Hope Muir hits her stride as National Ballet of Canada artistic director

It’s said that it takes at least three years for a new artistic director to put a personal thumbprint on the institution they’ve been hired to lead. Yet, little more than a year after officially taking the helm of the National Ballet of Canada, Hope Muir has already given unmistakable signals that she wants to make the country’s premiere purveyor of the big classics an equally welcome home for new and diverse choreographic voices from home and abroad.

“You know how hybrid an art form dance has become,” said Muir. “We no longer have a purely classical company or a purely contemporary company. But for me it’s finding the right balance that’s really important.”

The gradual blurring of the once strict distinction between classical and contemporary dance has been going on for decades.

As early as the 1980s, the National Ballet began presenting the work of what used to be called “modern dance” choreographers: Robert Desrosiers, Danny Grossman, David Earle, Christopher House, Jean-Pierre Perreault and Marie Chouinard. Like most artistic directors, Muir is building on what’s gone before but brings to the task her own wide-ranging experience with classical and contemporary companies on both sides of the Atlantic, along with a canny awareness of the times we live in, and the need for change and a more inclusive vision.

It’s something that comes naturally to Muir, but it was also part of her remit as a candidate for the National Ballet’s top artistic post.

“We were all given a three-year programming exercise,” explained Muir. “It included several big anchor ballets and other works already planned. And there were clear parameters such as how many Canadians, how many women choreographers, how many people of colour, and the balance of classical and contemporary in terms of new works and acquisitions. Actually, it was an amazing exercise, but when I looked at what was already in place I realized, yes, there’s a lot of white men.”

Last fall, Muir presented “The Collective Agreement” by renowned Black American choreographer Alonzo King. Muir’s latest mixed bill this week includes “Alleged Dances,” a new work by and Canadian debut for Chicago-born Black choreographer Rena Butler.

Muir’s recently announced programming for the 2023-24 season introduces another fresh choreographic voice to Canadian audiences when, in November, the National Ballet will unveil the world premiere of “Emma Bovary,” a psychological exploration of the title character in Gustave Flaubert’s famous novel by American choreographer Helen Pickett.

A spring 2024 mixed program will include the North American premiere of Canadian choreographer Emma Portner’s “islands.” At age 23, in 2017, Ottawa-born Portner became the youngest woman ever to choreograph a musical in London’s West End: “Bat Out of Hell: The Musical,” based on Meat Loaf’s 1977 debut album. Among Portner’s other numerous choreographic credits are Justin Bieber’s “Purpose World Tour” and music videos for Maggie Rogers.

The same bill includes a new, so far untitled work by a multi-talented mainstay of Toronto’s contemporary dance scene, William Yong. Hong Kong-born Yong has made a distinctive mark exploring the intersections of dance and technology, and has more recently emerged as a gifted director of dance onscreen.

“I was actually rather taken aback when they told me William would be the first Asian choreographer to be presented on our mainstage,” said Muir. ”I’m thrilled to know he’s going to be a trailblazer.”

For Muir, the overriding concern is to provide opportunities; of being equitable in a profession that, while it upholds the dancing primacy of the ballerina, has generally been dominated by while male choreographers and, even if to a lesser extent, white male directors.

“I’m not saying it’s easy, but we really can provide equity in programming,” said Muir. “We can give opportunities. We can make it look different. It’s about having different criteria and a different set of values that inform everything now.

“It’s not just a matter of checking boxes,” Muir continued. “I am determined to lead with integrity and with care for the company’s artists. The talent is right across the board. Just look at the work. I try to avoid focusing on the idea that we’re working with a choreographer of colour or a female rather than a male choreographer. We’re just working with choreographers.”

Naturally, just like her predecessors, Muir cannot ignore the need to put posteriors in seats and thus balance the books, especially post-pandemic and in times of high inflation.

It is well understood by every ballet bean counter that mixed bills, which are often the template for introducing new work and for providing dancers with varied stylistic opportunities, are hard to sell. Audiences love their traditional story ballets, but for the art form to survive it needs constant infusions of fresh choreographic blood.

Only senior company management are privy to the lively back-and-forth that characterizes program planning. Artistic directors don’t always get everything they want.

“It’s a matter of balancing artistic ambitions and financial realities,” said National Ballet executive director Barry Hughson. “Hope always has a thousand ideas and a strong point of view. She’s not afraid to push back. There’s a lot of give and take, but Hope acknowledges the realities. In the end it’s always the art that leads the National Ballet. She’s a tremendous partner in this regard.”

“I have great ambitions for this company, and I also understand the need and responsibility to maintain financial stability,” Muir explained. “There were many conversations around the new season’s programming and it went through many iterations, but I’m starting to get my voice, my taste in there. The ‘Emma Bovary’ project is really important to me because I’m so eager for the company to work with Helen Pickett.”

Care of the dancers, expanding their artistic horizons and stretching their technical range is also fundamental to Muir’s understanding of her role.

“The dancers are truly amazing. I’ve really enjoyed being in the studio with them and getting to know them, seeing them thrive. There’s such a momentum. It feels really exciting.”

“There’s this progressive energy around Hope,” said British choreographer David Dawson, making his National Ballet debut with a 2018 work, “Anima Animus.”

“I’ll always do anything I can to support Hope and her vision because she’s always looking to the future,” added Dawson.

Muir joked that friends tell her she was born to be an artistic director but, although she was attracted to the idea, she was not always confident she had what it took. And she did not come to the table as a big star name.

“I think I always had the gumption to try,” Muir recalled. “I never felt as if I could not apply or would not be taken seriously. But there was a certain culture. It was what ballet companies did. That’s changing now. People are getting these leadership positions coming from different backgrounds and experiences.

“There was a time when I doubted myself, but I’ve actively stopped doing that. I’ve done the work and I’ve worked really hard. I understand both the classical and contemporary worlds. I’ve worked at high levels in both genres, in small companies and big companies, and I have a really good network of colleagues that support me.

“And I really love what I’m doing.”

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