The National Ballet Of Canada Named Best Company Of The Year

The National Ballet of Canada has been named Best Company of the Year by l'Association Professionnelle de la Critique de Théâtre, de Musique et de Danse in France for the company's performance of John Neumeier's Nijinsky in October 2017 at Paris' Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. The highly prestigious award was announced today at the Grands Prix de la critique ceremony at the Théâtre Paris-Villette in Paris.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director, sent the following statement to be read at the event: "It is a great honour to receive this award from such a distinguished body. Performing Nijinsky in Paris was one of the highlights of the past year for The National Ballet of Canada. I want to thank John Neumeier for creating this extraordinary ballet and our dancers for bringing it so vividly and movingly to life. I also want to express my appreciation for the marvellous Parisian audiences who embraced our company with such generosity and passion. Thank you for this wonderful award and I hope our company returns to Paris soon."

The tour to Paris began the 2017/18 season last October, marking the National Ballet's first appearance in the City of Lights in 45 years. Performances of Nijinsky were met with critical acclaim and instant standing ovations night after night. In addition to Paris this season, Nijinsky was performed to great acclaim in Toronto, Ottawa and San Francisco.

The National Ballet's 2017/18 season concludes June 22, 2018 with a mixed programme featuring Justin Peck's Paz de la Jolla & James Kudelka's The Man in Black & Alexander Ekman's Cacti.

Photo: Guillaume Côté in Nijinsky. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic