Rooster
& Soldiers' Mass & 24 Preludes by Chopin
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Performance Photo Gallery (5 images)
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24 Preludes by Chopin Rehearsal Photo Gallery (5 images)
- Marie Chouinard in rehearsal for 24 Preludes by Chopin
- Jordana Daumec with Artists of the Ballet in rehearsal for 24 Preludes by Chopin
- Jonathan Renna in rehearsal for 24 Preludes by Chopin
- Tiffany Mosher and Rebekah Rimsay with Artists of the Ballet in rehearsal for 24 Preludes by Chopin
- Martha Carter, Marie Chouinard and Jonathan Renna in rehearsal for 24 Preludes by Chopin
Performance Photo Gallery (5 images)
24 Preludes by Chopin Rehearsal Photo Gallery (5 images)
Rooster Performance Video 
Rooster rehearsal and interviews 
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Aleksandar Antonijevic in Rooster
About the Ballets
- Choreography:
- Christopher Bruce
- Music:
- The Rolling Stones
- Costume Design:
- Marian Bruce
- Lighting Design:
- Tina MacHugh
- Rooster is generously supported by Rosamond Ivey, Robert & Judith Lawrie, Gretchen & Donald Ross and Sir Neil & Lady Shaw.
March Break Special!
Rooster
Company Premiere
Set to eight of the most memorable songs by The Rolling Stones, British choreographer Christopher Bruce's Rooster is both an enormously entertaining evocation of the spirit and music of the 1960s and an examination through dance of the rituals and posturings inherent in the game of sex between men and women.
The Rolling Stones songs featured in Rooster are Little Red Rooster, Lady Jane, Paint it Black, Ruby Tuesday, Sympathy for the Devil, Not Fade Away, As Tears Go By and Play with Fire.
- Choreography:
- Jiří Kylián
- Music:
- Bohuslav Martinů
- Set & Costume Design:
- Jiří Kylián
- Lighting Design:
- Joop Caboort
- Baritone Soloist:
- Joseph Song Chi
- Chorus:
- Members of Toronto Mendelssohn Choir - Noel Edison, Artistic Director
- Soldiers' Mass is a gift from THE VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE, THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA.
Soldiers' Mass
Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů composed his Soldiers' Mass at the outbreak of the Second World War as a call to resist the forces of international fascism threatening Europe.
Jiří Kylián's 1980 ballet, set to Martinů's work, is a tribute to and remembrance of the young soldiers of all wars who died so that others might live in peace. Central to Kylián's achievement as a choreographer, it is a work of both intense sorrow and profound hope. The National Ballet of Canada's production will feature a solo by Baritone Joseph Song Chi and 24 men of The Mendelssohn Singers, the chamber choir of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
- Choreography:
- Marie Chouinard
- Music:
- Frédéric Chopin
- Costume Design:
- Vandal
- Make-up Design:
- Jacques-Lee Pelletier
- Lighting Design:
- Axel Morgenthaler
- Piano Soloists:
- Jean-François Latour and Edward Connell
- 24 Preludes by Chopin is a gift from THE VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE, THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA.
24 Preludes by Chopin
Company Premiere
Frédéric Chopin's famous piano Preludes are works at once rigorous in structure yet highly romantic in spirit. In her 1999 work 24 Preludes by Chopin, the renowned Québec choreographer Marie Chouinard explores this tension between the formal and the emotional, articulating in her distinctive dance style the rich variety of tone and complexity of feeling in these extraordinary pieces.
The piano soloists in 24 Preludes by Chopin are Canadian pianist Jean-François Latour and The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra's own pianist Edward Connell.
Sponsored by CIT
Reviews
Winter Mixed Programme
"National Ballet's versatility shines in triumphant trio"
- The Globe and Mail, 2008
"It will tickle your funny bone with the power of its sheer inventiveness, rock you in a blast of high test nostalgia and break your heart"
- Toronto Sun, 2008
"a kaleidoscope of choreographic invention."
- The Toronto Star, 2008
Rooster
"... fast, furious and wild Rooster even manages to transcend the music, no small feat."
- The Dallas Morning News, 1995
"... a sensation... sex, machismo, parody and deep, deep nostalgia hung in the air."
- The Independent, 1992
Soldiers' Mass
"It is a powerful ballet, building constantly to an unforgettable and haunting end, driven into an altered state of throat-binding beauty when the dancers briefly lend their own voices to those of... the COC chorus."
- Toronto Sun, 1995
"The male ensemble commanded the stage throughout fast-moving patterns and shifts, and never lost the momentum building in the underlying movement, texts and music. With Soldiers' Mass, the National Ballet has added a splendid work to its repertoire."
- The Globe and Mail, 1995
24 Preludes by Chopin
"24 Preludes... is a strikingly plotted exploration of music... Provocatively and methodically, Ms. Chouinard works against the traditional music-appreciation associations of each prelude. No sylphides or raindrop images here, just highly articulate bodies that have something of the animal and vegetable about them in their feline slink, birdlike flutter and blooming shapes."
- The New York Times, 2003
"24 Preludes is a memorable evening of dance, full of evocative tableaux and emotional messages."
- The Boston Globe, 2003
"24 Preludes... is a strikingly plotted exploration of music... Provocatively and methodically, Ms. Chouinard works against the traditional music-appreciation associations of each prelude. No sylphides or raindrop images here, just highly articulate bodies that have something of the animal and vegetable about them in their feline slink, birdlike flutter and blooming shapes."
- The New York Times, 2003"24 Preludes is a memorable evening of dance, full of evocative tableaux and emotional messages."
- The Boston Globe, 2003More
Ballet Talks
The National Ballet invites you to attend Ballet Talks 45 minutes before every show. These informative, engaging talks are hosted by a roster of ballet experts and offer interesting insights on the performance you are about to see. The talks are free to all ticket holders and take place in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre in the City Room of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
Ballet Talks are videotaped on opening night and can be watched on the website the following day.
Free Concerts
During the March Break, the National Ballet invites ticket holders to join us in the Amphitheatre of the Four Seasons Centre 45 minutes before every performance of Rooster & Soldiers' Mass & 24 Preludes by Chopin for free concerts presented by Assistant Conductor Judith Yan and members of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.
Click here for details.
Ballet Notes
Ballet Notes are in-depth guides to the company's dynamic repertoire featuring interesting articles, historical information and photographs. Ballet Notes are distributed at Ballet Talks or download them here.
Casting
24 Preludes by Chopin:
Guillaume Côté, Jordana Daumec, Tanya Howard, Stephanie Hutchison, Patrick Lavoie, Noah Long, Stacey Shiori Minagawa Tiffany Mosher, Andreea Olteanu, Marissa Parzei, Jonathan Renna, Rebekah Rimsay, Sonia Rodriguez, Piotr Stanczyk, Adam Toth, Brett van Sickle and Guest Artist Matjash Mrozewski.
(March 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 9, 15, 16 at 2:00 pm)
Piano Soloists
Jean-François Latour (March 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 16 at 2:00 pm)
Edward Connell (March 11 at 7: 30 pm/March 9, 15 at 2:00 pm)
Soldiers’ Mass:
Aleksandar Antonijevic, Kevin D. Bowles, Guillaume Côté, Keiichi Hirano, Nehemiah Kish, Zdenek Konvalina, Richard Landry, Etienne Lavigne, Patrick Lavoie, James Leja, Jeremy Nasmith and Piotr Stanczyk
(March 8, 12 at 7:30 pm)
Guillaume Côté, Naoya Ebe, Zdenek Konvalina, Martin Lindinger, Noah Long, Jonathan Renna, Avinoam Silverman, Christopher Stalzer, Robert Stephen, Brett van Sickle, Joseph Welbes and Aarik Wells
(March 9 at 2:00 pm)
Aleksandar Antonijevic, Kevin D. Bowles, Guillaume Côté, Keiichi Hirano, Nehemiah Kish, Richard Landry, Etienne Lavigne, Patrick Lavoie, James Leja, Jeremy Nasmith, Avinoam Silverman and Piotr Stanczyk
(March 11 at 7:30 pm/March 16 at 2:00 pm)
Guillaume Côté, Naoya Ebe, Keiichi Hirano, Zdenek Konvalina, Martin Lindinger, Noah Long, Jonathan Renna, Christopher Stalzer, Robert Stephen, Brett van Sickle, Joseph Welbes, Aarik Wells
(March 13 at 7:30 pm)
Aleksandar Antonijevic, Guillaume Côté, Naoya Ebe, Zdenek Konvalina, Martin Lindinger, Noah Long, Jonathan Renna, Christopher Stalzer, Robert Stephen, Brett van Sickle, Joseph Welbes, Aarik Wells
(March 14, 15 at 7:30 pm)
Aleksandar Antonijevic, Kevin D. Bowles, Guillaume Côté, Keiichi Hirano, Nehemiah Kish, Richard Landry, Etienne Lavigne, Patrick Lavoie, James Leja, Jeremy Nasmith, Piotr Stanczyk and Aarik Wells
(March 15 at 2:00 pm)
Rooster:
Little Red Rooster |
Martin Lindinger and Andreea Olteanu (March 8, 11, 12, at 7:30 pm/March 15, 16 at 2:00 pm) |
Lady Jane |
Nehemiah Kish and Heather Ogden (March 8, 11, 12, at 7:30 pm/March 15, 16 at 2:00 pm) |
Not Fade Away |
Etienne Lavigne and Jenna Savella (March 8, 11, 12 at 7:30 pm/March 15, 16 at 2:00 pm) |
Paint it Black |
Robert Stephen (March 8, 11, 12 at 7:30 pm/March 15, 16 at 2:00 pm) |
Ruby Tuesday |
Greta Hodgkinson (March 8, 11, 12 at 7:30 pm/March 15, 16 at 2:00 pm) |
Play with Fire |
Keiichi Hirano and Sonia Rodriguez (March 8, 11, 12 at 7:30 pm/March 15, 16 at 2:00 pm) |
Running Times
| 24 Preludes by Chopin | 0:40:00 |
|---|---|
| Intermission | 0:20:00 |
| Soldiers Mass | 0:28:00 |
| Intermission | 0:20:00 |
| Rooster | 0:28:00 | Total (approx) | 2:16:00 |