Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal: Discover this famous dance company!
Founded in 1957 by Ludmilla Chiriaeff and today directed by Gradimir Pankov, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal features 37 dancers renowned throughout the world for their excellence. The famous company presents dance performances year-round in Montréal. Les Grands Ballets also tours regularly all across Canada as well as in the United States, Europe and Asia. The company has created original works, such as Cinderella (The Lost Shoe), Noces, Toot, The Queen of Spades and La Belle et la Bête.
To showcase the multiple facets of contemporary ballet, Les Grands Ballets calls on innovative choreographers with diverse styles, including Kim Brandstrup, Stijn Celis, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin and Didy Veldman, and each year invites guest companies from all over the world, which marvellously complement its programming.
The Nutcracker – The children’s ballet!
Each year during the Holiday season, the magical ballet The Nutcracker takes centre stage. Children of all ages are dazzled by these magnificent performances, celebrated for their splendid costumes and sets as well as their magical atmosphere.
A true classic
A classic that has delighted many generations of children since the 19th century, The Nutcracker was inspired by a tale by E.T.A. Hoffman. The ballet was first performed in 1892 in Russia, choreographed by Marius Petipa and set to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score. In 1940, Walt Disney adapted excerpts from The Nutcracker for his animated feature film Fantasia.
Many versions of The Nutcracker have been created over the years, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal performs its own, choreographed by the late Fernand Nault in 1964. This wonderful ballet, which features more than 100 dancers, including professionals and amateurs, adults as well as children, has become a true Holiday tradition.
You can’t put on The Nutcracker without children!
Any production of The Nutcracker would be unthinkable without many children among the performers. Every year, in September, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal recruits a number of budding performers at a series of auditions held in Montréal, Québec City or Ottawa. The youngsters play the roles of the children at the party as well as mice, rats, reindeer, candy-floss angels, Oriental characters, Russian dolls and sheep.
The young dancers rehearse their roles before joining the professional dancers. They put in an average of 500 hours of rehearsals to ensure they are ready for the première performance. Dancers who are chosen at Montréal auditions for the roles of Clara, Fritz, the children at the party and the sheep get to go on tour with the company, either to Ottawa or Québec City, depending on the year. |
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