Okanagan Ballet Theatre Society presents AN EVENING WITH FRANK AUGUSTYN & GISELLE

Once in a lifetime opportunity to peek into and witness how a ballet dancer trains under a master teacher, Frank Augustyn. Mr. Augustyn is an Officer of the order of Canada, a professor, an author, and a former principal dancer of international distinction.

This master teacher will take dancers of advanced and professional calibre through an actual physically demanding training right on stage for the audience to share and be amazed at the athletic and mental precision and focus that is needed to nurture and cultivate a professional ballet dancer to be ready for performance.

There will be an intermission and at the end of the intermission while people settle back into their seats Mr. Augustyn will come out and talk to the audience and answer questions live.

This demonstration will be the result of a workshop that Frank Augustyn is teaching to train any willing dancers in our community in classical ballet, variations, and pas de deux. Which is a partnering class for classical ballet dancers who will receive the most expert coaching in all of these workshops. Mr. Augustyn will also rehearse and coach the dancers who participate in the August Intensive at the MDC studio in order to prepare them for the performance of the classical ballet Giselle (shortened Okanagan Ballet version).

The second half of the evening will present excerpts of Giselle: a timeless tale of passion, betrayal, and eternal love. Giselle is celebrated as one of the greatest Romantic ballets, weaving themes of love, betrayal, supernatural justice, and forgiveness. The narrative's contrast between the vibrant village life in Act I and the ethereal, ghostly forest in Act II exemplifies the Romantic era's fascination with the afterlife and eternal love. Originally premiered in 1841 with music by Adolphe Adam, this production is staged and choreographed by Tanya Vadurova, drawing inspiration from the original choreography by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli.​ What makes this second half even more special is that joining us will be Dante Grootjes a former mission descendent student now at the Royal Winnipeg ballet school to partner one of our Okanagan Ballet Theatre’s ballerinas.

Tanya Vadurova is so pleased that this very special night can combine the young and impressionable dancers of tomorrow with the legendary in his own time Frank Augustyn!

About Frank Augustyn:

With an international career spanning performance, education, and arts leadership, Frank Augustyn is one of Canada's most distinguished ballet artists. Trained at Canada's National Ballet School, he joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1970 and went on to become Canada's most renowned male ballet dancer of the twentieth century. In 1973, he and Karen Kain received a special award for Best Pas de Deux at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow.

Frank Augustyn has performed globally as a principal dancer with companies including Boston Ballet, Berlin Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, Beijing Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Tallinn Ballet, and Dutch National Ballet. He toured extensively with the National Ballet of Canada, appearing on many of the world's major stages, including Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Covent Garden, and the Caracalla Theatre in Italy. He has received three honorary degrees and, in 1979, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He co-produced and hosted the television series Footnotes, The Classics of Ballet and authored the accompanying book Footnotes, The World's Best Loved Ballets. From 2000 to 2024, he served as a tenured Associate Professor at Adelphi University in New York, where he also led the Department of Dance as Chair. In November 2024, he was inducted into Canada's Dance Hall of Fame by Dance Collection Danse.

Professional Profile:
- Officer of the Order of Canada recognized for distinguished contribution to Canadian cultural life.
- Internationally acclaimed principal dancer with a performance career spanning major ballet companies and stages around the world.
- University leader and dance educator through 24 years at Adelphi University, including service as Chair of the Department of Dance.
- Author, broadcaster, and arts producer with contributions to television, publishing, adjudication, and arts event production.
- Inductee, Canada's Dance Hall of Fame, honored in 2024 by Dance Collection Danse for his enduring contribution to dance in Canada.