Tours en l'air organizes ballet-themed escorted holidays to see the best companies perform great ballets in beautiful places. You can join a trip from anywhere. A highly knowledgeable balletomane who has enjoyed 100s of performances in over 20 cities around the world,I speak English, French, and German, and am a Travel Industry Council of Ontario certified Travel Counsellor. I also teach ballet appreciation courses.
For a taste of what our trips are like, follow https://www.facebook.com/toursenlair/ on facebook.
Tours en l'air Ballet Holidays are offered in partnership with CWT Victor Travel, 101 - 8800 Dufferin Street, Concord, ON L4K 0C5, 416-736-6010, TICO # 1892647

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Ballet's Greatest Hits Gala now available on iTunes

Presented by Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP).
Stella Abrera, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Marcelo Gomes, Veronika Part and Hee Seo from American Ballet Theatre, 
Taras Domitro and Maria Kochetkova of San Francisco Ballet, 
New York City Ballet favourites Ashley Bouder and Daniel Ulbricht, 
Matthew Golding of Dutch National Ballet, 
Alejandro Virelles of Boston Ballet and 
Greta Hodgkinson of National Ballet of Canada 
perform iconic roles from the classical repertoire including Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Giselle, Flames of Paris and Don Quixote. Audiences will gain special insight from backstage interviews with the performers and ballet luminaries such as Alexei Ratmansky, Angel Corella, Benjamin Millepied, Edward Villella, Jose Manuel Carreño, Mathieu and Denys Ganio, Matthew Bourne, Susan Jaffe and many others. See them dance, hear them talk and feel their passion in a unique dialogue between ballet’s history and its present.

 
Ballet's Greatest Hits

  • $19.99
If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.
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Friday, November 29, 2013

National Ballet of Canada Nutcracker casting 2013-14


Date
Sugar Plum Fairy
Peter / The Nutcracker
Snow Queen
Baba
Uncle Nikolai
Marie
Misha
Dec. 14 @ 2
Sonia Rodriguez Piotr Stanczyk Elena Lobsanova Rebekah Rimsay Robert Stephen Arielle Miralles Bennett Ryan
Dec. 14 @ 7
Heather Ogden Guillaume Côté Xiao Nan Yu Alejandra Perez-Gomez Jonathan Renna Houston Toews Tristan Brosnan
Dec. 15 @ 1
Jillian Vanstone Skylar Campbell Tanya Howard Tiffany Mosher Etienne Lavigne Olivia McAlpine Eamon Stocks
Dec. 15 @ 530
Elena Lobsanova McGee Maddox Stephanie Hutchinson Krista Dowson James Leja Saige Palleske Gabriel Buell
Thurs. Dec. 19 @ 7
Elena Lobsanova McGee Maddox Jenna Savella Krista Dowson James Leja Olivia McAlpine Eamon Stocks
Fri. Dec. 20 @ 7
Heather Ogden Guillaume Côté Xiao Nan Yu Alejandra Perez-Gomez Jonathan Renna Houston Toews Tristan Brosnan
Sat. Dec. 21 @ 2
Stacey Shiori Minagawa Keiichi Hirano Stephanie Hutchinson Krista Dowson James Leja Saige Palleske Gabriel Buell
Sat. Dec. 21 @ 7
Sonia Rodriguez Piotr Stanczyk Elena Lobsanova Rebekah Rimsay Robert Stephen Arielle Miralles Bennett Ryan
Sun. Dec. 22 @ 1
Elena Lobsanova McGee Maddox Tanya Howard Krista Dowson James Leja Saige Palleske Gabriel Buell
Sun. Dec. 22 @ 530
Heather Ogden Guillaume Côté Jenna Savella Alejandra Perez-Gomez Jonathan Renna Houston Toews Tristan Brosnan
Mon. Dec. 23 @ 1
Jillian Vanstone Skylar Campbell Emma Hawes Tiffany Mosher Etienne Lavigne Arielle Miralles Bennett Ryan
Tues. Dec. 24 @ 1
Stacey Shiori Minagawa Keiichi Hirano Stephanie Hutchinson Rebekah Rimsay Robert Stephen Olivia McAlpine Eamon Stocks
Fri. Dec. 27 @ 1
Jillian Vanstone Skylar Campbell Emma Hawes Tiffany Mosher Etienne Lavigne Arielle Miralles Bennett Ryan
Sat. Dec. 28 @ 1
Stacey Shiori Minagawa Piotr Stanczyk Tanya Howard Rebekah Rimsay Robert Stephen Olivia McAlpine Eamon Stocks
Sat. Dec. 28 @ 530
Greta Hodgkinson Guillaume Côté Xiao Nan Yu Alejandra Perez-Gomez Jonathan Renna Houston Toews Tristan Brosnan
Sun. Dec. 29 @ 1
Tina Pereira Keiichi Hirano Jenna Savella Rebekah Rimsay Robert Stephen Saige Palleske Gabriel Buell
Sun. Dec. 29 @ 530
Jillian Vanstone Skylar Campbell Emma Hawes Tiffany Mosher Etienne Lavigne Houston Toews Tristan Brosnan
Tues. Dec. 31 @ 1
Heather Ogden Guillaume Côté Xiao Nan Yu Alejandra Perez-Gomez Jonathan Renna Houston Toews Tristan Brosnan
Thurs. Jan 2 @ 7
Jillian Vanstone Skylar Campbell Emma Hawes Tiffany Mosher Etienne Lavigne Arielle Miralles Bennett Ryan
Fri. Jan. 3 @ 2
Stacey Shiori Minagawa Piotr Stanczyk Elena Lobsanova Rebekah Rimsay Robert Stephen Olivia McAlpine Eamon Stocks
Fri. Jan. 3 @ 7
Elena Lobsanova McGee Maddox Tanya Howard Krista Dowson James Leja Saige Palleske Gabriel Buell
Sat. Jan. 4 @ 1
Tina Pereira Keiichi Hirano Jenna Savella Krista Dowson James Leja Olivia McAlpine Eamon Stocks
Sat. Jan 4 @ 530
Stacey Shiori Minagawa Piotr Stanczyk Xiao Nan Yu Rebekah Rimsay Robert Stephen Arielle Miralles Bennett Ryan

If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.
GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR
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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Tutus and Tulips: Paris Amsterdam Ballet Trip now booking

Carlson Wagonlit Victor Travel
101 - 8800 Dufferin Street, Concord, ON L4K 0C5
TICO Ontario registration #1892647
presents

Tours en l'air
Ballet Holidays

escorted by
Canada's Word Lady,
Katherine Barber

Paris and Amsterdam
12-22 May 2014
11 days, 10 nights
3 ballet performances
The world's first ballet company,
Paris Opera Ballet, in a Balanchine classic and a new work by Benjamin Millepied, 
and Dutch National Ballet showing off its renowned versatility

Monday May 12 PARIS
Arrive Paris. Check into the 4-star Les Jardins du Marais hotel in the lovely Marais district, 12 minutes walk from the Bastille Opera House.
Tuesday May 13 PARIS
Day at leisure. Evening: Welcome dinner.
Wednesday May 14 PARIS
Day at leisure. Evening: Paris Opera Ballet performance: Symphony in C (Balanchine), Daphnis and Chloe (Millepied)
Thursday May 15 PARIS
Guided tour of Paris Opera Garnier. Rest of day at leisure
Friday May 16 PARIS
Day at leisure. Optional Paris Opera Ballet performance of Orpheus and Eurydice (Pina Bausch), subject to availability.
Saturday May 17
PARIS –ARRAS – GHENT - AMSTERDAM
8 am: Check out of hotel. Transfer by luxury washroom-equipped private coach to Amsterdam
10 am: Stop in Arras, medieval town in Northern France.
1045 am: Depart Arras
1200: Arrive Ghent, Belgium. Transfer by boat from coach park to central Ghent (12 minutes). Time for lunch.
130 pm: Private guided walking tour of historic Ghent, with a visit to St. Bavo's Cathedral and van Eyck's masterpiece “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” (about 90 minutes)
5 pm: Depart Ghent for Amsterdam
730 pm: Arrive at 4-star Manor Hotel (or similar) in central Amsterdam
Ghent
Sunday May 18 AMSTERDAM
9 am: Depart by private coach for the spectacular Keukenhof Garden
http://haarlem.ca/images/keukenhof.jpg
9:30 am: Arrive Keukenhof
10 am: Private guided tour of Keukenhof (about 90 minutes)
1 pm: depart Keukenhof, return to hotel
Monday May 19 AMSTERDAM
930 am: Private guided tour of the highlights of the recently reopened Rijksmuseum (1 hour). Rest of day at leisure
6 pm: 3-course dinner before performance of Dutch National Ballet: Trois Gnossiennes, Without Words (both van Manen) Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (Balanchine), Paquita, Duet (Wheeldon)
Tuesday May 20 AMSTERDAM
Day at leisure
Wednesday May 21 AMSTERDAM
Morning and early afternoon at leisure. 430 pm: Depart by private coach for Arnhem. Farewell dinner before evening performance of Dutch National Ballet: The Dream (Ashton), Paquita.
1030 pm (approx): Depart Arnhem theatre by private coach and return directly to hotel.
1130 pm (approx): Arrive hotel
Thursday May 22
Check out of hotel and depart Amsterdam

GROUP SIZE LIMITED TO 20!

Total Package CA$4099 per person
based on double occupancy
Single supplement: CA$1375

All prices valid till 16 December 2013

LAND-ONLY PACKAGE allows you the flexibility 
of arranging travel from your most convenient departure point,
on the dates and times you prefer,
and to extend your stay if you wish.
Victor Travel's experienced agents
will be happy to assist you with
flight arrangements.

Package includes:
10 nights double-share accommodation
Daily breakfast
Premium seats for 3 ballets
Transfer by private luxury coach from Paris to Amsterdam, with sightseeing stops in Arras and Ghent
Day excursions by private luxury coach to Keukenhof and Arnhem
Private guided walking tour of Ghent and canal boat cruise
Private guided tour of Keukenhof Gardens
Private guided tour of Rijksmuseum
Private guided tour of Garnier opera house
Three 3-course dinners
Free wifi in hotels
Ballet enrichment program: ballet notes and informal pre-performance talks and post-performance reviews with tour leader

Please note that this program must be sold as a package. Extra hotel nights can be added on (subject to availability), but we cannot offer individual components separately or break the package into shorter installments. As a significant benefit of the Tours en l'air package is sharing the complete experience with those with common interests, we do not offer an “accommodation only” option.

Not included:
Airfare
Meals and transfers not specifically mentioned in this itinerary
Beverages with meals
Items of a personal nature, e.g. phone calls
Cancellation insurance
and hospital/medical insurance
All items and activities listed as optional in this brochure

Terms and Conditions:
Non-refundable deposit of CA$1750 per person is required at time of registration, no later than 16 December 2013, to secure your space for this package**.
Single supplement, optional airfare (price available on request) and optional cancellation and hospital/medical insurance are also payable at this time.
Final payment due 21 March 2014, and total package price is fully non-refundable.
All cancellations must be received in writing at Carlson Wagonlit Victor Travel to the attention of Lucy Nati (lucy@cwtvictortravel.ca).
RBC out-of-province health insurance and trip cancellation insurance are available through Victor Travel and STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. Price will vary according to birthdate. Premium must accompany the deposit and is non-refundable.

For more information:
phone: 416.693.4496
toll-free within North America: 1-866-699-0199
**The deposit is fully refundable in the event of cancellation of the trip by the travel agent


Sunday, November 10, 2013

National Ballet of Canada Swan Lake reviews 2013

Michael Crabb, Toronto Star
"National Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’ oddly staged but beautifully danced"

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2013/11/10/national_ballets_swan_lake_oddly_staged_but_beautifully_danced.html
"Even for those who relish a bit of revisionism it does not entirely add up dramatically. Whose tragedy is it supposed to be? It’s certainly not Odette’s, although she is left flapping her arms in grief. But really, why? Kudelka’s prince is such a milquetoast pushover Odette deserves much better. Never mind, Kudelka’s Swan Lake is packed with about as much dancing as Tchaikovsky’s ravishing music can accommodate."

Paula Citron, Globe and Mail
"This radical Swan Lake still exhilarates"


 (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/this-radical-swan-lake-still-exhilarates/article15375236/)

Dana Glassman, National Post 
"No ugly ducklings to see in National Ballet’s Swan Lake"

(http://arts.nationalpost.com/2013/11/12/dance-review-no-ugly-ducklings-to-see-in-national-ballets-swan-lake/)

Denise Sum, DanceViewTimes (http://www.danceviewtimes.com/2013/11/swan-lake.html)
"Ultimately, Kudelka's "Swan Lake" is unsatisfying and unsettling. The NBoC deserves better."

If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.

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Behind the scenes at the ballet

Great article about wardrobe and the stage managers at The National Ballet of Canada:
http://arts.nationalpost.com/2013/11/08/swan-lake-accord-the-method-behind-the-magic/

If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.

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Sunday, November 3, 2013

For Alina Cojocaru fans: video

Few Visuals from AlinaCojocaruTheMovie? on Vimeo.

If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

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Online behind-the-scenes series about NYCB

city.ballet. on AOL On
city.ballet.
Premiering Monday, November 4 on AOL On
Come backstage to a world rarely seen — from the orderly chaos of the shoe room to the sweat of the rehearsal halls to the pre-performance anticipation in the wings.
We're proud to announce the premiere of city.ballet. on Monday, November 4. Hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker, this 12-part behind-the-scenes docudrama
http://on.aol.ca/show/cityballet-517887470/episode/517995636
city.ballet. executive producer and NYCB board member Sarah Jessica Parker:  We’re looking to photograph an intellectual and physical endeavor, and I think that’s a different animal than reality television, which is about grabbing a story quickly and creating drama in an attempt to be provocative and create chatter.
Sarah Jessica Parker in the shoe room
Sarah Jessica Parker visits NYCB's shoe room. view video >
NYCB Principal Dancer Jared Angle:  As a dancer, at first, I didn’t want anyone to see behind the scenes. But I realized that I consume everything that I can find about performers and the process and the behind-the-scenes work of other art forms. It doesn’t ruin the magic of being in the theater for me when I know what happens behind the scenes. It actually enhances it.
The Makeup

Meet makeup artist Karla Elie

Photo Booth: Favorite Music
Photo Booth: Dancers' favorite music.



Visit the city.ballet. page at AOL On to watch exclusive preview clips and subscribe to receive an alert when the series goes live this Monday.
We look forward to sharing our world with you.

Inside the Shoe Room with Dara Faust
Inside the Shoe Room








If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips (including one to New York in May) by clicking here.

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

Use the buttons below to share this post on facebook, twitter, by email, or other social media.
You can sign up to have my ballet updates delivered directly to your inbox here.