On August 23 and 24 at 8:30 p.m., Les Grands Ballets Canadiens will present a strikingly contrasting double bill—The Four Temperaments and Désir—as part of the Théâtre de Verdure’s summer programming.
Created in 1946 by George Balanchine, the famed choreographer and co-founder of the New York City Ballet, The Four Temperaments is a masterpiece of neoclassical ballet. Set to music by Paul Hindemith, the choreography explores four human personality types inspired by the ancient theory of the four humors: Melancholic, Sanguine, Choleric, and Phlegmatic. With precise movements and a minimalist stage design, the piece showcases the dancers’ technical prowess.
Désir by James Kudelka, a key work in Les Grands Ballets’ repertoire, premiered in 1991 and was restaged last year. Blending classical and contemporary dance through a series of pas de deux, the piece delves into the intensity of passion and the complexities of human relationships, set to the enchanting waltzes of Sergei Prokofiev.
Nestled in the heart of La Fontaine Park, the Théâtre de Verdure invites audiences to 39 evenings of performances from June 4 to August 24, featuring dance, circus, music, improv, opera, and film. This fourth season celebrates diversity with an eclectic lineup—all offered free of charge.
To ensure the best experience, it is strongly recommended to reserve your free ticket online. Tickets will be available starting Saturday, August 9, 2025, at noon.
The Four Temperaments and Désir
August 23 and 24 at 8:30 p.m.
Doors open: 7:30 p.m.
Duration: 1h21, including a 15-minute pause
Last updated on August 11, 2025. Cast subject to change.
First Theme: Anya Nesvitaylo and Thomas Leprohon (22 and 23), Aurora De Mori and Antoine Benjamin Bertran (24)
Second Theme: Anna Ishii and Bernard Dubois II (22 and 23), Sofía González and Angel Vizcaíno (24)
Third Theme: Vanesa G.R Montoya and Graeme Fuhrman (22 and 23), Anaïs Roy and James Lyttle (24)
Melancholic: Célestin Boutin (22 and 23), Bernard Dubois II (24)
Kiara DeNae Felder and Aurora De Mori (22 and 23), Kiara DeNae Felder and Rose Trahan (24)
Rose Trahan, Maeva Marcolini-Bowes, Maude Fleury, Tuesday Rain Leduc (22 and 23), Ana Sofia Natera Marquez, Maeva Marcolini-Bowes, Maude Fleury, Tuesday Rain Leduc (24)
Sanguinic: Yui Sugawara and Esnel Ramos (22 and 23), Mai Kono and Marcel Gutiérrez (24)
Carrigan MacDonald, Alexandra Eccles, Sarah Branch, Kiara Flavin (all performances)
Phlegmatic: Antoine Benjamin Bertran (22 and 23), Thomas Leprohon (24)
Calista Shepheard, Tatiana Lerebours, Éliane Jacques and Anaïs Roy (22 and 23), Tetyana Martyanova, Tatiana Lerebours, Éliane Jacques, Maeva Marcolini-Bowes (24)
Choleric: Maude Sabourin (22 and 23), Anya Nesvitaylo (24)
First Waltz: Kiara DeNae Felder and Felixovich Morante (22 and 23), Aurora De Mori and Roddy Doble (24)
Second Waltz: Maude Fleury and Angel Vizcaíno (22 and 23), Alexandra Eccles and Bernard Dubois II (24)
Men’s Dance: Felixovich Morante, Marcel Gutiérrez, Antoine Benjamin Bertran, Théodore Poubeau, Étienne Delorme, and Graeme Fuhrman (22 and 23), Roddy Doble, Felixovich Morante, Antoine Benjamin Bertran, James Lyttle, Étienne Delorme, and Thomas Leprohon (24)
Women’s Dance: Kiara DeNae Felder, Rose Trahan, Kiara Flavin, Sarah Branch, Sofía González, and Anna Ishii (22 and 23), Aurora De Mori, Rose Trahan, Kiara Flavin, Anaïs Roy, Sofía González, and Anya Nesvitaylo (24)
Third Waltz – Sextet: Sofía González, Rose Trahan, Kiara Flavin, Étienne Delorme, Marcel Gutiérrez, Antoine Benjamin Bertran (22 and 23), Sofía González, Rose Trahan, Kiara Flavin, Étienne Delorme, Felixovich Morante, Antoine Benjamin Bertran (24)
Fourth Waltz: Anna Ishii and Graeme Fuhrman (22 and 23), Anya Nesvitaylo and Thomas Leprohon (24)
Fifth Waltz: Maude Fleury, Angel Vizcaíno, Sarah Branch, and Marcel Gutiérrez (22 and 23), Alexandra Eccles, Bernard Dubois II, Anaïs Roy, and James Lyttle (24)
Sixth Waltz: Kiara DeNae Felder and Felixovich Morante (22 and 23), Aurora De Mori and Roddy Doble (24)
Ensemble: Felixovich Morante, Kiara DeNae Felder, Maude Fleury, Angel Vizcaíno, Sofía González, Rose Trahan, Kiara Flavin, Étienne Delorme, James Lyttle, Antoine Benjamin Bertran, Anna Ishii, Graeme Fuhrman, Marcel Gutiérrez, and Sarah Branch (22 and 23), Roddy Doble, Aurora De Mori, Alexandra Eccles, Bernard Dubois II, Sofía González, Rose Trahan, Kiara Flavin, Étienne Delorme, Felixovich Morante, Antoine Benjamin Bertran, Anya Nesvitaylo, Thomas Leprohon, James Lyttle, and Anaïs Roy (24)
The Four Temperaments
Choregraphy: George Balanchine
Music: Paul Hindemith
Staging: Joysanne Sidimus
Lighting: Pierre Lavoie
Duration: 32 minutes
Désir
Choreography: James Kudelka
Music: Sergei Prokofiev, Waltz suite op. 110 and excerpts from Cinderella
Costumes: Denis Lavoie
Lighting: Sonoyo Nishikawa
Duration: 34 minutes
Artistic Director: Ivan Cavallari
Executive Director: Marc Lalonde
President Emerita: Constance V. Pathy, C.M., C.Q., DMus.
Founder: Ludmilla Chiriaeff
Artistic Director Emeritus: Gradimir Pankov
Production Director: Stéphan Pépin
Technical Director: Simon Beetschen
Stage Manager: Andrée-Anne Garneau
Production Coordinator: Gabrielle Lemoine-Brin
Ballet Masters: Hervé Courtain and Marina Villanueva
Artistic Coordinator : Amandine Dumoulin
Head of Wardrobe: Mélanie Ferrero
Head Stage Carpenter: Kenneth Gregg
Head of Accessories: Pierre Berthiaume
Head of Lighting: Patrick Carrière
Head Electrician: Dominic Drouin
Head of Sound: Aidan MacCormack
Interim Head of Costumes: Joël Boudreault
The performances of The Four Temperaments, a Balanchine ballet, are presented by permission of The George Balanchine Trust and produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique®, service marks of The George Balanchine Trust.
