It will be a Canadian showdown at this year’s Laurence Olivier Awards.
The National Ballet of Canada (NBoC) and Kidd Pivot, the Vancouver-based company led by Crystal Pite, were both nominated Monday in the best new dance production category.
The NBoC was recognized for “Frontiers,” a mixed program celebrating Canadian choreographers. The touring production, which played at Sadler’s Wells in London last fall, featured a trio of contemporary works: “Angels’ Atlas” by Pite; the duet “islands” by Emma Portner; and “Passion” by former NBoC artistic director James Kudelka.
Lighting designer Tom Visser also received a separate Olivier nomination in the outstanding achievement in dance category for his work on “Angels’ Atlas.”
“I am thrilled to learn the National Ballet of Canada has been nominated for two Olivier Awards for the first time in its history,” said NBoC artistic director Hope Muir in a statement to the Star. “I could not be prouder of this incredible company and the impact our performances had on London audiences. To see our work recognized and celebrated in this way is incredibly humbling.”
The NBoC’s mixed program will be up against “Assembly Hall,” Kidd Pivot’s dance-theatre hybrid crafted by Pite and Jonathon Young and which ran at Sadler’s Wells in March 2024.
Pite, who hails from British Columbia, is one of the most celebrated and in-demand choreographers of her generation. She has won four Olivier Awards, including two with Young.
Nominations for the Olivier Awards were announced by “Sunset Boulevard” stars Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis. A revival of the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” emerged as an early front-runner, securing 13 nominations.
The awards ceremony is scheduled for April 6 at Royal Albert Hall and will be hosted by Billy Porter and Beverley Knight.
