The National Ballet of Canada to Bring NIJINSKY to Paris

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for the company's upcoming tour to Paris with performances of Nijinsky, a ballet by John Neumeier. Marking the National Ballet's return to Paris for first the time in 45 years, Nijinsky will run from October 3 - 8, 2017 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté and First Soloists Skylar Campbell and Francesco Gabriele Frola will reprise the role of Vaslav Nijinsky. The role of Nijinsky's wife Romola will be danced by Principal Dancers Heather Ogden, Sonia Rodriguez and Svetlana Lunkina. Principal Dancers Evan McKie and Piotr Stanczyk will perform the role of ballet impresario and Ballet Russes founder Serge Diaghilev.

John Neumeier's moving, unflinching ballet is less a biographical study or narrative account of Nijinsky's life than a portrait of the artist's inner journey. Nijinsky is a work of great theatricality and a glimpse into the soul of an artist of unique and astonishing vision, whose life and works helped changed the face of modernity. One of the most legendary and transformative figures in the history of ballet, Vaslav Nijinsky transfixed audiences even as his own life descended into instability and finally, madness.

The company will also perform this masterwork in Toronto at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts November 22 - 26, 2017, in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre January 25 - 27, 2018 and in San Francisco at the War Memorial Opera House April 3 - 8, 2018.

Paris Tour Principal Casting

Vaslav Nijinsky

Guillaume Côté (October 3, 7 at 7:30 pm)

Francesco Gabriele Frola (October 4 at 7:30pm/October 8 at 4:00 pm)

Skylar Campbell (October 6 at 7:30 pm)

Romola Nijinsky

Heather Ogden (October 3, 7 at 7:30 pm)

Svetlana Lunkina (October 4 at 7:30pm/October 8 at 4:00 pm)

Sonia Rodriguez (October 6 at 7:30 pm)

Serge Diaghilev

Evan McKie (October 3, 7 at 7:30 pm)

Piotr Stanczyk (October 4, 6 at 7:30 pm/October 8 at 4:00 pm)

All casting is subject to change.

Click here for more information on The National Ballet of Canada's tour to Paris.

Pictured: Guillaume Côté in Nijinsky. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.