Classic and contemporary pieces step into spotlight

Nutcracker, Leonard Cohen and a take on Shakespeare aim to delight audiences

From classical ballet to contemporary dance, a busy fall and winter season ahead in Toronto will keep you on your toes. Backbone by Canadian Stage, Nov. 2-12, Berkeley Street Theatre, canadianstage.com The “backbone” of the continents has served as the inspiration for this new dance and live-music performance from Red Sky Performance. Eight dancers from the company will blend Indigenous dance and athleticism to put power and spirit in the spotlight in this work directed by Sandra Laronde. Backbone will be making its world premiere with Canadian Stage. The Winter’s Tale, the National Ballet of Canada, Nov. 10-19, The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, national.ballet.ca English ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon creates a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s play with a work that “embraces the full range of the play’s emotional life, lavishing some of his most inventive and exuberant choreography to date on the rich and captivating characters that populate Shakespeare’s beguiling narrative.” Dance Works, 40th anniversary celebration, Nov. 16-18, Harbourfront Centre Theatre, harbourfrontcentre.com Toronto’s Dance Works marks 40 years by joining with Harbourfront Centre in a celebration featuring a rich exploration of dance from artists including Esmeralda Enrique and Joanna de Souza ( Amalgam), Holly Small and Robert W. Stevenson ( Cheap Sunglasses), Learie McNicolls ( The Night Journey and Dancing With The Ghost), and Denise Fujiwara ( Songs That Move Us). Navdhara India Dance Theatre, Amaara: A Journey of Love, Nov. 28, Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, harbourfrontcentre.com Marking the reintroduction of international dance to the Next Steps series, Mumbai’s Navdhara India Dance Theatre will engage with a Canadian audience for the first time with its Harbourfront Centre appearance, performing the globally acclaimed Amaara: A Journey of Love. Using Indian-Australian choreographer Ashley Lobo’s trademarked “Prana Paint” technique, the company will share the stage with Canadian talent for this inaugural appearance. The Nutcracker, by the National Ballet of Canada, Dec. 9-30, The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, national.ballet.ca Cue the cannon dolls and start looking — and listening — for the Sugar Plum Fairy as James Kudelka’s well-loved and sumptuous 1995 version of the holiday classic about quarrelling siblings and a magical journey returns to delight audiences. Dance Me/Music of Leonard Cohen, by BJM: Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Dec. 15, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, sonycentre.ca Fresh off its Dec. 5 Montreal world premiere, Toronto dance enthusiasts and Leonard Cohen fans alike can delve into an energetic new dance program set to a selection of beloved songs from one of Canada’s most adored musicians and poets. Dance Weekend ’18 by Dance Ontario, Jan.19-21, Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront, harbourfrontcentre.com If getting to know contemporary dance is one of your 2018 new-year resolutions, then this “feast of globally inspired dance” is a must-see. There are 25 professional Toronto companies with more than 350 dancers and live musicians on this busy three-day program, joining to celebrate contemporary dance in a variety of forms. The showcase also includes two world premieres from choreographers Shameka Blake and Riley Sims.