Contrasting Works

Two contrasting visions of dance meet in this compelling double program from The National Ballet of Canada, with Crystal Pite's Flight Pattern sitting alongside Serge Lifar's Suite en Blanc. Pite's large-scale work channels the collective weight of displacement, tracing the human impact of the refugee crisis. Set to Grecki's haunting Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, Flight Pattern's movement simultaneously evokes shared struggle and individual stories of survival.

Balancing this contemporary masterpiece is Lifar's Suite en Blanc, an homage to the precision and grandeur of classical ballet. First performed in 1943 for the Paris Opra Ballet, the work is composed of a series of elegant tableaux. With the clean contrast of white costumes, the choreography culminates in a dazzling finale that unites the entire ensemble.