1950 Magnet Yearbook

72 THE MAGNET
BALLET IN CANADA
CnItA LH: H " :\ :-'(H l, 1E
L'n til fi f h-t'n n 'ar~ a/.:'o BaUd was not
,'(>1I".;,left'd H Ill' - of Canada's arts. The
~radllal appn-ciation o f Haller in Canada
is lar/.:'d)' due 10 profc-sional companies
l"om inl.:' to Canadian citie -, f rom the
L'n ih",1 ~ t a h's and abro..ad. but it is abo
tim' 10 th l' effo rt.. oi a few peo ple in this
co uutr v who ha n - wo rked to lav a foundation
. for the recocnition o f this art.
The ma jority of tho-e who han' pionl"l'Tt"'!1
Ballet in Canada came from Europe:
and hTOU~lI the training and culture o f
tjn- old world to the new. joined and
-upportc..1 by Canadian dan cers. they are
~radtlally creat ing" a dance ionn which
rd'lt"l'[s the lif" o f thi.. countrv and wh ich
is becoming inae;J. singly Canadian.
The Canadian Baller Festival held in
Toronto In :\Iarch of 1949 was the firs t
Canadian Dan ce Festival on a national
scale. II broug-ht to the Canadian public
ior the first time the accomplishments of
Canadian Hallet. Ten companies irom
six cities across the Dominion participared.
and audie nce support exceeded all
expectations. The unprecedented interest
in the Festival was burnt' out bv the fact
that the Canadian Broa dca~ti ng" Corporation
considered it sufhcieutlv important to
devote a three-hou r CO..1.~ t tit coast broadcast
to the Fc ~ t i \ ' a l while the Xational
Film Boa rd made a permanent record of
all the Balk ts product-d.
Si IlCt ~ Hallet incorporates many arts,
sUl"h as pa inting, drama, and music, as
\\"("11 as (lalll'ill!-:", it is a most suitable mediutu
for rhe cncou rngt-mcnt of these other
arts ill Canada, and therein lies a part o f
its slron!-:" appcul. There wvre two Ballets
in the 1949 Ft'stival with original mu sical
SCOrt'~ by Can adian com posers, decor by
Canadian artist:', and chorl'o!-:"ral,hy by
Canadia n dancers.
Can ada should Ill' eterually grateful to
those who have worked so hard to promoll'
Hallet. :\fa \" their dforls continue
to pro-per-
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A s ,h,' S Ill! yo"s t/m." l.
A 11/0011 b"r/ill s to sl«n,-,
5 Iti"i'19 iI/ its r,'Om/ rOIIS glory
For all tit.' r,'Orltf to Imu.:.:. •
l sce.
lI 'h"1l th.' 11/0011 is /rjgh.
T he stars bt'yin to /'....k.
Cit-ali/illY. ",·dt'.'/IIiIlY.
For all the .,'Orlt/ to s....k .
AI/d 1/0