Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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The Latest
Photo by Karolina Kuras.
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Review: Anna Karenina (The National Ballet of Canada)
Many have heard of Anna Karenina as one of literature’s great tragedies. It is the story of a woman torn between passion and social scrutiny, whose life ends in suicide. The National Ballet of Canada’s Anna Karenina closed the season with what I believe to be its strongest offering of the year. Christian Spuck’s interpretation of Tolstoy’s epic brings a modern clarity to a complex story, told with cinematic flair and some of the most compelling character-driven movement I’ve seen this year.
Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh.
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Big Moves from the Citadel: Expanding into Ada Slaight Hall
Some exciting news from one of Toronto’s favourite dance hubs: Citadel + Compagnie is expanding into a second venue for its 2025/2026 season. While its cozy home base at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance isn’t going anywhere, the company will now also present select performances at the larger Ada Slaight Hall inside Daniels Spectrum.
Photo by Karolina Kuras.
![Guillaume Côté and Greta Hodgkinson in Grand Mirage.]( "Guillaume Côté and Greta Hodgkinson in Grand Mirage.")
Review: Adieu (The National Ballet of Canada)
Adieu, the National Ballet of Canada’s latest program, is more than a performance—it’s a farewell to one of the country’s defining dance artists. After 26 years, Guillaume Côté takes his final bow as a principal dancer and one of the company’s first-ever Choreographic Associates. This run closes a chapter marked by passion, virtuosity, and a deep commitment to Canadian dance.
Photo by Sasha Onyshchenko.
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Burn Baby, Burn Returns and Tours: An Interview with Dancer Willem Sadler on Sweat, Style, and Urgency in Guillaume Côté’s Climate-Themed Work
Burn Baby, Burn is on the move—returning to Toronto for a remount at the Bluma Appel Theatre from June 6th to 8th, before heading to Montreal and Germany. Choreographed by Guillaume Côté and developed with the dancers of Côté Danse, this hour-long piece explores climate change and the collective urgency it provokes. International touring remains rare for Canadian dance, so this return and tour feel both welcome and noteworthy.
Forging Ahead: A New Era for the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
The Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company is stepping into a new chapter. This month marks their return to the stage with a fresh program of flamenco film and live performance — their first since leaving behind their long-standing home of the Fleck Dance Theatre. Now settling into the more intimate Meridian Arts Centre Studio Theatre, the company continues to push flamenco forward with the same dedication and artistry that has defined them for decades. I had the pleasure of chatting with Artistic Director Esmeralda Enrique about this new homecoming and what audiences can expect from their upcoming show.
REVIEW: Waitress blends retro charm with contemporary flair at Hamilton’s Theatre Aquarius (Intermission Magazine)
Unfaithful characters are usually hard to root for, but composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles’ 2016 musical Waitress complicates that assumption with humour and a whole lot of heart. Co-produced by Hamilton’s Theatre Aquarius and London’s Grand Theatre, this Canadian production of the Broadway show leans into the material’s messy moral dilemmas, and is unafraid to get a little steamy.At the story’s heart is Jenna (Julia McLellan), a waitress and expert pie maker working in a small-town diner in the A...
Photo by Dahlia Katz.
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Review: A Strange Loop (Soulpepper Theatre / Crow’s Theatre / TO Live / The Musical Stage Company)
Tyler Perry gets roasted, Harriet Tubman weighs in, and Usher’s thoughts sing backup in A Strange Loop—a musical that’s radically honest and cuttingly funny. A winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical, Michael R. Jackson’s work arrives in Toronto in a co-production from Soulpepper, The Musical Stage Company, Crow’s theatre and TO Live. And this Toronto staging, directed by Ray Hogg,, leans right into the show’s emotional, cultural, and theatrical density.
Photo by Drew Berry.
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Bloom Turns 9: A Look at York’s DSA Dance Showcase
There are not a lot of chances to perform in York University's BFA Dance Program. That’s why Bloom, a student-run production by the Dance Students Association of York University's Dance Department, is such an important space. Now in its ninth year, Bloom showcases new choreography by emerging artists from the York dance community. It’s entirely student-led and built from the ground up, offering a platform for students eager to experiment and a valuable learning opportunity across the board.
Photo by Bruce Zinger.
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Review: Charpentier’s David and Jonathan (Opera Atelier)
One of my favourite things about Opera Atelier is the adorable married duo at its helm. Led by director Marshall Pynkoski and choreographer Jeannette Lajeunesse-Zingg, the two first met in a Toronto ballet class in the early 1980’s and bonded over their shared love of baroque music, opera, and dance. In 1985, they launched Opera Atelier in Toronto, and this production of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s David and Jonathan marks their fortieth anniversary season.
Photo by SV Photography.
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Review: OPHIS (Transcen|Dance Project)
Back with another fantastic immersive dance experience is OPHIS, presented by TranscenDance Project. Created and choreographed by Julia Cratchley with an original score by Owen Belton, OPHIS reimagines the myth of Medusa in an intimate site-specific performance that takes over all three floors of Toronto’s historic Great Hall.
Photo by Rydel Cerezo.
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Review: PIÑA (FakeKnot / Toronto Dance Theatre)
Beginning with karaoké, snacks, and a warm gathering in Studio A at the Winchester Street Theatre, PIÑA—presented by FakeKnot and Toronto Dance Theatre—invites its audience into something more than a performance. Choreographed and performed in part by Ralph Escamillan, the evening gradually shifts from a community celebration to an intimate, layered exploration of identity, history, and the diasporic body.
Photo by Bruce Zinger.
![Genevieve Penn Nabity and Ben Rudisin in Swan Lake.]( "Genevieve Penn Nabity and Ben Rudisin in Swan Lake.")
Review: Swan Lake (The National Ballet of Canada)
Karen Kain’s 2022 Swan Lake is back on the Four Seasons Centre stage with the National Ballet of Canada—but this time, Tchaikovsky isn’t the first thing you’ll hear. Instead, each performance opens with “O Canada.” On opening night, the audience sang loud and proud, embracing this unexpected yet thoughtful gesture—a reflective nod amidst current trade tensions between Canada and its southern neighbour, and perfectly fitting for a ballet created by Canada’s very own ballet sweetheart.
Photo by Bruce Zinger.
![Christopher Gerty and Genevieve Penn Nabity in The Four Seasons.]( "Christopher Gerty and Genevieve Penn Nabity in The Four Seasons.")
Dawson, Goecke, Tudor: A Review of The National Ballet of Canada’s Winter Triple Bill 2025
A delicate reflection on time, a dark plunge into the subconscious, and a bold reimagining of a classic—the National Ballet of Canada’s latest Triple Bill offers an evening of works connected by a common thread of reflection and transformation. The program features the 50th-anniversary performance of Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, the gorgeous yet unsettling Morpheus’ Dream by German choreographer Marco Goecke, and a new take on The Four Seasons, choreographed by the National Ballet’s new Resident Choreographer, David Dawson.
Photo of Sandra Laronde. Photo by Tony Hauser.
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Sandra Laronde Receives 2025 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in Dance
Recognized as Canada’s highest honor in the performing arts, the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement celebrates artists for their outstanding and enduring contributions to culture in Canada and abroad. This year, the award is presented to Sandra Laronde—director, producer, choreographer, author, and Executive & Artistic Director of Red Sky Performance.
Photo by Roya DelSol.
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Review: everything i wanted to tell you (Vazari | Citadel + Compagnie)
With each lift, shimmy, and playful shove, everything i wanted to tell you (but couldn’t, so here it is now), choreographed by Jessie Garon, explores the physical and emotional push and pull of familial relationships. Presented by Vazari and Citadel + Compagnie, this contemporary dance work balances humor and gravity as it unpacks the joys and struggles of these family bonds, subtly questioning the cultural push toward setting rigid boundaries with family.
Photo by Karolina Kuras.
![Artists of the Ballet in The Nutcracker. Photo by Karolina Kuras. Courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.]( "Artists of the Ballet in The Nutcracker. Photo by Karolina Kuras. Courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.")
Review: The Nutcracker (The National Ballet of Canada)
The holiday spirit has begun! Cue the tacky christmas sweaters, endless carols, and every dancer’s favorite tradition: The Nutcracker. This world-famous ballet has become synonymous with the holiday season, performed by ballet companies around the globe. Yet when it comes to opulence, few can rival the National Ballet of Canada’s production.
Photo by Chris Randle.
![Photo of Dancers of Damelahamid, Raven Mother.]( "Photo of Dancers of Damelahamid, Raven Mother.")
Review: Raven Mother (Dancers of Damelahamid / DanceWorks)
Opening DanceWorks’ forty-eighth season is Raven Mother by Dancers of Damelahamid, a work that honors the legacy of Elder Margaret Harris, who co-founded the company in 1967 and was an integral figure in continuing the legacy of Indigenous cultural practices in Canada. Performed by her family, the work is a heartfelt tribute composed of narrative-based vignettes that showcase movement, music, and regalia of the Gitxsan people.
Photo by Karolina Kuras.
![Hannah Galway and Christopher Gerty in Silent Screen.]( "Hannah Galway and Christopher Gerty in Silent Screen.")
Review: Silent Screen / Body of Work / Rhapsody (The National Ballet of Canada)
Opening the season at the National Ballet of Canada is a Triple Bill that showcases that the company never shies away from a challenge. This program celebrates its own talents as well as the neoclassical and contemporary ballet worlds, featuring Body of Work, a solo by Canadian dancer Guillaume Côté; Rhapsody, a neoclassical ode to Sir Frederick Ashton; and Silent Screen, a cinematic contemporary ballet marvel.
Photo by Nicholas MacKay.
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Inside the National Ballet of Canada’s Premiere of Silent Screen: A Conversation with Medhi Walerski & Ben Rudisin
In anticipation of the National Ballet of Canada’s 2024/2025 season opener, I had the opportunity to speak with Medhi Walerski, Artistic Director of Ballet BC, and NBOC Principal Dancer Ben Rudisin about the Canadian premiere of Silent Screen. This 90-minute work, choreographed by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León, will be featured as a highlight in the company’s season debut on November 9, 2024.
Photo by Bruce Zinger.
![Artists of Atelier Ballet with tenor Antonin Rondepierre as Acis and soprano Meghan Lindsay as Galatea in the finale of Opera Atelier's production of Handel's Acis and Galatea. Photo by Bruce Zinger.]( "Artists of Atelier Ballet with tenor Antonin Rondepierre as Acis and soprano Meghan Lindsay as Galatea in the finale of Opera Atelier's production of Handel's Acis and Galatea. Photo by Bruce Zinger.")
Review: Acis and Galatea (Opera Atelier)
Opening Opera Atelier’s fortieth season is Handel's Acis and Galatea—an English-language opera staged at the beautiful Elgin Theatre. With a campy love story, playful humor, and lots of dancing, this production, directed by Marshall Pynkoski, delivers the kind of accessible, vibrant production that Opera Atelier is known for.
Photo by Sasha Onyshchenko.
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Review: Burn Baby, Burn (Fall For Dance North / Côté Danse)
Ending my time with this year’s Fall For Dance North (FFDN) festival is Burn Baby, Burn , a new work by Guillaume Côté / Côté Danse, presented at the Fleck Dance Theatre. Inspired by the collective actions needed to combat climate change, this piece follows a fiery theme—aptly reflecting the urgency of our times and particularly poignant as we witness the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Florida.
Photo by Drew Berry.
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Review: Big Time Miss (Fall For Dance North / Rock Bottom Movement)
World-premiering at the Fall for Dance North Festival, is Big Time Miss by Canada’s own Rock Bottom Movement, choreographed by Artistic Director Alyssa Martin. This work feels like watching Merce Cunningham on drugs—or maybe just finally letting his dancers feel something—sprinkled with a healthy dose of silliness and the occasional hip thrust. (Meant with all the respect in the world.)
Photo by Ravi Deepres.
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Review: Autobiography V98 + V99 (Fall For Dance North / Company Wayne McGregor)
Unapologetically postmodern, Autobiography V98 + V99, presented by Fall for Dance North at The Creative School Chrysalis at Toronto Metropolitan University is a 75-minute dance work by Company Wayne McGregor. The work draws from McGregor's genetic code to create 23 sections, representing the 23 chromosomes in the human genome, arranged randomly using AI. As a result, no two performances are the same.
Photo by Nanc Price.
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Review: Homecoming – 2024 Signature Programme (Fall For Dance North)
It’s officially dance season! For me, it all starts with the Fall for Dance North (FFDN) festival. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, this year’s festival feels bigger and better than ever. Kicking off this milestone season is Homecoming – 2024 Signature Programme, presented at The Creative School Chrysalis at Toronto Metropolitan University. This two-hour show (with two intermissions) features three works: The National Ballet of Canada’s islands, Cuba’s Malpaso Dance Company performing The Last Song, and Ballet Edmonton’s Feel No More.
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