It is with regret that Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal are announcing the cancellation of the 57th edition of The Nutcracker, initially set to take stage in December 2020. The current sanitary situation makes it difficult to for the company to maintain the show at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, as more than 150 artists, craftswomen, craftsmen and technicians work behind the scenes of this production. However, the company is thrilled to announce that the ballet will be presented in its entirety on ICI TÉLÉ on Friday, December 18th at 7 PM and on ARTV, as part of LUNDI CULTURE, on December 28th, at 8 PM.
The longest running show in Canada, The Nutcracker has enchanted young and old alike at Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier since 1964. Les Grands Ballets is happy to have a chance to bring the magic of this holiday classic to all during this pandemic, with a complete broadcasting of the show, shot in 2016.
It was difficult for me, as for our dancers, to imagine the holidays without The Nutcracker! I believe that this year will be special for our dancers as they will be far from their audience and this piece was made to be shared! After dozens of performances onstage, it’s the energy that the audience brings them that keeps them going, night after night. This year, they will be the ones gifting the public something special, by bringing them a moment of enchantment at home, directly on their screens.
Ivan Cavallari, Les Grands Ballets’ Artistic Director
The current sanitary measures are making the preparation of a show of this scale impossible, as it requires months of preparation and involves hundreds of people. Considering the fact that theatres are currently closed, it is difficult for the company, from a financial standpoint to start the process of staging the show, without knowing if it could be presented to an audience.
‘From the very beginning of the pandemic, the safety and health of our artists, staff and audience has been the priority for Les Grands Ballets. We have studied all the possible scenarios and waited to see how the situation was evolving to try and maintain The Nutcracker’s performances. Nonetheless, the amount of people and the costs required to stage such a production make it impossible for the company to perform at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier this year. ‘ explains Ivan Cavallari.
The company is hoping to be eligible for the financial support announced by the Quebec Government earlier in October and Les Grands Ballets remains hopeful that a winter and spring 2021 programming is still possible.
This 57th edition of the ballet also celebrated the hundredth anniversary of its choreographer, Fernand Nault (1920-2006). The public will have the chance to learn more about his illustrious career during all of December on the company’s digital platforms.
The Nutcracker also means The Nutcracker Fund for Children, which allows Les Grands Ballets to invite every year 2,800 children from underprivileged backgrounds to see the show and 1,00 children to take part in educational workshops. Despite the current pandemic, Les Grands Ballets stays committed to the community and is preparing alternatives to the Fund’s regular activities for these children, possibly for the spring of 2021.
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