Karen Kain and the National Ballet of Canada

Description

Karen Kain and the National Ballet of Canada: Abstract

Karen Kain is a living legend in English Canada. When she walks down the street in Toronto, people turn their heads. They recognize her frail silhouette and easily fall under the charm of her serene smile. Little girls attending performances of the National Ballet of Canada, of which Karen Kain is currently Artistic Director, dream of catching a glimpse of her, obtaining her autograph, hearing her voice, or perhaps, if lucky, even touching her dress.

As a dancer, Karen Kain had worked with several artistic directors at the National Ballet of Canada. A keen observer of different management styles, she had noticed on several occasions over the years that her instinct always seemed to serve her well. From Celia Franca to Reid Anderson, by way of Erik Bruhn and Valerie Wilder, she had arrived at the conclusion that, no matter what decisions or visions each director put forth, the results obtained by the company had “nearly always”, as she specifies, turned out as she had expected. Now that her role had changed, Karen Kain vowed to remain true to herself and follow her instinct in performing her new management duties.

Additional information

Also available in French.