A Pas de Deux for the Future

Uniting three different Canadian choreographers with three composers to create three new one-act ballets in celebration of Canada’s 150 is

ENCOUNT3RS, a presentation at the National Arts Centre from April 20 to 22. From this intriguing fusion, audiences will get an opportunity to see the extent of Canadian ballet. But it raises the question: what is Canadian ballet, exactly?

Cathy Levy, the NAC’s executive producer of dance, says that defining a Canadian style can be tricky: “We have to keep in mind that Canada is a huge country. I don’t think there’s one style.” Generally, she notes, our ballet is known for its “incredible craft, ingenuity, theatricality, and experimentation.”

In ENCOUNT3RS, perhaps the most intriguing pair is composer Andrew Staniland and choreographer Jean Grand-Maître. Staniland has an affinity for new music (using electronics and computers), which sounds like a perfect match for Grand-Maître’s experimentations. (Currently at the helm of Alberta Ballet, he has collaborated with the likes of k.d. lang and Sir Elton John). Early concepts between these two involved “exploring metaphysical themes, which connect with concepts of infinity and ancient sciences.” Sci-fi suite, anyone?