Denise Sum

“Anna Karenina”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 13, 2025

When “Anna Karenina” appeared on the National Ballet of Canada’s season schedule, it was a surprise that it was not the John Neumeier version that the company co-produced in 2018 alongside the Bolshoi Ballet and Hamburg Ballet. Instead, the NBoC announced that it would present the North American premiere of Christian Spuck’s 2014 version, originally created for Ballet Zürich

Adieu: A Celebration of Guillaume Côté
“Bolero”, “Reverence”, “King’s Fall”, “Grand Mirage”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
May 30, 2025

Guillaume Côté has been a household name in Canadian ballet almost since the start of his career at The National Ballet of Canada 26 years ago. Chosen for prime principal roles early on, his range and depth as a dancer lived up to and surpassed the promise of those early

“Swan Lake”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 8, 2025

“Swan Lake” is a measuring stick for any classical company, yet it is surprisingly difficult to find a definitive production without significant flaws. In the years since its 1877 Moscow premiere, different choreographers have changed the setting, cut and added variations and condensed it. It has been done with an all male cast, with and without a jester, with different guises

“The Four Seasons”, “Morpheus’ Dream”, “The Leaves are Fading”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
Feb. 26, 2025

The National Ballet of Canada’s diverse winter triple bill featured works from two British and one German choreographer that showcased a range of styles and movement vocabularies. The feature of the night was David Dawson’s colorful and modern “The Four Seasons”. Following opening night, the company announced that he will be appointed

“Giselle”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
Nov. 20, 2024

The story of “Giselle” hasn’t changed since its premiere in 1841. Today, “Giselle” is all about the performances. There is a reason this romantic era ballet has endured as long as it has. No other work so perfectly embodies romantic values – idealism, emotion, the supernatural and the irrational. The National Ballet of Canada has been performing Sir Peter Wright’s version

"Body of Work", "Rhapsody", "Silent Screen"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
November 9, 2024

The National Ballet of Canada returned home looking energized after touring in London and Paris last month. They opened their Toronto season with a mixed program designed to attract classical and contemporary ballet fans alike. No classicist could resist Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Rhapsody”, a dazzling exemplar of bravura technique. Created for the legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov, it

“Jewels”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 15, 2024

It has been 18 years since the National Ballet of Canada performed George Balanchine’s “Jewels”, considered the first abstract three act ballet, in its entirety (they performed “Rubies” as part of a triple bill in 2016). As such, this run introduced a new generation of dancers to this popular work. This run features many exciting (and some less successful) debuts. Indeed,

“Don Quixote”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 1, 2024

The beloved classic “Don Quixote” has not been seen in Toronto since 2011. At that time, it was the Petipa/Gorsky/Beriozoff version, which was fun but perhaps in need of a refresh. Prior to that, in 2007, the company performed the George Balanchine one act version, which is a different work entirely as it is centred more on the

"UtopiVerse", "islands", "Suite en Blanc"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 20, 2024

The National Ballet of Canada’s winter triple bill featured three exciting premieres: a world premiere, a North American premiere and a Canadian premiere. Two of the ballets, “UtopiVerse” and "islands”, were in a contemporary style. In contrast, Serge Lifar’s 1943 showpiece “Suite en Blanc” provided the tutus, pointe shoes and classical bravura that many expect from

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 6, 2024

Exactly five years after its last run, Christopher Wheeldon’s hugely successful and family friendly “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” was brought back to the Toronto stage, scheduled to coincide with March break. The strategy paid off as the run was completely sold out – something that does not generally happen unless the ballet starts with “Swan” and ends

“Onegin”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
November 22, 2023  

John Cranko’s “Onegin” is a touchstone for the National Ballet of Canada, performed consistently since its company premiere in 1984. It is a well-rounded production with Pushkin’s engaging storytelling, Cranko's interesting and challenging choreography and an evocative arrangement of musical works by Tchaikovsky. It has all the elements for a timeless full length ballet that is both accessible

“Emma Bovary”, “Passion”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
November 15, 2023

The National Ballet of Canada’s 2023-2024 season opener featured two distinctly different, yet complimentary works. First was James Kudelka’s “Passion”, a plotless ballet that nonetheless depicts different types of relationships and romantic love. Second was the world premiere of “Emma Bovary” - a modern take on Gustave Flaubert’s seminal 1856 novel “Madame Bovary” choreographed by Helen Pickett.