MASTER & MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES
Christopher d’Amboise
Born into a family of dancers, Christopher has had many careers: dancer, director, choreographer, playwright, teacher and educator. His work explores the integration of text, dance, music and drama and seeks to reinforce a positive perspective of humanity.
As a Principal dancer with New York City Ballet, Christopher worked closely with both George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, originating works as well as performing major repertoire. On Broadway he co-stared with Bernadette Peters in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance, for which he earned a Tony nomination.
As a Choreographer, Christopher works both in theater and ballet. He has created over 80 works seen worldwide in cities including London, Prague, Paris, Copenhagen, New York, Lisbon, and Istanbul. His ballets have been presented in over 30 companies including the New York City Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Pennsylvania Ballet, National Ballet of Amsterdam, and the San Francisco Ballet. His latest work, Tribute, premiered with NYCB at Lincoln Center in 2007.
As a Director and Choreographer for theater, Christopher’s vision is cinematic in style integrating music and dance with text, and visual storytelling. Mr. d’Amboise has also adapted and written original works for the stage. His new adaptation of Can-Can, the classic Cole Porter musical, is currently under option. The Studio is an original “play-with-dance” written, directed and choreographed by Mr. d’Amboise premiering in 2006 at South Coast Repertory, and having for its east coast premiere at the Signature Theatre in Washington D.C., in November of 2007. The Studio was also selected as a featured play at the Pacific Playwrights Festival in 2006. Voice of the City, an original musical about Vaudeville written, directed and choreographed by Mr. d’Amboise had its New York workshop at Musical Theatre Works. His other theatrical credits as a choreographer include You Never Know, a world premiere new musical by Charles Strouse at Trinity Rep.; the pre-Broadway production of High Society at ACT in San Francisco; and Romeo & Juliet: The Musical at the Ordway Theatre and the Goodspeed Opera House. Christopher directed and choreographed Up The Avenue, an original comic act starring Bill Irwin and Charlotte d’Amboise at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Mr. d’Amboise has also collaborated with singer/songwriter Cat Stevens on The Road To Find Out, a new musical about the life and music of the artist. Christopher is Hang Onto Me – an original musical about Fred and Adele Astaire.
As artistic director and president/CEO of The Pennsylvania Ballet Christopher pulled the company out of bankruptcy with the unprecedented “Save the Ballet Campaign” raising 2.5 million from 10,000 Philadelphia residents in two weeks. He lead the company through 4 successful seasons, supervising production of 72 performances annually at the Academy of Music and the Shubert theater.
As an educator Christopher has initiated outreach programs, community development initiatives and taught master classes and workshops at schools and universities world wide. He also developed MOVING STORY, a unique visual storytelling curriculum specially designed to integrate image based drama into contemporary theatre. Taught in universities as well as professional productions of theater and dance.
Evelyn Hart
After studying in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Professional Division, Evelyn Hart joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1976, became a soloist in 1978 and principal dancer in 1979.
Over her 30-year career with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, she performed on stages in over 118 countries and on every continent. With David Peregrine as her partner, Hart entered the World Ballet Concours in Osaka, Japan in 1980 and they won a bronze medal. The same year she was honored as the first Canadian to be awarded a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. In 1986, Hart was a guest artist at the opening ceremonies of the USA International Ballet Competition. She also received the rarely awarded Certificate of Exceptional Artistic Achievement.
McMaster University and the University of Manitoba presented her with honorary doctorates in 1989. A 50-minute film about Hart entitled Moment of Light: The Dance of Evelyn Hart was produced in 1992. In 2001, Hart received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award to recognize her lifetime achievement in the performing arts. She was nominated with Rex Harrington for a 2005 Gemini for Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series for Veronica Tennant’s A Pairing of Swans which aired on CBC TV’s Opening Night.
Hart received the Order of Manitoba award in 2006 and currently lives in Toronto, Ontario where she teaches and coaches privately in addition to attending University of Toronto.