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Paving the way in Ballet: A profile on Alexander Skinner
January 26, 2024Alexander Skinner is performing at the NAC in both Helen Pickett’s Emma Bovary and Crystal Pite’s Angels’ Atlas. On February 1st, which marks the first day of Black History Month, The National Ballet of Canada presents a stunning double bill in Southam Hall. Alexander Skinner, a Corps de…
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Fur-ocious satire flipping the script of Canadian history
January 23, 2024Frances Končan’s Women of the Fur Trade is a comedic and playful look at Canadian history, re-examining the narratives of Treaty 1 territory, the fur trade era, and the building of a new nation through a vibrant mix of rom-com and satirical gold. Frances is an Anishinaabe and Slovene…
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From the ice to the stage: Sean St. John’s journey to empower...
January 23, 2024Question: What do sports, the performing arts and the National Bank of Canada have in common? Answer: Teamwork, community, the desire to empower youth, and Sean St. John. Sean is an Ottawa-born descendant of Irish, French, and Mohawk First Nations heritage. He is also an Executive Vice…
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Victor Quijada, Artistic Director and Choreographer of RUBBERBAND
January 22, 2024Meet RUBBERBAND’s Artistic Director and Choreographer Victor Quijada! From street dance to classical ballet, Victor Quijada’s journey as a dancer is quite unique. He grew up in Los Angeles where he danced in the b-boying circles and hip-hop clubs, moved to New York City to join Twyla…
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Dance for Every Body
January 12, 2024Siôned Watkins, NAC Dance Education Associate and Teaching Artist, is making dance accessible for all. A former professional dancer, she is grateful to have made the leap from performing on the NAC stage to working for the NAC to promote, celebrate, and share the gifts of movement and…
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A Life-Changing Gift
January 12, 2024Devang Ghosh, a third-year Carleton University student, celebrated an important anniversary when he attended Handel’s Messiah at the NAC in December—it was the very first NAC performance he saw a little over a year ago. “That evening sparked a love for the performing arts within me,” he…
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99 and counting…
January 12, 2024Maryse Robillard has been a part of the fabric of the National Arts Centre for over 50 years! She turns 100 this February, so we thought it would be a good moment to celebrate her as a volunteer extraordinaire, a long-time loyal donor, and a member of the Emeritus Circle. Maryse knows…
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National Creation Fund’s new Artistic Producer encourages bold artistic dreams
January 11, 2024Sarah Conn loves dreaming with artists. “Listening to artists share early whispers of creative dreams is one of the most beautiful things,” she says. “Often these whispers are cryptic clues – a question, a feeling, an image, a sound.” The newly-appointed Artistic Producer of the NAC’s…
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Margarete Mrak: A gift that transcends time
December 18, 2023Margarete Mrak, the beloved matriarch of the Mark Motors Group, passed away on October 30, 2023, eleven years after her husband, Louis. Among the many gifts she leaves her children, including the qualities of grace, integrity and acceptance of people and circumstances, is an appreciation…
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Producers, the “Alchemists” of the Performing Arts
December 7, 2023For the second consecutive year, the National Arts Centre (NAC) hosted the National Producer Gathering. Held from November 20 to 25, this gathering was an opportunity for the dozen participants to share their knowledge and find solutions to the issues they face. Despite the crucial role…
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1 Elgin unveils a spectacular new season of Resident Chefs
December 7, 2023The much-anticipated return of the Resident Chef program in 2024 promises an adventurous culinary journey as it marks its fifth season. Showcasing a stellar lineup of remarkable culinary artists, this season invites patrons to savour an eclectic fusion of flavours, techniques, and cultural…
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The joy of Choir! Choir! Choir!
December 5, 2023You know them, you love them, and you may have sung your heart out with them over the years. Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman, aka Choir! Choir! Choir!, will have performed at NAC’s Southam Hall seven times by this December! Their shows are full of charm, laughter and a bit of sass. The…
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“Onah,” or the Idealism of Black Art
December 4, 2023To digitally mark the holidays in a meaningful way, the National Arts Centre is once again sharing Jimmy Baptiste’s Onah on the Kipnes Lantern, helping to light up the Nation’s Capital at this wintry time of year. The Haitian-Canadian artist’s work was originally commissioned by the NAC for…
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Ready, set, apply! The NAC Orchestra Bursary is back
November 30, 2023Making the cut It’s 1981 and a $1,000 prize is on the line in the first-ever edition of the National Arts Centre Orchestra’s Bursary Competition. Anything could happen. You make the cut. You get to compete in the NAC Orchestra Bursary competition! You’ve rehearsed the concerto on repeat,…
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Orienting ourselves in the dark
November 30, 2023And suddenly, it is the end of November. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, this means a time of shorter days and expanding nights. Here in Ottawa, brief sunrises accompany rumours of snow and the kind of cold that clears your mind. As we ease into darkness, I simultaneously…
