Artistic director Kain speaks of importance of bringing National Ballet of Canada to Russia

The National Ballet of Canada is in Russia for the first time, performing in Moscow and St. Petersburg. As part of Russian ballerina Diana Vishneva’s annual Context Festival, the Toronto company is presenting a triple-bill that includes two pieces by Canadian choreographers: Guillaume Côté’s Being and Nothingness and Crystal Pite’s Emergence. The third piece is American Justin Peck’s Paz de la Jolla, which the company premiered in Toronto in June.

Via livestream from Moscow on Monday, artistic director Karen Kain spoke of the importance of bringing the company to Russia, a country so key in classical ballet’s history. The trip has personal resonance for Kain, too; as a young dancer in 1973, she and Frank Augustyn received acclaim at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, and later performed as guests with the Bolshoi Ballet and other Soviet companies. Vishneva, a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet, is known for her interest in contemporary repertoire. At Context, she’s previously presented Crystal Pite’s shorter work as well as pieces by Canadians Aszure Barton and Eric Gauthier.