Dreaming Big: Artists Unite for the NAC’s SPHERE Festival  

“What an incredible celebration of creativity from across Canada and around the world we experienced together at this season’s SPHERE Festival! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your passion and support for the arts! ” 

Alexander Shelley, NAC Orchestra Music Director 

“As a creator and movement designer, I have always dreamed on a large scale, knowing that my work finds its fullest expression in expansive formats. The commission from the NAC affirmed this, validating our ability to realize our collective imagination,” shares Andrea Peña, Colombian Canadian choreographer.

Andrea is reflecting on UAQUE, her newest creation co-commissioned for the SPHERE festival by NAC Dance and the NAC Orchestra, which featured Edward Burtynsky’s striking photography.

From September 10-20, artists from every NAC discipline joined in the SPHERE festival, sharing the fruits of their imaginations with more than 10,000 visitors. Through performances, discussions, and art, the festival explored our fragile relationship with Mother Earth and our role as her stewards.

Among these works was Homelands, created and performed by Kahnyen'kehàka (Mohawk) choreographer Santee Smith, Artistic Director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. As Kevin Loring, Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre reflects, “Homelands speaks to the very point the SPHERE festival was set up to express: our relationship and responsibility to Mother Earth. I cannot think of a more powerful or poignant work to express the deep spiritual connection Indigenous Women have to the life-giving waters of this land.” 

Another powerful production, The Salmon of the Mitis River, created by Christine Beaulieu, invited the audience to step into the skin of wild salmon, follow their remarkable journey, and show how human actions have reshaped their reality.  This co-production, uniting the NAC Orchestra, NAC French Theatre, NAC Indigenous Theatre, and Champ gauche, illustrated the interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world. As NAC French Theatre Artistic Director Mani Soleymanlou stated, “Presenting this intimate yet engaged work with an orchestra for the first time has given it an extra dimension that will attract new audiences.” 

It’s your generous gifts that make it possible for artists like Andrea Peña, Santee Smith, and Christine Beaulieu to bring their bold visions to life. “These artists succeeded in making their voices heard, bringing their creations to the world, and staging them to their full potential. Your support is essential to the development of the performing arts, and its impact is enormous,” said Caroline Ohrt, Executive Producer of NAC Dance.

Andrea agreed, saying, “The collaboration with NACO opened a new world to me as an artist. It allowed me to fully imagine and shape the sonic landscape of the piece. This partnership transformed my artistry.” 

Audience members, too, were transformed by the SPHERE festival. Following the festival’s closing night concert with Renée Fleming and the NAC Orchestra, one attendee described the performance as “a deep tissue massage for the soul.”