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ENCOUNT3RS: a collaborative project with choreographer Emily Molnar
August 9, 2016Choreographer Emily Molnar's relationship with the National Arts Centre began when she first danced on stage with the National Ballet of Canada. She was seventeen years old. Now Artistic Director of Ballet BC, Molnar is one of three Canadian choreographers who have been commissioned by…
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Watch the NAC lantern take shape
July 29, 2016If you haven’t been near the NAC lately, you may have missed one of the most exciting and dramatic features of our renovation project so far. PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and their team from Delsan-AIM are approaching completion of the demolition phase of the project. Steel supplier Benson…
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Celestial sounds: the life of a harpist
July 23, 2016“People often associate the harp with heaven and angels,” says Manon Le Comte, a harpist who has been performing works like The Nutcracker, among many others, with the NAC Orchestra for over 35 years. “But there’s a very concrete aspect to it all: the pedals, the 2,000 metal parts, and one…
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Soar above the NAC Construction site
July 20, 2016If only the sound of construction work was as cinematic as Brahms' Symphony No. 4. A great deal of progress has been made on the NAC renovation project. Vast sections of the precast concrete exterior have been removed and the Fourth Stage and Panorama terrace have been demolished to make…
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Red carpet moments with 2016 GG Award recipients
June 30, 2016The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are Canada’s highest honour for the performing arts. This year's recipients are film producer Robert Lantos, singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark, choreographer Marie Chouinard, tenor Ben Heppner and…
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Southam Hall seats donated to three theatres
June 29, 2016The construction noise emanating from Southam Hall is very familiar to NAC employees now that we have entered the fourth month of the NAC renovations. Crews wasted no time in dismantling our historic venue. The first thing to go was the plush red seats. The NAC will donate more than 1,300…
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Choreographer Jean Grand-Maître speaks about ENCOUNT3RS
June 28, 2016ENCOUNT3RS is a landmark NAC commission that pairs three of Canada’s outstanding choreographic talents with three of the country’s most exciting composers. “It's been one of the most fascinating commissions so far in my life,” says choreographer Jean Grand Maître. Finding the right…
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The “big beam” floats through the NAC lobby
May 31, 2016Question: How do you move a 10 ton steel beam through the NAC lobby? Answer: On a cushion of air. In mid May PCL construction completed a significant milestone in the NAC renovation project. Members of Ironworkers local 765 installed a 10 ton (9071 kg) steel beam to support the new…
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Life Reflected Panel Discussion
May 24, 2016Renowned CBC News Network host Heather Hiscox leads a fascinating panel discussion about the four remarkable Canadian women who are the subjects of Life Reflected; author Alice Munro, teen Amanda Todd, astronaut Roberta Bondar, and Mi’kmaw poet and elder Rita Joe. Their stories are told…
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Frédérick Gravel explains why ‘Usually Beauty Fails’
May 19, 2016Frédérick Gravel is a philosopher searching for beauty using the language of dance. "My idea of beauty is constructed by the era, the society, the media." It is an ideal that Gravel finds himself constantly evaluating and re-imagining in his acclaimed work Usually Beauty Fails. Gravel…
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Janice and Earle O’Born donate $1.5 Million to the National Arts Centre
May 18, 2016Inspired by the National Arts Centre’s focus on investing in Canadian creators, Janice and Earle O’Born of Toronto have made an extraordinary gift of $1.5 million in support of the NAC’s future direction. Janice O’Born, who is a Director of the NAC Foundation, said “Earle and I are proud to…
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Belles Soeurs: The Musical - wanting it all for free
May 5, 2016Working-class housewife Germaine Lauzon wins one million trading stamps and invites family and friends over to celebrate. But pride and greed soon lead to envy. The women complain aggressively, overshare shamelessly, fantasize freely while they secretly covet Germaine’s precious…
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Choreographer Mélanie Demers provides 3 words that describe her work
May 5, 2016Choreographer Mélanie Demers provides the viewer with three words to describe her work: combat, débat and ébat (combat, debate and romp or lovemaking). "They have a lot of meaning for me, they’re a kind of summary of the way I interact with the world." Demers’ studies in literature, dance…
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Celebrating our stories: the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards
April 27, 2016"Telling stories about ourselves is like a highway that goes from coast to coast," says the celebrated film producer Robert Lantos, one of this year's recipients of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. "It's one of the ties that bind." In a career spanning over four decades,…
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My Name is Amanda Todd: telling her story through music
April 6, 2016When Canadian composer Jocelyn Morlock began to compose the music for My Name is Amanda Todd, one of four new Canadian works the NAC Orchestra has commissioned about remarkable Canadian women, she met with Amanda’s mother Carol Todd. "That was illuminating" Morlock said. "She feels like…
