Where Beauty, Grace and the Camera Meet, the National Ballet of Canada comes on Set.

Who hasn't likened a ballet dancer to a fairy godmother of sorts? I know I have. Funny enough my late Godmother Maria Kurthi was in fact a Prima Ballerina in her day in the 30s/40s in Vienna, Austria. She arrived to Canada where she bonded with my mother and took her under her wing and taught her the art of ballet. My mother had also just come to the country via Germany from Hungary and found in Maria a mentor.

The art form of ballet and ballet dancers have a timelessness and a mystique that is not quite easily described. I know out of the many people to have crossed my path as a child, my moments with my godmother Maria stood out to me. Her gentle grace, her smile and her sincere charm and warmth were truly distinct. I find there is always a feeling of nostalgia while watching ballet. I was pretty enchanted as Elena Lobsanova, a principal dancer for the National Ballet, moved on set for the camera tests and I watched intently during her progressions through the choreography. Though Elena was definitely concentrating on the task at hand she made a point to look over and send me a smiling glance, befitting of a star, to notice others and make them feel welcome.

The piece being performed for the camera was Robert Binet's "The Dreamers Ever Leave You". The footage will be a part of an upcoming performance at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I can tell you that what I saw was absolutely stunning and I was definitely mesmerized. There were points where Robert would come on set and work with the dancer and it was a very unique experience to see the precision and care put into perfecting each movement.

Throughout the weekend several members of the Canadian ballet troupe were filmed for what will be included as the digital promotion of the actual gallery performance within the walls of the AGO coming this August.

The tickets go on sale for AGO members and National Ballet members on the 22nd of May and it is an immersive theatre performance, meaning the audience in some way plays a role, whether that is of a witness as they roam through the spaces as the performance takes place around them or as the role of an actual character.

As a film studio servicing the creative industries, it was a complete pleasure to have been able to support and be a part of such a wonderful project that enhances our culture the way only the fine arts can. You can get your tickets here.

​IamDreamfire

Same article on Pie in the Sky Studios website here