Raymond Smith (dancer)

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Raymond Smith is a Canadian ballet dancer and teacher, who was a principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada from 1980 to 1995. [1]

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Biography

Raymond Smith was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and immigrated to Canada at the age of seven. [2] He began dancing lessons in London, [3] Ontario, at the age of 11, and entered Canada's National Ballet School [4] at the age of 12, in the eighth grade. Upon graduating in 1975, he joined the corps de ballet of the National Ballet of Canada, [5] making his professional debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in Coppélia . [2] He was promoted to the rank of second soloist in 1978, to first soloist in 1979, and to principal dancer in 1980. [6] [7] During the 1985-86 season, he was a principal dancer with London Festival Ballet. [8] Smith performed as a guest artist at La Scala, [9] with Scottish Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Royal Winnipeg Ballet. [10] He also appeared as a contemporary dancer with the Desrosiers Dance Theatre at the Calgary Olympic Arts Festival in 1988. [11] His decade-long stage partnership with ballerina Veronica Tennant was particularly admired by critics. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [2]

Smith retired from the stage in May 1995, following a performance as one of the Stepsisters [17] in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella. [2] He subsequently worked as a ballet master for Ontario Ballet Theatre, [18] Ballet BC [10] and BalletMet. [19] Since 2004 he has been on the faculty of Canada's National Ballet School. [20] [21] [22]

Repertoire

Smith's repertoire included La Sylphide (James), Napoli (Gennaro), [23] Giselle (Count Albrecht), [24] Coppélia (Franz), [25] Swan Lake (Prince), [26] [27] The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Florimund, [12] [28] Bluebird [29] ), Celia Franca's production of The Nutcracker (Prince), [30] Don Quixote (Basilio), [13] [31] the third act of Raymonda (Jean de Brienne), [32] Michel Fokine's Les Sylphides [7] and Le Spectre de la rose , [7] Frederick Ashton's Romeo and Juliet (Romeo, Mercutio [33] ), La Fille mal gardée (Colas) [34] and The Two Pigeons (Young Man), [35] John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), [36] [15] [37] Onegin (Lensky, [38] Onegin [14] [39] [40] [41] ) and The Taming of the Shrew (Lucentio), [42] [43] [44] Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow (Camille de Rosillon; [45] [46] [47] a role filmed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [48] ), George Balanchine's Serenade , Concerto Barocco , [49] The Four Temperaments (Melancholic, [50] Sanguinic [51] ) and Symphony in C (third movement), [52] Kenneth MacMillan's Elite Syncopations, Song of the Earth (the Man) [53] and Concerto, [54] Glen Tetley's Sphinx (Oedipus), [55] Alice (White Rabbit), [56] [57] La Ronde (the Count) [58] [59] and Tagore, [60] Maurice Béjart's Song of a Wayfarer, [61] Harald Lander's Etudes , [62] Anne Ditchburn's Mad Shadows (Patrice; a role filmed by the CBC [63] ), Robert Desrosiers' Blue Snake (filmed by the National Film Board of Canada [64] ) and several ballets created by James Kudelka [65] [66] [2] and John Alleyne. [67] [68]

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References

  1. ↑ Neufeld, James (2011). Passion to Dance: The National Ballet of Canada. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 440. ISBN   978-145-970-1212.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Walker, Susan. "Final role puts dancer through hoops", Toronto Star, 6 May 1995, p. H2
  3. ↑ Belanger, Joe (13 May 2016). "Victoria Carter has helped shape a generation of dancers". London Free Press. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Ballet gaining as career for boys", Globe and Mail, 18 May 1971, p. 14
  5. ↑ Neufeld, James (2011). Passion to Dance: The National Ballet of Canada. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 124. ISBN   978-145-970-1212.
  6. ↑ Harris, Christopher. "Ballet Dancer Retires", Globe and Mail, 17 April 1995, p. C1
  7. 1 2 3 "National promotes 5 male dancers", Globe and Mail, 22 March 1980, p. 16
  8. ↑ Littler, William. "National Ballet changes the rules", Toronto Star, 12 August 1985, p. D2
  9. ↑ "Romeo e Giulietta". www.teatroallascala.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  10. 1 2 Inwood, Damian (8 October 1997). "New Ballet Master". The Province . p. B2. Retrieved 10 August 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (23 February 1988). "Desrosiers in Calgary". The New York Times. p. C13. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  12. 1 2 Gildiner, Alina. "Evil fairy bedevils Sleeping Beauty", Globe and Mail, 25 November 1982, p. E9
  13. 1 2 Gardiner, Alina. "Robust and comic, Don Quixote is a joy", Globe and Mail, 18 August 1983, p. 20
  14. 1 2 Crabb, Michael. "Tennant and Smith burn up ballet stage", Toronto Star, 5 May 1988, p. B2
  15. 1 2 Kelly, Deirdre. "Tennant bows out in a blaze of glory", Globe and Mail, 14 February 1989, p. A17
  16. ↑ Currie, Rod (25 February 1989). "New National Ballet pairing blends power and elegance". Montreal Gazette . Toronto. p. H10. Retrieved 10 August 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Littler, William. "As ballet, Cinderella's still a pumpkin and 4 rodents", Toronto Star, 12 May 1995, p. C11
  18. ↑ Walker, Susan. "Witkowsky to leave ballet after years in Kain's shadow", Toronto Star, 9 May 1996, p. G8
  19. ↑ Spaner, Whitney (2 December 2002). "Ballet director turns tragedy to triumph". The Lantern. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  20. ↑ "Raymond Smith". Canada's National Ballet School. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  21. ↑ Wong, Julia (19 November 2013). "Plies and pointe: young ballet dancers dream big". Global News. Halifax. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  22. ↑ Ricci, Talia (19 September 2019). "For first time in history of Canada's National Ballet School, more boys than girls will graduate". CBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  23. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (22 November 1981). "Schaufuss' Bournonville in Canada". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  24. ↑ Godfrey, Stephen. "Twin versions of Giselle a study in contrast", Globe and Mail, 23 November 1981, p. 20
  25. ↑ Kelly, Deirdre. "Ballet a frilly postcard lacking spark", Globe and Mail, 15 February 1991, p. D4
  26. ↑ Godfrey, Stephen. "Tennant's first flutter wins audience over", Globe and Mail, 7 March 1980, p. 15
  27. ↑ Godfrey, Stephen. "2 Swans like night and day", Globe and Mail, 20 August 1981, p. 19
  28. ↑ Gildiner, Alina. "Sleeping Beauty is awake at last", Globe and Mail, 14 May 1984, p. M11
  29. ↑ Dunning, Jennifer (9 July 1979). "Augustyn as Florimund". The New York Times. p. C16. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  30. ↑ "Annual show wasn't always what it was cracked up to be", Toronto Star, 16 December 1989, p. J8
  31. ↑ Scott, Michael (16 October 1992). "Ballet overwhelms with intoxicating beauty". Vancouver Sun . p. C10. Retrieved 10 August 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ Littler, William. "National's mixed bill gets mixed report card", Toronto Star, 27 February 1987, p. D22
  33. ↑ Testa, Alberto (23 March 1986). "'Romeo e Giulietta' davvero di gran classe". La repubblica. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  34. ↑ Godfrey, Stephen. "National's fall season had its ups and downs", Globe and Mail, 1 December 1980, p. 15
  35. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (5 March 1979). "'Two Pigeons,' By Ashton, in Toronto". The New York Times. p. C14. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  36. ↑ Godfrey, Stephen. "Dancers faithful to old romance", Globe and Mail, 25 February 1980, p. 15
  37. ↑ Littler, William. "New Juliet remarkably mature", Toronto Star, 29 April 1993, p. F7
  38. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (18 June 1984). "Toronto Festival Offers National Ballet". The New York Times. p. C17. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  39. ↑ Kelly, Deirdre. "Tennant meets Onegin's challenge in a spine-tingling performance", Globe and Mail, 6 May 1988, p. C9
  40. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (26 July 1988). "Canadians In 'Onegin' At the Met". The New York Times. p. C22. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  41. ↑ Citron, Paula. "National's Onegin right on the mark", Toronto Star, 24 February 1994, p. E3
  42. ↑ Everett-Green, Robert. "Taking a holiday from seriousness", Globe and Mail, 15 February 1992, p. C6
  43. ↑ Doruyter, Renee (15 October 1993). "Cute's the word for this Taming of the Shrew". The Province . p. B36. Retrieved 10 August 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  44. ↑ Citron, Paula. "A star is born at the ballet", Toronto Star, 4 November 1993, p. E6
  45. ↑ Citron, Paula. "Merry Widow showcases talented dancers", Toronto Star, 17 November 1986, p. D2
  46. ↑ Dunning, Jennifer (9 April 1987). "Canada's 'Widow'". The New York Times. p. C14. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  47. ↑ Littler, William. "The Widow waltzes on with flowers of spring", Toronto Star, 30 April 1992, p. B13
  48. ↑ "The Merry Widow". Arthaus Musik. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  49. ↑ Kelly, Deirdre. "Inventive La Ronde makes engaging debut", Globe and Mail, 7 November 1987, p. C3
  50. ↑ Kelly, Deirdre. "New faces bring new vitality to dance demands", Globe and Mail, 20 February 1989, p. C9
  51. ↑ Everett-Green, Robert. "Alice in the looking glass", Globe and Mail, 21 February 1992, p. C4
  52. ↑ Kelly, Deirdre. "Alleyne hits the big league with a witty feast of imagery", Globe and Mail, 25 November 1988, p. D11
  53. ↑ Littler, William. "National still renting Makarova's Paquita", Toronto Star, 28 February 1991, p. D1
  54. ↑ Nicol, Wendy (17 May 1989). "Ballet Group Puts On Enthusiastic Performance". The Kingston Whig-Standard . p. 25. Retrieved 10 August 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  55. ↑ Neufeld, James (2011). Passion to Dance: The National Ballet of Canada. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 254. ISBN   978-145-970-1212.
  56. ↑ Littler, William. "Tetley pulls second white rabbit from hat", Toronto Star, 26 November 1987, p. B5
  57. ↑ Segal, Lewis (30 May 1988). "National Ballet of Canada Does Tetley's 'Alice'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  58. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (24 July 1988). "New Cast in 'La Ronde' By the Canadian Ballet". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  59. ↑ Hickman, Susan (5 October 1989). "La Ronde highlights National Ballet show". Edmonton Journal . p. C4. Retrieved 10 August 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  60. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (17 May 1989). "In Toronto, an Experiment for the National Ballet". The New York Times. p. C17. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  61. ↑ Littler, William. "Choreographer says fears came true", Toronto Star, 20 November 1986, p. B3
  62. ↑ Littler, William. "National Ballet in an autumnal mood", Toronto Star, 15 November 1990, p. B2
  63. ↑ Godfrey, Stephen. "TV mixed blessing for Mad Shadows", Globe and Mail, 12 November 1979, p. 20
  64. ↑ Blue Snake. OCLC   83792509 . Retrieved 3 January 2017– via WorldCat.
  65. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (9 March 1981). "'Sylphide' Upstaged in Toronto". The New York Times. p. C15. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  66. ↑ Neufeld, James (2011). Passion to Dance: The National Ballet of Canada. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 280. ISBN   978-145-970-1212.
  67. ↑ Littler, William. "Choreographer bound to travel", Toronto Star, 24 November 1988, p. C4
  68. ↑ Reed Doob, Penelope. "Getting in on the act", Globe and Mail, 30 April 1991, p. C1
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