Midsummer Night Dreams: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens

With the NAC Orchestra

What becomes of love over time?

An enchanted forest, themes of love, illusion and desire, mischief, intrigue, and a star hobgoblin — it’s no wonder Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream has enjoyed such enduring popularity. Add a gifted choreographer and a renowned ballet company to the mix, and you have a tour de force in the making.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ commission to choreographer Guillaume Côté to create a full-length Dream offers a deeply human reimagining of Shakespeare’s 1595 play, transposing this enchanted comedy to the 21st-century. Contemporary and classical ballet fans alike have lauded Côté’s creative contributions to the art form, both as a principal dancer and a choreographer.

The score weaves a vibrant dialogue between Felix Mendelssohn — prodigy of German Romanticism — and composers Max Richter, Steve Reich, and Johann Strauss. As one of Shakespeare’s pieces with the most musical references, the rousing composition beautifully evokes the fantasied world on stage.

While these visions do appear, you certainly shall not slumber here!