The National Ballet of Canada - Emergence / Silent Screen

Choreography: Crystal Pite
Original Score: Owen Belton
Set Design: Jay Gower Taylor
Costume Design: Linda Chow
Lighting Design: Alan Brodie
Staged by: Eric Beauchesne
Choreography: Sol León and Paul Lightfoot
Music: Philip Glass
Set and Costume Design: Sol León and Paul Lightfoot
Lighting Design: Tom Bevoort
Film Concept: Sol León and Paul Lightfoot
Film Realisation: Metropolis Film and Dicky Schuttel

Showcasing the power and breadth of The National Ballet of Canada’s recent repertoire, this programme pairs two groundbreaking works from leading contemporary dancemakers: Crystal Pite’s Emergence and Silent Screen by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot.

Two acclaimed works return to The National Ballet of Canada in a dynamic double bill celebrating the company’s innovation and global influence. Crystal Pite’s award-winning Emergence was a breakout success that redefined the relationship between classical and contemporary traditions, while Silent Screen introduced the storied partnership of Sol León and Paul Lightfoot to Toronto audiences through one of their most admired creations. Together, these mesmerizing works embody the ambition and artistic excellence that define the National Ballet today.

Canada’s Crystal Pite created Emergence for The National Ballet of Canada in 2009, her first commission for a large ballet company and the beginning of a significant creative partnership. Today, she is world-renowned for work that is fearless and profoundly human in its exploration of connection, conflict, mortality and consciousness. In Emergence, she likens the human instinct for social organization to insect behaviour, moving swarms of dancers through a subterranean, hive-like world shaped by Owen Belton’s mysterious soundscape.

Silent Screen captivated Toronto audiences in 2024 with its company premiere, marking The National Ballet of Canada’s first collaboration with the storied duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot. A defining piece in the León-Lightfoot canon, it immerses the dancers in an abstract silent film projected across shifting screens, which expand and contract the stage. Featuring the music of Philip Glass, Silent Screen is a moving meditation on the human experience that layers dance with theatre and film.

Tickets start at $57

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