Veronica Tennant
Acting
Biography
Veronica Tennant, celebrated Prima Ballerina, excelled for 25 years as Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, partnering with luminaries like Erik Bruhn, Rudolf Nureyev, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Her transition to a gifted filmmaker earned her accolades, including the International Emmy for "Karen Kain: Dancing in the Moment" and led to diverse television productions encompassing arts, drama, and documentaries like "Celia Franca: Tour de Force" and "The Dancers’ Story." Beyond the stage, Tennant's versatility shines in her role as Movement Director for Margaret Atwood’s "Penelopiad" and publications like "On Stage, Please" and "The Nutcracker." Her acclaimed screen originals include collaborations with Michael Ondaatje and a commissioned multi-media stage-show, "NIÁGARA~ A Pan-American Story" for TO2015.
Known For
Ballet luminary Rudolf Nureyev choreographed this spectacular 1972 National Ballet of Canada production of Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty," and also stars as Prince Florimund opposite Veronica Tennant as Princess Aurora. After Princess Aurora is cursed at birth, she pricks her finger and sleeps for 100 years, until Prince Florimund wakes her with a kiss. Conductor George Crum leads the Orchestra of the National Ballet of Canada.
The Sleeping Beauty
As the waters of the river Seine overflow their banks and surround a Parisian café, composer Erik Satie nurtures bittersweet memories of his one-time lover Suzanne Valadon.
Satie and Suzanne
Bruhn’s Swan Lake was a fascinating psychological drama that departed from traditional versions, which proved controversial and ground-breaking. He enhanced the role of Prince Siegfried, whom he occasionally performed, with more dancing and depth, saying he wished to tell the story of the Prince rather than the Swan Queen. He also changed the role of Von Rothbart, the evil sorcerer, to the Black Queen (initially played by Franca). His telling changed the story from a struggle between good and evil to focus on the Prince’s relationships with the women in his life – his mother, the Black Queen, the Swan Queen and the Black Swan – each representing a different form of control or influence. To emphasize the powerful emotion of the story, Bruhn reinstated the tragic ending, with the Prince driven to his death by the swans.