PEASANTS
LOCAL YOUTH CAST IS COURTESY OF
LOCAL REHEARSAL SPACE PROVIDED BY
* Local Participant Role
Casting subject to change
Ayva Rossouw-Holland
Local Participant
Saniya Abilmajineva
Gustavo Hernandez
Ayva Rossouw-Holland
Hannah Mae Cruddas
Bengt Jörgen
Momoka Matsui
Junior Gaspar Caballero
Hiroto Saito
Adrián Ramírez Juárez
Local Participants
Isaac Wright
Bengt Jörgen
Heather Lumsden-Ruegg
Akari Fujiwara
Members of the Company & Local Participants
Rachel Barnes, Sydney Bovingdon,
Dianna Campbell, Issabella Carrita,
Elizabeth Fialho, Amelie Hrynkiw,
Unity Kukulies, Haley Orr, Chiara Rigoni,
Sherryanne Smeader, Madison Sommerfeld
Dance Kitimat Studio Inc.
Dance Kitimat Studio Inc.
Epilogue
The woman ends her story, and closes the photograph album. The young girl’s eyes shine
with amazement at the mystery of the story and she grabs the older woman’s hand.
They sit down and the lady reaches into her shawl pocket to take out a tiara — which she
gently places in the young girl’s hand.
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canadasballetjorgen.ca | 9

Anastasia Production Credits
Choreography: Bengt Jörgen
Composer: Ivan Barbotin
Set & Costume Design: Sue LePage
Lighting Design: Bonnie Beecher
Stage Direction: Heinar Piller
Additional Synopsis & Concept Development: Clea Iveson & Heinar Piller
Rehearsal Coaches: Svea Eklof & Cindy Macedo
Music: Russian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Konstantin Krimets
Producers: Pavel Lavrenenkov & Natalia Ruzhanskaya
Sound Engineers: Aleksander Karasev & Gennady Trabantov
Editor: Pavel Lavrenenkov
Scenic Carpentry Properties: Hamilton Scenic Specialty
Properties: The Paragon Innovation Group
Costume Coordinator: Industry Costumes
Costume Construction: Industry Costumes, Evan Stillwater for H’Evan-Lee Creations,
Arana Enterprises
Special Thanks: Layla Azer, George Brown College School of Fashion Studies, and
Carolyn Watt, BSc PT, Kitimat Child Development Centre, Kitimat General Hospital
National
Presenting Partner
RBC Emerging Artist Project
Many thanks to our 2018 Sponsors
Anastasia was made
possible by
Operating Support
This presentation is made possible in part by
support from the Canada Council for the Arts &
Ontario Arts Council’s Touring Programs
Teva Canada Innovation
Education Partner
Unparalleled Dance Training
2ö18
Summer
Dance
July–August
For complete audition and
program information visit
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education/summer-dance
Atlantic Youth
Programming Partner
Travel Partner
Programming Partners
We thank Aeroplan for its ongoing
support through the Aeroplan
Member Donation Program
Foundation Partners
Dancer Sponsor and
Health & Wellness Partner
Captian Printworks
Findlay Family Foundation, The Linda Frum and Howard Sokolowski Foundation,
Sanford McFarlane Family Foundation
canadasballetjorgen.ca | 10
canadasballetjorgen.ca | 11

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