The National Arts Centre (NAC) announced today that Cathy Levy, Executive Producer, Dance, has agreed to extend her contract for four years, from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2020.

Cathy Levy, who joined Canada’s National Arts Centre in the fall of 2000, has acquired an enviable reputation throughout the Canadian dance community. Over the years Cathy Levy and her NAC Dance team have presented 300 productions by the most exciting dance artists from around the world, including Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Mariinsky Ballet, Louise Lecavalier, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Akram Khan.

Not only has Ms. Levy made Ottawa a “must perform” venue for these and many other top artists, she has also presented the best Canadian choreographers and dancers on the NAC’s stages and invested in them in order to create new work. During her tenure, the NAC has co-produced 70 works with leading Canadian and international dance artists such as last season’s critically-acclaimed Betroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young. Other emerging artists she has championed include Amber Funk Barton, Virginie Brunelle and Le Patin Libre, to name a few.

“Cathy Levy is responsible for making Ottawa the dance capital of Canada,” said Peter Herrndorf, President and CEO of the National Arts Centre. “She is masterful at creating seasons that blend the familiar with the unfamiliar and the traditional with the cutting edge. As a result, Cathy has built an extremely loyal audience. They trust her impeccable taste…and are grateful that she introduces them to the most fascinating choreographers in the world today, while bringing them the classics they love. We are thrilled that she will continue to make the NAC a showcase for the best in the world of dance.”

Under Cathy Levy’s leadership, the NAC’s dance season has expanded to include over 20 international and Canadian artists/companies each year in performances and special events, from classical ballet to contemporary to experimental dance works.  She has launched many new initiatives during her tenure, including the NAC Associate Dance Artist programme, an annual selection of outreach and education activities, new presentation models such as the innovative Face2Face series, and more in-depth commissioning and co-production projects, supporting up to five new works each year.  Cathy also maintains the close co-production partnership with the Canada Dance Festival, advancing even more Canadian artistic projects. 

“I’m delighted the NAC continues to have confidence in me,” said Cathy Levy. “The last 16 years have gone by so fast. I look back at everything our NAC Dance team has accomplished during that time, which is quite a lot. But I’m struck by all the discoveries that are still on the horizon in the field of dance. There is never a shortage of amazing artists and ideas left to explore.  ”

One of 2016-2017 season’s highlights include an NAC Dance collaboration with the NAC Orchestra next April called ENCOUNT3RS, a world premiere landmark commission that pairs three superb Canadian composers with three exceptional Canadian choreographers: Ballet BC’s trail-blazing Emily Molnar,  Alberta Ballet’s eminent and prolific Jean Grand-Maître and gifted dancer and choreographic associate with the National Ballet of Canada, Guillaume Côté. They will create three remarkable, one-act ballets, each with an original orchestral score, to be performed by dozens of dancers together with the Orchestra under the baton of music director Alexander Shelley. It will be an unprecedented event to mark Canada’s sesquicentennial.

BIOGRAPHY

Prior to the NAC, Cathy was Producer of the Canada Dance Festival for over a decade, commissioning and presenting new Canadian dance works, and was Dance Programmer for Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre for nine years where she ran an annual international contemporary dance series. Through her company Levy Productions, she managed a variety of contracts including serving as Performing Arts Coordinator for the Cultural Component of Canada’s Year of Asia Pacific. Cathy founded Dance Umbrella of Ontario in 1988, a service organization for independent dance artists, and served as its Executive Director for four years. Throughout her career, Cathy has worked with a variety of dance, theatre and music artists in Canada and abroad, and has participated in numerous national and international juries and advisory panels. She lives in Montreal with her husband, documentary film, TV and live event producer Martin Bolduc, and their two sons, Jonah and Luka.

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For more information, please contact:

Carl Martin
Communications
National Arts Centre
613-947-7000, x560
carl.martin@nac-cna.ca