A major opportunity came along for the ballet in Rudolph Nuryev, who helped to propel Karen Kain to stardom, and to gain recognition for the company. Overall, the company benefited from the experience, but Franca didn't get along with him, and retreated to her office when he was around. Nuryev's Sleeping beaUty was a major achievement in the acquisition of Classical ballets, but not all of the dancers were ready, and it cost double the projected budget, putting the company deep in debt. What it did do however was increase the standard of the company, and to help establish them as a classical ballet company.
A major force in the National ballet was Erik Bruhn, who was approached for the artistic directorship several times before his tenure. He brought several new works to the company, and remounted old ones, helping to firther push the boundaries of the company. Bruhn was a free spirit, and fought against the rigid codes of lyalty and obligation, which limited the dancers' opportunities to move within other companies. He encouraged the interchange of dancers among companies, and he provided in his will for the establishment of an annual prize to be awarded to one male and female dancer in competition among four companies. The comanies were the Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, and Royal Danish Ballet. Participation is by invitation, and the judges were the artistic directors of the participation companies. It was an opportunity for young and promising dancers to showcase themselves between ages 18-23. In 1995, Johan Persson and Jamie Tapper of the National Ballet of Canada won for their rendition of the Balcony Pas De Deux from Romeo and Juliet.
Glenn Tetley, another choreographer associated with the National Ballet, brought a distinctive sense of movement to the company, combining classical and modern ballet. His ballet Alice, was created specifically for the company, and ballets such as Sphinx and La Ronde continue to serve as showcases for our dancers. In 1996, Gisella Witkowski danced her signature role Sphinx for her farewell performance.
Lastly, one of the largest contributers to the company is it's current Artistic director James Kudelka. Within Kudelka's works are several recurring themes of the relationship between the child and adult world and the enigmatic solitude of the individual in society. Over the years, Karen Kain has been his main muse, and the ballet The Actress was created as a signature for her.
I hope you've found my brief history of the National Ballet informative. For more detailed information, please read Power to Rise by James Neufeld.
To view some photos from National Ballet productions go onto my Ballet Photo Gallery
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