The National Ballet of Canada

So Romeo and Juliet.

John Cranco's Romeo and Juliet returns to National Ballet of Canada for the first time since 2009.

I actually think I've seen a different Romeo and Juliet at the National Ballet.

Not this specific one.

Obviously, we've got The Nutcracker happening.

Echoes of Stravinsky.

celebrates the National Ballet of Canada's long-standing commitment to live music and the exceptional artistry of its musicians with a triple bill featuring Christopher Wilden's Scenes de Ballet, George Balanchine's Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Mandy Walersky's Chamber.

So I think it's like all music of Stravinsky.

...

I mean, Winnipeg right now, and of course you've worked extensively with the National Ballet of Canada, so we love a, a full circle moment, you know?

Totally, yeah.

Didn't work out.

Mm-hmm

... super grateful for.

Um, one of my teachers, she was the director of the program at the time, former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, Nadia Potts, she actually just passed away this last year.

She was, a, an incredibly important teacher in my life, and really made me fall in love with ballet again.

Uh, Robert Binney is here with us to share some, um, chit-chats.

So I'll dive right in, and I'll let you know that Robert Binney is artistic director and co-CEO of Fall for Dance North, as well as a choreographer who's created works for the National Ballet of Canada, the Royal Ballet, the New York City Ballet, and Queensland Ballet.

Binney trained at Canada's National Ballet School, and spent 11 years with the National Ballet of Canada, beginning as choreographic associate, and later appointed director of artist development programs.

Robert created the National Ballet's Creative Action Program, which offers choreographic development opportunities to Canadian choreographers, and shares resources with the local dance community.

In 2023 and 2026, Binney was the choreographic mentor at the Venice Biennale College Danza, and guest curator for the Dance Made in Canada Festival.

Yeah.

No, but it's, like, I remember, I can think of two.

One was the first time I created, you know, like a proper main stage ballet for the National Ballet of Canada.

And we meet monthly, all of the executive directors and share knowledge.

But you have a scale from $25 million budget at the National Ballet of Canada to our budget of $3 million.

We uniquely export.

LABC would be an exporting company, a smaller company like we are, about 15 members.

If you've ever seen dance in the city, you are standing on ground she helped to clear.

Beside her is Joshua Beamish, who started his own company at 17, has made work for the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, who choreographed The Merry Widow for us here at Vancouver Opera.

He's just founded Ballet Vancouver, which opens its first season very shortly.

Two people, 40 years apart, who each looked at this city and decided, It needed more dance than it had.

Did anyone tell you that it was the first Giselle in Canada? Did it mean anything then, or is it only later that you realized it?

That's exactly right.

And we only really fussed about it being first when the National Ballet of Canada said, we're doing Giselle for the first time.

Well, immediately Nesta got on the phone and phoned Toronto and said, I think you better look up the statistics we have done, Giselle.

Hi, you're listening to Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman, which I hope inspires you through the personal stories of a fascinating diversity of musical guests.

I met Coleman Itzkoff when he was on stage playing cello and dancing for the Contemporary Ballet Procession with the National Ballet of Canada.

He'd also curated the music and I was immediately curious about his path.

I was also aware that he performed quite a bit with a previous guest of mine, Clay Zeller-Townson of Ruckus Early Music.

So it's been almost 10 years.

Yeah.

So when I heard you and met you, you were performing in procession for the National Ballet of Canada here in Ottawa, where I play.

And you'd also arranged the music for the orchestra.